Marvin Ridge volleyball sealed its fourth consecutive Southern Carolina Conference regular season championship with a 3-0 sweep of Sun Valley on Thursday, Oct. 8.
The Mavericks finished conference play undefeated at 12-0 and stand 24-3 overall heading into the NCHSAA playoffs. The four-year run includes a 2025 state championship and a 2024 runner-up finish.
Senior outside hitter Victoria Simons powered the clinching win with 17 kills and seven digs, according to MaxPreps. She was the only player in the match to reach double-digit kills. Junior Clara Drake added seven kills, nine digs and three aces.
The set scores were lopsided: 25-13, 25-18, 25-12.
The title is the first for head coach Zoe Bell, who took over the program in January after Brooke Hammers left for Florida following the 2025 state championship. Bell arrived with a 36-year career record of 809-218, 19 conference championships and five state titles across stints at Providence, Charlotte Latin and Ardrey Kell, as The Charlotte Observer reported.
"Can I maintain it? Can I make it stay on the top?" Bell said in January when the Observer asked about her move to Marvin Ridge.
An unbeaten conference season answered that question on the court. The Mavericks had won six straight matches entering the week.
MaxPreps ranked Marvin Ridge No. 4 in North Carolina, No. 2 in the state's 7A classification and No. 3 in the Charlotte area as of Monday, Oct. 12.
The NCHSAA sets the volleyball bracketing date for Thursday, Oct. 15, with first-round playoff matches scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 17. Marvin Ridge's seed and first-round opponent have not been announced. The state championship is set for Oct. 30 and Oct. 31.
