Western Foothills 3A champs nip Greenville Rose 3-2 at N.C. State in final
By CHRIS HOBBS
HobbsDailyReport.com
RALEIGH – North Iredell High — the best volleyball team in the Western Foothills 3A with an unbeaten record that included losing only one set in league play – is also the state’s top 3A team.
The Raiders, 14-0 in league play and the West’s top seed, downed East No. 1 Greenville Rose in five sets Saturday at N.C. State and captured a state title and finish the year 33-0.
North Iredell won 25-20 before Rose (28-2) evened the match by winning 25-16. The Raiders then won 25-20 before the Rampants forced a fifth set, winning 25-23, with the Raiders capturing a title with a 15-9 victory.
North Iredell won its third state volleyball title but first since 2017. The Raiders reached the state finals by beating league rival Fred T. Foard in the West 3A title match for the second year in row.
On Saturday, Emma Norris sparked the Raiders and was named the match MVP. She had 24 kills in the opening set, when North Iredell opened an 8-1 lead.
Norris had two kills in the second set as North Iredell built an 11-4 lead. Rose got within 16-14 when Emily Smith delivered an ace before the Raiders scored three straight points en route to a 25-20 victory.
Rose won the second set 25-16.
There were nine ties and three lead changes in the third set, won 25-20 by the Raiders. The final tie was at 18 on a kill by Emily Campbell, and the Raiders took the lead for good at 19-18 and then got an ace by Ailena Mykins.
The Rampants won the fourth set 25-23, emerging from 12 ties and six lead changes that included ties at 21, 22 and 23.
Smith’s kill gave Rose the lead for good and Helen Wilford’s spike finishing the set.
4A
Raleigh Millbrook sweeps Sun Valley
East No. 2 seed Raleigh Millbrook swept West No. 3 seed Sun Valley to win a 4A state championship, 25-21, 25-14, 25-12.
Millbrook finished 29-1 and Sun Valley ended up at 29-3.
Kiarrah Horne, a junior, was dominant for Millbrook with 26 kills as the Wildcats won their first state volleyball title since 1995.
Horne was selected as the MVP.
She had five kills and three aces in the first set, when Millbrook opened a 9-4 lead, and she closed the frames with nine kills and three aces.
Horne posted nine kills in the second set, offsetting an early five-point surge by the Spartans as they got within 10-8.
Millbrook had three kills in a four-point run to extend its lead 20-12.
The Wildcats had three kills early in the third set to lead 4-1. They then got kills by Breanna McMillan and Harper Nelson and back-to-back aces by Emerson Conigliaro for a 25-12 victory.
The Spartans were playing in their first state volleyball championship.
2A
McMichael wins 37th match, state 2A title
Head coach Marty Woods of West top seed McMichael came home with his 776th career victory and a state 2A title, beating East No. 2 seed Camden County, 3-1.
Camden County (25-3) won the opening set 25-23 before the Phoenix won 25-20, 25-16, 25-19.
Woods has been a volleyball head coach for 44 years and this is his first state title at McMichael.
The first set was tied eight times with Camden County taking the lead for good at 21-20 on an attacking error by McMichael’s Jenna Rosenbaum followed by two kills by the Bruins’ Carlyn Tanis.
Scoring the first nine points of the second set got McMichael going, all of those points on serves by Bianka Sola en route to a 25-20 win. Tanis had six kills in the set for Camden County.
Sola, named the match MVP, also dished out five kills to Gracie Lovelace and Rosenbaum in the second set.
Rosenbaum finished with 17 kills, and Zoey Bradford added 10 and Lovelace had seven.
1A
Union Academy repeats by beating Perquimans
Union Academy, the West top seed, swept East No. 3 Perquimans to repeat as state 1A champion.
Lauren Munday led Union Academy (28-2), who dished all nearly all of the Cardinals’ assists, finishing her prep career with more than 2,000 assists.
Union Academy rallied in the first set to wipe out Perquimans’ four-point lead.
After taking a timeout, the Cardinals chipped away at their deficit – gaining four ties – before Gabriela Gama had two points for a 25-23 win.
Anna Ungerer had an ace and Gama added a kill early in the second set, helping Union Academy go up 10-5.
The Pirates got within 12-10 before the Cardinals won three straight points to open a five-point lead.
An ace by Ranon Suttle put Union Academy ahead 23-14, and the Cardinals won 25-18.
