RALEIGH – Person, Hendersonville, Cardinal Gibbons and Southwest Guilford each took state titles in their respective classifications in the North Carolina High School Athletic Association state volleyball championships on Saturday at Reynolds Coliseum.

Person dropped the opening game in the 4-A

championship and then stormed back to win by 23-25, 26-24, 25-23 and 25-20. Providence led 8-4 in the fourth game before the Rockets came back and then pulled away from an 18-all tie to take the title.

Setter Amanda Clark of Person was the Most Valuable Player of the 4-A championship as the Rockets won their 25th consecutive match to finish the year 26-1.

Providence lost for the first time in five appearances in an NCHSAA state volleyball final and ended the year at 27-2.

The 1-A battle was a classic that went the full five games, with Hendersonville dropping the first two and then rallying to win 22-25, 17-25, 25-13. 25-17 and 15-9 over Pender. It was Hendersonville’s eighth state volleyball title in 10 appearances in the championship as the Lady Bearcats closed the year at 25-4. Pender finished 26-3.

Bailey Hunter of Hendersonville, with over 30 kills for the match, was named the MVP of the 1-A final for the second straight year.

The 2-A championship was a rematch of last year’s final, and Raleigh Cardinal Gibbons once again prevailed over West Henderson. West took the opening game 25-23 but the Crusaders came back to sweep the next three, 25-16, 25-16 and 25-21.

Junior Katie Kabbes of Cardinal Gibbons was named the MVP of the 2-A championship.

West head a 19-14 lead in game two before Gibbons fought back to even the match. Gibbons had a fairly easy time in game three but the fourth contest was knotted at 21 before the Crusaders pulled away to clinch the title.

Gibbons dealt West its only loss of the year and avenged an early season defeat at the hands of West Henderson in a tournament. West Henderson lost for the first time after 26 victories while the Crusaders finished 29-4.

Senior Sarah Schermerhorn led Southwest Guilford to a three-game sweep over Oxford Webb for the 3-A championship. Schermerhorn earned MVP honors as Southeast scored wins of 25-22, 25-19, and 25-20.

Webb, which ended its season at 21-6 in its first title match visit, had leads late in both of the first two games but couldn’t hold on. Then the Warriors trailed 18-13 in the third game and sliced the lead to 20-19, but t the Cowgirls pulled away to take the title.

Southwest earned its second NCHSAA volleyball title, finishing with 26 consecutive wins en route to a 27-1 record.

Wendy’s and the Carolina Ford Dealers are the presenting sponsors of the NCHSAA sports program. The Raleigh Sports Consortium, the City of Raleigh and the Raleigh Convention and Visitors’ Bureau serve as host city sponsors for the event.

NORTH CAROLINA HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION

2006 STATE VOLLEYBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS

Reynolds Coliseum, N.C. State University

Class 1-A

Hendersonville def. Pender 22-25, 17-25, 25-13, 25-17, 15-9

Class 2-A

Raleigh Cardinal Gibbons def. West Henderson 23-25, 25-23, 25-16, 25-21

Class 3-A

Southwest Guilford def. Oxford Webb 25-22, 25-19, 25-20

Class 4-A

Person def. Providence 23-25, 26-24, 25-23, 25-20.