Three of the eight teams left standing in the Class 4A Lower State volleyball playoffs hail from Region 7-4A.
Beaufort High and Bluffton both won their first-round matches Thursday, joining top-seeded Hilton Head High in the Lower State quarterfinals.
The Eagles gave their seven seniors a proper home send-off with a thrilling 3-2 (19-25, 25-16, 25-22, 17-25, 15-13) win over visiting North Augusta, while Bluffton claimed a 3-2 (16-25, 25-21, 25-19, 24-26, 15-11) win at Hartsville.
Madison Gallion returned from injury to give Beaufort a boost with 11 assists, 10 kills, four digs, and 22-of-24 serving, while Hannah Merchant contributed 12 kills, 10 digs, and 26-of-28 serving. Hayley Trader had a team-high 10 blocks and five kills, Peyton Polk led the team with 15 digs and was 12-for-12 serving, and Sakura Simmons added 14 digs and five assists while serving 13-for-13.
Beaufort will travel to defending state champion North Myrtle Beach on Tuesday, while Bluffton plays at AC Flora. Hilton Head High had a first-round bye and will host Aiken in the second round at 6 p.m. Tuesday.