State volleyball champs visit USC, reload for 2026 season
The Philip Simmons High School girls’ volleyball team isn’t resting on its laurels after winning the program’s first state championship last fall.
In fact, the Iron Horses didn’t get much rest over the summer as they prepped for the 2026 season.
Coach Jay Watterworth’s squad just completed a camp at the University of South Carolina to cap a busy summer that included meshing talent, building esprit de corps – and hitting the weight room.
“Each summer we hold workouts a few times a week so that players start to get familiar with one another again,” said Watterworth, who proclaimed winning a state championship was the ultimate goal when he was named coach in 2017. “We also attend a volleyball camp as a team every summer to work on team chemistry. This year we attended USC camp and were camp champions.”
It’s that type of work ethic and mindset that put the Iron Horses on top of the Class AA mountain in just nine years.
Every year, the affable coach circled the date of the state championship. Finally on Nov. 8, it was mission accomplished as the Iron Horses defeated Landrum High School, 3-0, in a match for posterity’s sake that was contested at Dreher High School.
The Iron Horses weren’t perfect. But they were close, as they didn’t drop a match in four postseason matches. The victory over Landrum capped a 38-5 season and gave Philip Simmons a 238-66 record in its brief history.
“Winning a state championship was a thrilling experience, and our goal is to make it back to Columbia in November,” said Watterworth, a fourth-generation educator. “The keys to accomplishing this are to continue to pursue excellence in everything we do. It's the way we attack practice, the classroom, the weightroom, and our relationships with one another. Having our seniors step into different leadership roles will also be critical.”
The Iron Horses will be experienced and have solid depth in their 10th season of existence.
“Counting the libero, there are seven starting positions on the team, and we return six of seven starters,” Watterworth said. “Class AA Player of the Year McRae Stephenson returns alongside all-state performers Dani Gehringer and Gabby Kakalev.”
Stephenson recorded 201 kills last fall with a .501 hitting percentage. She tallied 59 aces and 54 blocks. Gehringer tallied 92 aces, 187 digs and 582 assists while Kakalev collected 230 kills, 85 aces, and 280 digs.
Like all other sports, defense wins championships, and the Iron Horses should shine in that phase of the game.
“Catherine Futch will anchor our defense in the starting libero role for the third straight season,” Watterworth said. “Mary Wells Mazur is a four-year starter outside, and Ashlynn Johnson exploded for us in the playoffs last year at the opposite position and has had a good summer.”
Another reason for Philip Simmons’ success is the program has a strong junior varsity program, headed by Kate Sablotsky.
“Several of those players will be called up to the varsity squad this year,” Watterworth said. “It's too early to tell how big an impact they will add, but ask me again in a month, and I bet many will emerge on that list.”
Stay tuned.