SLO High wins first volleyball state title in a five-set thriller

The San Luis Obispo High School girls volleyball team rallied for a five-set victory Saturday afternoon over Hilmar to win the school’s first volleyball state title.

Hilmar, leading 2-1 in sets, needed one more to clinch its first state championship. However, the Tigers rallied to beat the Yellowackets 22-25, 25-23, 22-25, 25-11, 15-9 in the CIF State Division IV Championship at Santiago College in Orange.

The first three sets were back and forth between the north and south’s No. 1 seeds.

But, in the fourth set, everything changed. Then SLO High ran away with the fifth set, sparking a raucous celebration.

SLO High was coming off its first ever CIF-State Regional title after beating No. 2 Beaumont in straight sets (25-18, 25-22, 25-23) Tuesday to advance to the state final.

The Tigers had earned an at-large bid after reaching the semifinals of the Central Section Division II playoffs the previous week.