HOLLYWOOD CROSSROADS, N.C. — The wire-to-wire No. 1 team in the HighSchoolOT statewide rankings will get a chance to finish the job.

Cardinal Gibbons defeated D.H. Conley 3-0 (25-19, 25-19, 25-22) on Thursday for the 4A East regional title. The Crusaders will play Marvin Ridge — the 4A West champ — in Saturday’s N.C. High School Athletic Association 4A championship at N.C. State’s Reynolds Coliseum. A game time has not been set.

In a match with two programs that have combined for 21 state championship appearances, and with a 22nd on the line, Gibbons (21-0), the No. 5 seed in the East, didn’t run away with any of its three sets against the host Vikings (27-2), the No. 2 seed.

The Crusaders have 11 state titles in 12 appearances, their last coming in 2020 against Providence. Coach Logan Barber, who already has the most state titles by a volleyball coach in NCHSAA history with seven, will get a chance to go for his eighth.

D.H. Conley, which has 10 championship appearances and three titles in its own history, was led by junior hitter Britni Silver in the loss. The N.C. State recruit mixed up her swings for more than 20 kills and also performed well on the back row.

Source: highschoolot.com