Liberty High’s volleyball team came into the 2022 season with big aspirations.

“We set out at the beginning to win it all,” Lions coach Sheri Hagen said. “We knew we had a good team, we were looking to beat everybody in the county, get into the region and state tournament. They are doing it, they’re meeting every goal, every milestone, every week.”

The ninth-ranked Lions accomplished one of their goals Tuesday, beating No. 11 Westminster to claim their first Carroll County Athletic League championship since 2016.

It was not easy for undefeated Liberty (13-0, 11-0 CCAL), as the defending league champion Owls rallied to win the third set after dropping the first two. The Lions would not be denied, though, as they closed out the match in the fourth set to earn a 25-16, 25-17, 22-25, 25-21 victory.

The match was finally decided when Liberty senior outside hitter Sarah Hart made a savvy play and put the ball just inside the sideline to end the game. Prior to that point, the Owls had reeled off seven straight points to make the Lions sweat a little.

“It was really crazy,” Hart said. “They just kept saving everything. They had just gotten a huge rally and we needed that last point to put [the game] away. The fact that we [won the county], it’s incredible since it’s been our goal the whole year.”

Liberty looked like they were going to cruise early as they dominated the first two sets. Junior Grace Maertan led the way at the service line by racking up five aces in the second set alone, while Hart and fellow senior Paige Coulson controlled the action at the net.

Hart picked up eight kills in the first two sets and finished the game with 13. Coulson totaled 18 kills, including six in the decisive fourth set.

“We’ve worked really hard for this,” Coulson said while clutching the CCAL championship plaque following the game. “Last year, we came super close. This year, we pushed really hard and it paid off.”

Westminster (10-4, 8-3 CCAL) showed its championship resolve in the third set as the Owls came out strong, despite trailing by two sets. The Owls opened with a 5-1 lead early and pushed the lead to six points at 18-12, forcing a timeout from the Lions.

The Lions would rally to within two points at 24-22, but Owls were able to close out that set to add some drama to the contest.

“We have been continuing to fight back [this season],” Westminster head coach Serra Jarboe said. “We have been learning to build up our mental toughness and perseverance. Being able to finish is a skill that we will continue to work on.”

After ending the Owls’ reign in Carroll County, Liberty is riding a wave of momentum with the state regional playoffs around the corner. The Lions know they need to focus on each game and not look too far ahead if they intend on achieve their final goal this season.

“[This win] definitely gives us a lot of confidence,” Coulson said. “We also need to stay humble. Going into a game, it can be anyone’s game. We just have to play hard. No matter who is on the other side.”