Oak Glen head coach Morgan Saddler (left) embraces the Golden Bears’ Mattie Carney during the celebrations while more players celebrate in the background following the state championship match Thursday in Charleston. - Photo provided by the WVSSAC

Those traits helped the Golden Bears hoist a state championship trophy Thursday evening.

After falling behind dropping the opening set of the Class AA championship match to Philip Barbour, Oak Glen won the next three sets to claim the ninth state championship in school history and its second in three years.

It was the third-straight year the teams had met in the final. It was also the second-straight day that the Bears dropped the opening set and responded with three-straight wins, as they did exactly that in the semifinal against James Monroe on Wednesday evening. Oak Glen also overcame dropping the first set in the regional semis against Tyler Consolidated.

“The resilience of this group was everything,” Oak Glen head coach Morgan Saddler said. “Composure is something that we practiced every day in the gym and it paid off in a big moment.

Oak Glen’s Averi Martin attempts to send the ball over the net against Philip Barbour. - Photo provided by the WVSSAC

“These girls battle for each other on every single point and as a coach, I couldn’t ask for anything more.”

The championship was the sixth Saddler has been a part of for the Golden Bears, as she won three titles in her playing days at Oak Glen and Thursday’s title was her third in six seasons leading her alma mater.

“There’s really no words to describe the feeling,” Saddler said. “It’s truly something special to be a part of and we could not be more proud of the girls.”

After the No. 2 seed Colts (45-12-2) won the opening set 25-19, the top-seeded Bears (28-10-3) responded to claim the second by a 25-18 margin to knot the match at 1-1.

In a pivotal third set, the Bears opened a five-point lead three times (9-4, 12-7, 21-16), but Philip Barbour kept rallying back. Oak Glen, though, did not allow them to come back, finishing off a 25-22 set win for a 2-1 lead in the match.

DIG IT — Oak Glen’s Kendall Six digs the ball against Philip Barbour in Thursday’s state championship match. - Photo provided by the WVSSAC

In the fourth set, looking to close things out, the Bears jumped out to a 5-0 lead, but once again the Colts were not going to make it easy as they rallied back to lead 10-9. Oak Glen pushed back ahead 18-14, but again Philip Barbour rallied to take a 19-18 lead.

The Colts led by two twice late in the match, 21-19 and 23-21, but from there Oak Glen scored the final four points to storm back and close things out.

Out of a timeout, leading 24-23, Brayley Lash — who had lost in the state tournament in both volleyball and softball when she played for Weir High — aced the final serve for some personal redemption and sent the Bears into celebration.

“It was just a truly special run,” Saddler said.

Mikalyn Balch, who passed 1,000 assists on the season during the state tournament, racked up 51 more assists in the final. Brooklyn Six tallied 18 kills, three aces, 13 digs and a block, Averi Martin racked up 25 kills, eight digs and four blocks, Lash added six kills, four digs and two blocks, Haylee Stewart tallied four blocks, a dig and two kills, Mattie Carney recorded three kills, five digs and two blocks and Tia Vick tallied 13 digs.

STATE CHAMPIONS — The Oak Glen volleyball team celebrates after winning the Class AA state championship Thursday evening with a four set win over Philip Barbour inside the Charleston Colosseum. - Photo provided by the WVSSAC

Lash and Martin were named to the All-Tournament team.

Martin, Six, Lash and Stewart are the Bears’ four seniors who will depart the program as champions.

“Our seniors were special,” Saddler said. “You hate to see them leave, but for them to get to go out on top, it doesn’t get any better.”