RALEIGH– Charlotte Providence made it two 4-A titles in a row in the 30th annual North Carolina High School Athletic Association state volleyball championships on Saturday night at Reynolds Coliseum on the N.C. State campus.
The Panthers closed out a 27-0 season by downing Person in three straight games by scores of 25-20, 25-18 and 25-11 before one of the largest crowds ever to see a state volleyball championship.
Senior outside hitter Meredith Moorhead of Providence was named the Most Valuable Player of the 4-A championship. Providence captured its fourth state crown in volleyball and third in the last four years while Person ended the year with a 26-2 record.
Earlier in the day, sophomore outside hitter Bailey Hunter earned MVP honors in the 1-A championship as she led her Hendersonville Lady Bearcats to a three-game sweep of Rocky Point Heide Trask. Hendersonville rolled to 25-12, 25-16, and 25-21 victories as Hunter hammered home 22 kills for the winners.
Hendersonville, with no seniors on its roster, ended its season with a 25-5 slate and won its seventh NCHSAA state volleyball championship in nine appearances in the final. Trask, in the playoffs for just the second time in its short history, finished 21-3. Brittny Johnson paced Trask with six kills and 10 blocks.
In a match up of volleyball powers, Raleigh’s Cardinal Gibbons downed defending 2-A champion West Henderson in a tight, well-played match. The Crusaders won in three straight but in close games by 25-17, 25-22 and 25-23.
Senior setter Christina Falcone of Cardinal Gibbons was the 2-A MVP as the Crusaders finished with a 33-2 record and did not lose a game, much less a match, in state tournament competition. West Henderson wound up 27-2.
Katie Camp had 13 kills and Tara Enzweiler nine for the Crusaders, while Lindsey Pate had an excellent game for West with six blocks and nine kills. The Lady Falcons played in the state championship for the sixth time and had earned four previous titles.
Fred T. Foard made it six championships in six finals appearances as the Lady Tigers swept Greenville D.H. Conley in three straight for the 3-A title. The Lady Tigers prevailed 25-21, 25-16 and 25-16.
Dynamic Mai Zoua Lo of Foard was the MVP of the 3-A championship with a terrific match, recording 12 kiils, five digs and two aces. Foard trailed 11-6 in the first game before rallying and went on to run its record to 26-3 while Conley finished 22-3.
Jordan Ledford had 16 kills for the winners, while Erica Banning led Conley with nine kills.
Conley was in the NCHSAA volleyball finals for the sixth time, and the Vikings have finished second on five occasions.
30TH ANNUAL NORTH CAROLINA HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION
STATE VOLLEYBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS
REYNOLDS COLISEUM, N.C. STATE UNIVERSITY
SATURDAY’S RESULTS
CLASS A
Hendersonville def. Rocky Point Heide Trask 25-12, 25-16, 25-21
CLASS AA
Raleigh Cardinal Gibbons def. West Henderson 25-17, 25-22, 25-23
CLASS AAA
Newton Fred T. Foard def. Greenville D.H. Conley 25-21, 25-16, 25-16
CLASS AAAA
Charlotte Providence def. Person 25-20, 25-18, 25-11
