Mauldin volleyball tops Dorman, wins first Upper State Championship in program history

MAULDIN — The words that described what it felt like were hard to find, Mauldin volleyball coach Val Thoms said as her team celebrated on the court. 

But there is one word to describe what Mauldin volleyball did Tuesday night: 

Historic. 

At home inside the Mauldin High School gymnasium the Maverick girls volleyball team defeated powerhouse Dorman 3-1 to win the Class AAAAA Upper State Championship and advance to the SCHSL state championship game for the first time in program history. 

Mauldin plays the winner of Wando and Lexington — the Lower State champion — at 7 p.m. Saturday at Dreher High School in the state title game.

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Students, coaches and parents swarmed the court as soon as the final point was scored.

“It’s phenomenal,” Mauldin senior Jurnee Robinson said. "We’ve been trying for this the past four years. We just feel like now is our time and we’re going to win it. We’re going to give it all we got.”

Mauldin senior Anna Schneider said it was important for her team to finally get past the Cavaliers, who swept their postseason competition en route to the AAAAA state championship last season. That included a third-round playoff win over the Mavericks (31-7).

“It’s so surreal,” Schneider said. “It was so great playing on our home court, that meant so much to us. Those long years that we’ve lost to them … it really means a lot to get over this hump and be a great team. 

“It just means so much. I literally can’t put it in to words.”

Robinson set the tone early and throughout the match. Her six kills in the first set allowed the Mavericks to take the set 25-18. The LSU volleyball commitment and 2021 all-state selection had 485 kills entering Tuesday’s state semifinal match and finished with 28 kills. Schneider had 15 kills.

After winning the first set, Mauldin dropped the second, 25-21, and Dorman (31-6) seemed to rebound well. But Mauldin took the third set and then won the fourth set, 25-19, to clinch the win. Dorman was led in kills by Carly O’Brien, who had 14 total in the match.

“We just told them, just be patient,” Thoms said she told her team after dropping the second set. “And we have to serve the ball in more, pass a little better out of serve-receive and then when were in system … we can’t be stopped. So, just take a couple deep breaths … and win it with our offense.”

Last season, Dorman defeated River Bluff to win the AAAAA state championship for the first time since 2017. Paula Kirkland, Dorman's legendary volleyball coach, has 14 state titles as head coach at Dorman and is one of two volleyball coaches in SCHSL history to win over 1,000 matches.

“It’s really kind of indescribable to be honest,” Thoms said. “I think its what this program needs – and what volleyball in this area needs. Because, Dorman is the name … I just think this proves; it doesn’t matter. We just go out, do your thing, be good athletes and anybody can beat anybody.”

Joe Dandron covers high school sports for The Greenville News.