Marvin Ridge volleyball's season ended Oct. 27 with a 3-0 loss to Reagan in the NCHSAA 7A West Regional Final at The Stables.
The Lady Mavericks finished 29-4, according to MaxPreps. They went undefeated in Southern Carolina Conference (SCC) play at 12-0 and earned the No. 1 seed in the 7A West playoff bracket.
It was a season worth celebrating.
Marvin Ridge Athletics posted on X after the regional final loss: "WHAT A RUN, LADY MAVS! Our Women's Volleyball team finishes as the NCHSAA 7A WEST RUNNER-UPS! An incredible season filled with hard work, determination, and Maverick pride!"
The playoff run included three home wins at The Stables. Marvin Ridge swept South Iredell 3-0 on Oct. 20, beat rival Cuthbertson 3-1 on Oct. 22 and topped Mooresville 3-1 on Oct. 24 before hosting Reagan in the regional final, according to MaxPreps.
Reagan went on to play Cardinal Gibbons in the 7A state championship, losing 3-1, according to the Charlotte Observer.
The season marked head coach Zoe Bell's first year leading the Marvin Ridge program. Bell, a longtime Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools coach, came to Marvin Ridge from Ardrey Kell High School, as the Charlotte Observer first reported in January. She replaced Brooke Hammers, who left after leading the Mavericks to their second state championship. Bell brought a 36-year career record of 809-218 with five state titles, according to the Observer.
Bell missed the SCC tournament while recovering from surgery but watched the matches on her laptop, the Enquirer-Journal reported. The Lady Mavericks won the tournament anyway, beating Sun Valley and Weddington at Porter Ridge High School.
Senior Victoria Simons and junior Jamie Carnes powered the offense during the conference tournament. Simons tallied 14 kills and Carnes added 11 in the championship match against Weddington, according to the Enquirer-Journal. Against Sun Valley, Simons led all players with 16 kills.
The Observer noted one more measure of how strong this Marvin Ridge squad was: Lake Norman Charter, which won the 4A state championship with a 31-1 record, lost its only game of the season to the Lady Mavericks.
Marvin Ridge's season ended one win short of the state championship match, but the 29-4 record, an unbeaten conference slate and a regional final appearance gave Bell's program plenty to build on heading into 2027.
