It took time for the Edmond Memorial volleyball team to find its groove this season.
The Bulldogs have been a powerhouse under coach Natalie Murray but lacked varsity experience, and there were times when they struggled.
But Edmond Memorial got hot at the right time.
And for the second time in three years, the Bulldogs are state champions.
Led by star juniors Lolufe Adedeji and Annie Hopkins, Class 6A fifth-ranked Edmond Memorial beat No. 7 Edmond North 3-0 for the state title Saturday at Moore High School.
Adedeji, a Texas A&M commit, and Hopkins, a Central Arkansas commit, overwhelmed Edmond North (22-16), and the Bulldogs (28-13) were in full control as they went on to claim their seventh state title and first since 2022.
“We were just focused on wearing them out because Edmond North is a great team,” said Adedeji, who announced her commitment to Texas A&M on July 29, her birthday. “They have great pieces. They’re a really young team. And we were like, ‘OK. Coming into this game, we need to wear them out.’”
That’s exactly what the Bulldogs did.
“There was one point of the match where Annie was on the court,” Murray said, “and I told our setter, ‘Just keep feeding her. Just keep letting her hit. She’s on fire.’ And Lolufe Adedeji as well. They just have been such huge present leaders for our team this year. And we’ve always been able to depend on them.”
Edmond Memorial ended the season with nine straight victories.
The Bulldogs entered September with an 8-9 record but turned things around after that, earning big wins and finishing strong.
“I think this group of girls was the team that was gonna do it ‘cause we were all in this together,” Adedeji said. “Even when times got tough, we stood together, we got in the middle and we just kept each other accountable.”
Adedeji, Hopkins and fellow junior Karis Abiseid have played on varsity since they were freshmen, appearing in three state title matches during that stretch.
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