Telegraph Staff Writer
Union County High School’s volleyball team begins postseason play tonight at home against Newberry in a 7 p.m. Region 4-1A semifinal match.
The Tigers (14-8) and the Panthers (17-10) just played each other on Oct. 28, with Union winning 3-2 to claim the District 7 championship trophy. Union is the second seed in Region 4 behind Pierson Taylor (20-3). Newberry is the third seed, while Williston (8-10) is the fourth seed.
Pierson Taylor and Williston play each other in tonight’s other Region 4 semifinal. Tonight’s winners will play each other on Saturday, Nov. 6, at 2 p.m. The higher seed will host.
The Tigers are making their sixth postseason appearance in the last seven years. Union has a 7-9 postseason record overall, with all but one of those wins occurring during the 2016 and 2017 seasons. In 2016, the Tigers advanced to the Class 1A semifinals before losing to Newberry. Union then advanced all the way to the Class 1A championship match in 2017, finishing as state runner-up to Sneads, which is seeking its ninth straight state title this year.
Newberry, which has a 13-10 postseason record, is making its seventh straight appearance in the regional playoffs and its ninth appearance in 10 years. The Panthers played for the Class 1A championship in 2016, 2019 and 2020, losing to Sneads each year. Newberry also advanced to the state semifinals in 2013 before losing to Sneads.
Pierson Taylor returns to the postseason after a two-year absence. The Wildcats, who have a 10-22 playoff record, were the Class 1A runner-up to Sneads in 2014. They advanced as far as the state semifinals in 1978 (2A) and 2012 (1A) before being eliminated by Academy of the Holy Names and Liberty County, respectively.
This marks the Wildcats’ sixth regional appearance in 11 years.
Williston, which has a 10-11 postseason record, is making its fourth playoff appearance in nine years. The Red Devils have never played for a state title, but have advanced to the state semifinals three times. They lost to Academy of the Holy Names and Berkeley Prep in the 1997 and 1998 Class 3A semifinals, respectively, and lost to Union in the 2017 Class 1A semifinals.
