Howard High School's girls volleyball team ended a decades-long drought, winning the school a state championship on Saturday.

This was the team's first 3A volleyball state championship since 1980, the last time the team made the state finals.

It had been nearly a week since the big win when WJZ sat down with the team's captains on Friday, but team members are still pinching themselves.

"Yes, we were all in disbelief," said co-captain Miranda Ball.

The state title-winning play happened in five seconds: from the serve to a block at the net.

"I think the score was 24-19. Just to come all the way back and fight off that many set points, it was like we won. Then it was like, oh my god, we won," said co-captain McKenna Brown.

The team went undefeated the last two seasons, but wasn't able to return to the state finals.

However, Brown and Ball say the team was extra motivated at the start of the 2025 season.

"Our motto is always to try and hang a banner up in the gym," Ball said. "Every practice we see those banners, and I think not seeing many volleyball ones really motivated us."

The team was especially proud to give their coach, Grant Scott, his first state win. This was his 22nd season coaching. He returned to Howard High in 2022 after retiring in 2018.

"I'm so glad that we can achieve it for him because he's such a spectacular coach," Ball said.

Ball and Brown say their team chemistry is what really got them this far. They can't wait to see their 2025 banner added to the school's gym.

"We started young together, and we all have just been playing for the last four years. They really feel like a family to me," Brown said. "I'm gonna miss Howard volleyball, but I'm glad it went out this way."

Howard County high school fall state champions

Howard High's girls volleyball wasn't the only Howard County high school team to win state titles so far this fall season.

Other Howard County teams that have won include:

- Centennial High School: boys cross country

- River Hill High School: boys cross country, girls golf

- Glenelg High School: girls field hockey, boys soccer, girls volleyball

-  Mount Hebron High School: girls soccer