APEX ROLLS PAST PROVIDENCE INNCHSAA STATE 4-A VOLLEYBALL FINAL
RALEIGH— Middle blocker Kris Harris had 14 kills and earned Most Valuable Player honors as Apex rolled past Charlotte Providence in three straight sets to earn the North Carolina High School Athletic Association state 4-A volleyball championship on Saturday at Reynolds Coliseum.
Harris, a 6-2 senior, enabled Apex to sprint to a 7-2 lead in the opening set as the Cougars went on to win 25-8. Then Apex scored the first seven points of the second set to win 25-11 and clinched it with a 25-19 victory.
Libero Alston Kearns, who has committed to the University of Tennesssee, had 14 digs for the winners, who won their first NCHSAA volleyball championship and completed a perfect 27-0 season.
Megan Edwards had seven kills and seven digs for Providence, which was in the championship match for the sixth time and was seeking its fifth state title. The Panthers finished at 27-4 overall.
CARDINAL GIBBONS DEFEATS NORTH IREDELLIN 3-A VOLLEYBALL CHAMPIONSHIP
RALEIGH— Junior outside hitter Madison Bugg earned her second consecutive Most Valuable Player honor in the state finals as she led Cardinal Gibbons to the North Carolina High School Athletic Association state 3-A volleyball championship over North Iredell Saturday night in at Reynolds Coliseum.
Gibbons won the first set 25-22, but North Iredell evened it with a 25-21 win. Then the Crusaders pulled away with 25-21 and 25-8 decisions to capture their fifth NCHSAA state volleyball crown in their sixth straight trip to the finals.
Bugg had 20 kills to lead the winners while Carolyn Albright added 12 kills for the Crusaders. Libero Mandy Kramer had 10 digs for Gibbons, who finished 21-2 overall. The only losses Gibbons suffered on the year were to NCHSAA 4-A champion Apex, and the set the Crusaders lost to North Iredell was the only set they lost on the season beside ones against Apex.
Senior outside hitter Haley Rhyne, the North Piedmont Conference Player of the Year, led North Iredell with 13 kills and 18 digs while Brooke Redmond had 10 kills.
North Iredell was in its second all-time appearance in the finals, but both in the last three years, and wound up with a 26-2 record overall.
STARMOUNT BEATS NORTHEASTERN IN FOUR IN NCHSAA 2-A VOLLEYBALL CHAMPIONSHIP
RALEIGH— Ashton Gregory had 17 kills and 13 blocks to lead Boonville Starmount to a tough four-set triumph over Elizabeth City Northeastern on Saturday evening in the North Carolina High School Athletic Association state 2-A volleyball championships at Reynolds Coliseum.
The 6-2 sophomore middle blocker was named the Most Valuable Player as Starmount dropped the opener 25-20 and then reeled off wins of 25-21, 26-24 and 25-23 to take the title.
Amber Wooten nailed 17 kills for the winners and Olivia Gough had five service aces, including an ace on championship point. Starmount was in the finals for the fourth time in the last eight years and won its third NCHSAA volleyball state crown, finishing the season at 25-2 overall.
Senior outside hitter Francie Jenkins had a game-high 21 kills for Northeastern, which lost for the first time after 26 consecutive wins. The Eagles were in their first visit to the state volleyball finals.
PENDER DOWNS ROSMAN IN THREE STRAIGHT IN NCHSAA STATE 1-A VOLLEYBALL FINAL
RALEIGH— Pender made it two state championships in a row as the Patriots beat Rosman in three straight sets to win the North Carolina High School Athletic Association state 1-A volleyball championship Saturday at Reynolds Coliseum.
Middle hitter Haley Lanier had 15 kills and three blocks for Pender, who won 25-17, 25-21, 26-24 in a rematch of last year’s championship. The Patriots were playing in their sixth NCHSAA volleyball final and ended the year with a 30-2 mark.
Pender veteran coach Ray Horton, who had earlier announced he was retiring from coaching, wound up with over 600 career coaching victories.
Senior outside hitter Maddie Limbo led Rosman, 27-2, with eight kills.
NCHSAA 2010 STATE VOLLEYBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS
Reynolds Coliseum, N.C. State University
4-A Championship: Apex def. Charlotte Providence 25-8, 25-11, 25-19
3-A Championship: Cardinal Gibbons def. North Iredell 25-22, 21-25, 25-21, 25-8
2-A Championship: Starmount def. Elizabeth City Northeastern 20-25, 25-21, 26-24, 25-23
1-A Championship: Pender def. Rosman 25-17, 25-21, 26-24
