It was just about the perfect setup to wrap up the 2025 volleyball regular season. Two of the top teams in the Black Diamond Conference met head-to-head with the conference championship on the line, and the gym was absolutely packed. The Carmi-White County Lady Bulldogs hosted Edwards County on Senior Night at McDougal-Evers Gymnasium, and the atmosphere couldn’t have been better. Fans from both sides filled the bleachers, with the Carmi student section loud and ready from the very first serve, giving this regular season finale a sectional championship-type feel.
Coming into the night, the Lady Bulldogs carried a 32-2 record and sat all alone in first place in the BDC at 9-0. Edwards County came in at 2nd Place, sitting at 30-3 overall and 8-1 in conference play, their only league loss coming earlier this month when Carmi beat them on the road. A CWC win would give them the BDC crown outright for the second straight season, and an Edwards County win would mean both teams would share the conference championship.
Once the whistle blew, the Lady Bulldogs looked locked in from the start. They jumped all over Edwards County early in the first set, racing out to an 8-3 lead before the Lions were forced to call a timeout to try and slow the momentum, but Carmi wasn’t letting up. The Lady Dogs kept their foot on the gas, extending the lead to 16-8 and forcing another timeout from Edwards County. The energy inside the gym kept building as the Bulldogs continued to dominate and never looked back. They closed out the first set on a 9-7 run and took it in convincing fashion, 25-15.
The second set, though, told a much different story. Edwards County regrouped and came out looking like a team that wasn’t ready to go quietly. Carmi once again started strong, building a 6-2 lead, but the Lions found their rhythm and quickly turned things around. They went on an 8-4 run to tie the game at 10-10, forcing CWC Head Coach Chris Lucas to use a timeout. The Lions came out of that break still hot, scoring two quick points to take a 12-10 lead. From there, it was a back-and-forth battle. Every rally seemed to go longer, every serve felt more important, and both crowds were on their feet for just about every point.
It felt like whichever team could string together a few good plays at the end would take it, and that’s exactly what happened. Edwards County made the first big move, winning the race to 20 and taking a 20-17 lead. Carmi then showed the toughness and grit that’s made them such a strong team all year. The Lady Bulldogs rattled off three straight points to tie things up at 20-20, which led to another Edwards County timeout.
Out of the timeout, Carmi grabbed a 22-21 lead and looked like they might finish it right there. But Edwards County wasn’t done. The Lions dug deep and scored three straight points to bring up set point at 24-22. Lucas burned his final timeout, trying to calm his team down and avoid a third set. Whatever he said in that huddle worked perfectly, because the Lady Dogs came out of it on fire.
Senior Caroline Simmons took over, hammering down four-straight kills as Carmi stormed back to win it 26-24. A fitting end to a night celebrating such a special group of seniors.
With the win, the Lady Bulldogs claimed their 20th consecutive Black Diamond Conference victory and officially locked up their second straight BDC title. They improved to 33-2 on the season and finished conference play with a perfect 10-0 record for the second year in a row.
“Every year one of our goals is to win the conference, and so it means a lot. You’ve gotta run through some pretty good teams in this conference to win it and we’ve done it two years in a row at 10-0, and all a tribute to those girls out there and our five seniors who have been rock solid for me for four years now, and they came through in the end,” said Lucas.
The night was even more special because it was the final home game for the team’s five seniors; Caroline Simmons, Addi Elliott, Audrey Taylor, Torrie Rider, and Jaya Smith. Those five have left a lasting mark on the program, helping build a winning culture and setting a high standard for the younger players who will follow them. Their leadership and consistency have been a big part of why Carmi volleyball has turned into one of the best programs in the area.
The Lady Bulldogs now shift their focus to the postseason, where they’ll begin regional play at Hamilton County on Tuesday. Carmi-White County will face either Olney or Flora, who play Monday to determine who moves on. If the Lady Bulldogs win on Tuesday, they’ll advance to the Regional Championship on Thursday night, where they’ll face either Newton or Hamilton County for a shot at another piece of hardware.
For those who can’t make it to Hamilton County next week, every CWC postseason match will be streamed live on the WRUL Sports YouTube Channel.
