PICKENS — The Pickens Carolina One 18 Elite volleyball team won the USAVolleyball Palmetto Region 2022 Championship on Sunday at the Rock Hill Sports and Event Center.

The Pickens Carolina One club volleyball team, which goes by the name “Pride,” won seven matches during the March 25-27 tournament. In the championship final, Pride defeated the Sumter Juniors Volleyball Club in two sets, 25-16, 25-17. The Pickens team did not drop a set during the Rock Hill tournament.

With the win comes a bid for Pride to play in the USAVolleyball Girls 18s Junior National Championship April 22-24 in Phoenix, Ariz.

“This group of young women continues to amaze and impress me,” Pride coach Nikki Anthony said. “They were fierce competitors on the court and a class act off the court this weekend. This team handedly won the Palmetto Region Tournament, as no team scored more than 17 points against us all weekend. The work they have put in all season prepared them for this final Palmetto Region Tournament, and all players contributed in the championship match.”

Pride also recently captured the tournament championship at the Shamrock Scuffle March 12-13 in Suwannee, Ga.

Pride features 11 upper-level players from five area high schools: Pickens, Belton-Honea Path, Easley, Walhalla and Wren. Players from Pickens High are Calie Covey, Alaina Craigo, Lauren Dow, Macie Gentry, Caroline Lucas and Emma Van Daele. Emmie Williams plays at Belton-Honea Path High, and Polly McCollum comes from Easley High. Payton Burkett is from Walhalla High, and Karson Haley and Ashley Stein play for Wren High.

Carolina One Volleyball is a locally owned nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting volleyball in Upstate South Carolina. Carolina One is now in its 15th season and is the longest-running volleyball club in the state of South Carolina.