CASPER, WY — While Montana decides its state volleyball champions Wednesday-Friday in Bozeman, two local Wyoming teams claimed state titles Saturday at the Ford Wyoming Center in Casper, with Lovell completing one of the season's great underdog stories and Big Horn earning a three-peat.
Lovell capped their remarkable season by defeating Cody 26-28, 25-22, 25-23, 17-25, 15-12 in a thrilling five-set Class 3A championship match. The victory marked the Bulldogs' first volleyball title since 2012, their first championship as a member of Class 3A, and their third overall in school history.
See how Lovell and Big Horn celebrated Wyoming state volleyball titles:
The magic for Lovell actually started in Montana with a season-opening tournament in Columbus, where the Bulldogs reached the championship match before falling to Class B power Baker. Despite losing four times this season to Cody, Lovell (27-6-2) found a way to overcome the Fillies when it mattered most.
Cody entered the championship with only two losses, both to 4A state champion Casper Kelly Walsh, making Lovell's victory even more impressive after sweeping defending 3A champion Douglas in the semifinals.
In Class 2A action, Big Horn's girls slammed the door on a three-peat by beating Sundance 25-23, 24-26, 25-20, 25-19. The title win avenged Big Horn's loss to Sundance just a week earlier at home in the East Regional Championship.
Rams Senior Maui Orum explained what changed in the span of a few days.
"We just let our lows get too low and our highs get too high (last week) and didn't ride the wave and keep it consistent. But I think we turned that around this week, and we just poured into each other, played as a team, rode the wave and just went out to win it," Orum told Sheridan Media, which posted extended championship match highlights.
The victory closed Big Horn's season with a 30-9 record, marking their fourth title in five years and the school's eighth overall volleyball championship.
