Wheatmore tops Polk in third round of state 2A volleyball playoffs

Polk County’s stellar volleyball season came to an end Thursday as Wheatmore earned a 3-0 victory over the Wolverines in the third round of the state 2A playoffs in Trinity.

The Warriors (24-3) earned a 25-22, 25-21, 25-18 win, earning a spot in the 2A quarterfinals where Wheatmore will host Hendersonville on Saturday. That game will be a rematch of last year’s 2A state final, won by Hendersonville.

Polk County, the seventh seed in the 2A West bracket, sees its season end at 19-6.

All three sets began with the teams swapping points. The two teams were tied at 9-9 in the first set, 8-8 in the second and 7-7 in the third. The Warriors, the second seed in the 2A West, pulled away late in each set en route to their 14th consecutive victory.

Senior Sarah Phipps had 11 kills and nine dogs for Polk County, which also got 10 kills and seven digs from Lily Owens. Ashley Love had six kills and three blocks, with Kendall Hall posting 31 digs. Polk County’s other senior, Kara Overholt, had 28 assists, nine dogs and two kills.