Bishop England’s Cindy Baggott earns 500th career win

Bishop England High School’s Cindy Baggott became just the 11th girls’ volleyball coach in the Palmetto State to reach 500 career victories, gaining her milestone win in the Tournament of Champions.

 

The tournament, which was contested Sept. 13-14, was hosted by Dorman High School. The Bishops claimed the Copper Division championship with Baggott gaining her 500th win with a decision over Aiken High School in the semifinal.

 

It was only apropos that Baggott gained the milestone in a tournament with “champions” attached to it.

 

Baggott is currently tied for second on the all-time state champions list with St. Joseph High’s Jan Carino, both coaches claiming 12 state titles. Dorman’s Paula Kirkland is at the top of the list, with 15 state championships.

 

The 500th victory tied Baggott with former BE coach Kathy Blackman for 10th place on the all-time list, according to Palmetto’s Finest, a record book compiled by the High School League.

 

Baggott began this week with 503 career wins as she started her ascent up the top-10 ladder. Susan Haynie, who coached 38 years at Hanahan and Cane Bay, is in ninth place with 523 victories.

 

Blackman was the first coach in the Bishops’ proud volleyball program, which owns a national record 29 state crowns. Blackman coached the Bishops from 1975-91 and went 500-83.

 

The program was born in the mid-1970s and one of the biggest reasons for the Bishops’ success is because of its coaches.

 

The program has had only four coaches in the program’s 50-year history with three coaches doing most of the coaching: Blackman, Amelia Dawley and Baggott.

 

That trio combined for 28 of the state championships. Beth Lewis coached two years and won a state title.

 

Blackman led the Bishops to their first state title in 1977, the first of eight to her credit. She retired in 1992.

 

Dawley coached for 13 years and led the Bishops to 363 victories and nine state titles.

 

Baggott, who played for Blackman at Bishop England and was on the 1981 state-championship team, was named coach in 2007 and has led BE to 12 state titles.

 

The Bishops posted a 33-9-4 record last fall and were crowned state champs after defeating Landrum in the title match.

 

The Bishops owned a five-game winning streak and were 16-7 overall entering tournament play. The Bishops were in first place in Region 7-AAAA with a 3-0 record. They were scheduled to play region games at home against Bluffton and at Colleton County this week.