The Richmond Hill High School Lady Wildcats have won the Region 1-6A championship for the third year in a row. Previously, the team was the Region 1-7A champions in 2022 and 2023. This year, with the restructuring of the new GHSA classifications, they took the Region 1-6A title.
The Lady Wildcats secured the region championship after defeating the Camden County Lady Wildcats in Moultrie, Georgia. Richmond Hill traveled 177 miles to Colquitt County High School, where they earned a 2-1 match victory.
Camden County took the first set 25-23, but Richmond Hill came back strong, winning the next two sets 25-22 and 15-4. In the second set, Richmond Hill was down 16-11 when Berlyn Basler stepped up on offense, helping the team regain control according to Wildcat Head Coach Kaitlin Bean.
Key players in the match included senior Samantha Johnson with 19 digs and three aces, junior Lily Ritzema with ten kills, and senior Berlyn Basler with 11 kills. Coach Kaitlin Bean, who took over the team in 2022, said, "I was extremely proud of the grit and determination we showed in the match. Grit is something we've preached all season, and finding a way to dig deep and step up in tough situations. Camden played really well, and I am proud of my girls for fighting through and finding a way to win."
In the region championship match against Lowndes, Richmond Hill dominated with scores of 25-12 and 25-7. Samantha Johnson contributed five aces and ten digs, Berlyn Basler added four aces and six kills, and Lily Ritzema had ten kills. Coach Bean expressed her pride, saying, "After a tough semifinals game against Camden, I'm so proud of the girls for coming out in the finals and controlling the match against Lowndes. We served really well (14 aces), which was a big factor in our win. We were in system the entire match and able to run our offense. It was a really clean game of volleyball."
The Lady Wildcats finished the season with an overall record of 25-11 and a perfect 9-0 record in their region.
Photo credit: Richmond Hill High School Volleyball, as seen on social media.
FOLLOW the Prep Sports Report on Twitter @PrepSav and Instagram savannahsportsreport. If you have any scores, information, or story ideas to share, please email kdemasi@prepsportsreport.com.
