CASPER — True to expectations, the LHS Lady Eagles and the MVHS Lady Buffalos met again in the big arena at the net for the state championship in 3A volleyball last weekend in Casper.

Two teams, both strong and competent, one would emerge the victor and champion, and the other would take second place. The two teams had battled every time they had met on the floor during the pre-season and regular season this year with the Lady Buffs taking most of the wins as Lyman had lost four times to Mountain View and had only taken one win. But, tournament time wipes the slate clean and both teams are back to square one. Well, neither was really at square one as fans, and others had high expectations for both teams. With fingers crossed, the two teams were seen to battle through their first two games to again go at each other at the net for the championship. And true to expectations, the two teams had a real battle in the championship game last weekend. The championship game turned into a Bridger Valley dual and the spotlight was on the power players from the Bridger Valley high schools. Two tough teams, who had aced their play throughout the season, put down their competition and again stood in the big arena.

Knowing the game would be tough, hard and tiring for both teams, fans settled in to watch a battle, which had also played out during the regular season where one of the teams would score first, scores would be tied, one would edge forward and scores would be tied. This proved to be the action that played out through the championship game, which took five sets for Lyman to be declared the winner.

Mountain View had taken the championship of the 3A West regional the week before, but when seed-time for state arrived, Lyman was given the #1 seed as they had allowed one less point during the regular season than Mountain View. Two teams so close in ability that it was down to allowed points to determine the #1 seed of the West.

And as expected, the two Valley titans were up for battle again before the close of the 2021 season. Two power teams, fairly evenly match, but only one could take the win last Saturday. And this game proved to be a repeat of some of the games they two teams had played earlier. This game went for five sets before a winner was determined. Lyman won the first set, 25-18. Mountain View answered back and took the second, 25-22.

In the third set, the Lady Eagles earned a five-point lead with a score of 20-15. It didn’t last long as Mountain View added more points, cutting Lyman’s lead to two, then one. The score was tied at 24, again at 25, 26, 27. Then the Lady Eagles were able to add two points for a final score of 29-27.

In the fourth set, Lyman scored the first two points, but Mountain View bounced back and put up one. Lyman gained a slight edge, but the scores were again tied at 9, 10 and 13. Mountain View gained a three-point lead, which they were able to maintain and when the set ended the score was 25-19 in favor of the Lady Buffs.

The teams faced a fifth set to end the game. Mountain View put up the first point, and Lyman soon responded. The score was tied at 2, then Lyman added a point for a one-point lead. From then on, Lyman kept the lead in the final set, edged seven points ahead and took the set with a score of 15-7. This win gave the Lady Eagles their first state volleyball championship since 2018.