Hard Rock Café to be filled with music again after Beale Street site sold. What's planned?

Briarcrest Christian volleyball captures second state championship in three years

Khari Thompson
Memphis Commercial Appeal
Briarcrest Christian players celebrate their Division II-AA state volleyball championship on Thursday at MTSU. They beat Baylor 3-1.

MURFREESBORO — Briarcrest Christian lost its first set but rallied to win the next three as the Saints defeated Baylor 3-1 to capture their second Division II-AA state title in three years. 

The Saints won the championship in 2016 and were runners-up last year. 

This was Briarcrest's first season under coach Carrie Yerty, who left the University of Memphis in 2008 as its winningest volleyball coach in school history. 

“I feel like this is what was supposed to happen. These girls trained hard all year," Yerty said. "They executed the game plan, and they beat a very strong Baylor team today. It was well deserved. We did a great job executing our serving game and our blocking game. And when it came time to get points, our offense was on target. I was really proud of these girls.”

Briarcrest finished the season with a 40-2 record. The Saints beat Harpeth Hall in the quarterfinals and Baylor twice – in the semifinals and the championship game.

The Saints, who are 19th in MaxPreps' national rankings, were led by senior Alabama commitment Alyiah Wells, who was named MVP of the match. Wells said the Saints started off slowly with two losses in September but were able to get the job done when it counted. 

"I feel like we started off kind of slow, but we were still winning. But now, we peaked at the right time. We peaked all season," Wells said. "It was just nothing but going up. No downs. We just made sure we got better every single week (we) played, every single week we practiced, and that’s why we were so prepared today."

Briarcrest Christian's Loren Robertson (1), Rachel Sullivan (23), Alyiah Wells (12) and Aziah Buckner (9) celebrate after the final point was scored Thursday.

Wells, who is now a two-time state champion, wouldn't say which title was her favorite but expressed her happiness for winning this one. 

"They’re both pretty sweet, but since I’m a senior, I’m really happy that we won this one," Wells said. "It’s a great way to end my five-year career as a Briarcrest Saint, and I just couldn’t be happier right now.”

Briarcrest lost the first set 17-25 before closing out the match 25-15, 25-20, 25-19.

Loren Robertson served up 48 of Briarcrest's 56 assists along with 17 digs. Emma Perkins had 21 digs and four assists. Wells finished with a team-high 21 points with 16 digs and six blocks assisted.