Roundup: Aiken outlasts Hilton Head in 4A Lower State volleyball championship

Hilton Head volleyball’s bid for a second straight state championship ended Tuesday night in a five-set thriller against Aiken.

Aiken rallied from two sets down to beat the defending state champions in the Class 4A Lower championship, 17-25, 17-25, 25-18, 26-24, 15-7. The Hornets will play Pickens for the state title at 6 p.m. Saturday at Dreher High School in Columbia.

Hilton Head High finishes with a record of 31-8-2. The Seahawks defeated Aiken in last year’s lower state championship.

Brianna Mahoney led Aiken with 21 kills and Natalie Bland had 15. Bland had 30 digs and Abigail Tyler had 24.

Lowcountry football teams ranked in final polls

Three Lowcountry high school football teams are ranked in final regular-season SC High School Media polls.

May River is ranked No. 7 in Class 4A and Beaufort is No. 10. Whale Branch is No. 5 in Class A. All three teams begin the playoffs at home Friday.

Region 7-4A cross country

James Island boys and girls swept the Region 7-4A cross country championships Saturday in Bluffton.

May River girls finished second followed by Bluffton, Hilton Head Island and Beaufort. JI’s Hannah Vroon finished first. May River’s Anya Arroyo was second, Beaufort’s Charlize Antia was third and MR’s Victoria Sosa was fifth.

In the boys race, Bluffton was second, Hilton Head fourth, Beaufort fifth and May River sixth.

JI’s Reid Vanrosenberg was first. HHI’s Caden Thune came in third, Bluffton’s Earlon Baker fourth and MR’s Cohen McDonald was fifth.