Perquimans (26-2) stormed to a 12-4 lead in the third set, sparked by two kills each by Victoria Williamson and Eby Scaff.
Union Academy rallied to win after the Pirates led 23-18, scoring the final seven points to win 25-23.
Perquimans played for a state title for the third time after winning an East title for the first time since 2000.
Note: All of the statistical information and highlights for this article were provided by the North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA).
2022 STATE CHAMPIONSHIP PROGRAM: https://www.nchsaa.org/news/2022-11-2/2022-nchsaa-volleyball-state-championship-program
SATURDAY’S STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS
1A at N. C. State, 11 a.m.: West No. 1 Union Academy 3, East No. 3 Perquimans 0 (25-23, 25-18, 25-23)
2A at N.C. State, 4 p.m.: West No. 1 McMichael 3, East No. 2 Camden County 1 (23-25, 25-20, 25-16, 25-19)
3A at N.C. State, 1:30 p.m.: West No. 1 N. IREDELL 3, No. 1 East Greenville Conley 2 (25-20, 16-24, 25-20, 23-25, 15-9)
4A at N.C. State, 6:30 p.m.: East No. 2 Raleigh Millbrook 3, West No. 3 Sun Valley 0 (25-21, 25-14, 25-12)
TUESDAY’S STATE SEMIFINAL RESULTS
East 1A: No. 3 Perquimans 3, No. 13 Roxboro Community 0
West 1A: No. 1 Union Academy 3, No. 3 Bishop McGuinness 1
East 2A: No. 2 Camden County 3, No. 1 Midway 0
West 2A: No. 1 McMichael 3, No. 3 Brevard 1
East 3A: No. 1 Greenville Rose 3, No. 2 Cedar Ridge 0
West 3A: No. 1 N. IREDELL 3, No. 10 FRED T. FOARD 0
East 4A: No. 2 Raleigh Millbrook 3, No. 8 Cardinal Gibbons 2
West 4A: No. 3 Sun Valley 3, No. 4 Hough 2
WEST 1A
FOURTH ROUND RESULTS
No. 1 Union Academy 3, No. 4 Highland Tech 0
No. 3 Bishop McGuinness 3, No. 2 Mountain Island Charter 2
THIRD ROUND RESULTS
No. 1 Union Academy 3, No. 9 DRAUGHN 0
No. 4 Highland Tech 3, No. 5 Uwharrie Charter 2
No. 3 Bishop McGuinness 3, No. 6 Murphy 0
No. 2 Mountain Island Charter 3, No. 26 S. Stokes 1
SECOND ROUND RESULTS
No. 1 Union Academy 3, No. 16 Christ The King 0
No. 9 DRAUGHN 3, No. 8 Piedmont Community 0
No. 5 Uwharrie Charter 3, No. 21 Hayesville 0
No. 4 Highland Tech 3, No. 13 Robbinsville 2
No. 3 Bishop McGuiness 3, No. 14 Gary Stone Day 0
No. 6 Murphy 3, No. 11 Alleghany 1
No. 26 S. Stokes 3, No. 10 Highlands 0
No. 2 Mountain Island Charter 3, No. 15 Cherokee 1
FIRST ROUND RESULTS
See statewide pairings, link below
WEST 2A
FOURTH ROUND RESULTS
No. 1 McMichael 3, No. 4 E. Surry 2
No. 3 Brevard 3, No. 7 Southwestern Randolph 2
THIRD ROUND RESULTS
No. 1 McMichael 3, No. 8 Mount Pleasant 0
No. 4 E. Surry 3, No. 12 Polk County 1
No. 3 Brevard 3, No. 6 W. Stanly 0
No. 7 Southwestern Randolph 3, No. 23 N. Stanly 0
SECOND ROUND RESULTS
No. 1 McMichael 3, No. 16 PATTON 0
No. 8 Mount Pleasant 3, No. 9 W. Davidson 1
No. 12 Polk County 3, No. 5 Pine Lake Prep 0
No. 4 E. Surry 3, No. 13 Randleman 0
No. 3 Brevard 3, No. 19 Community School of Davidson 0
No. 6 W. Stanly 3, No. 11 Black Mountain Owen 0
No. 23 N. Stanly 3, No. 7 MAIDEN 1
No. 7 SW Randolph 3, No. 15 E. Davidson 0
FIRST ROUND RESULTS
See statewide pairings, link below
WEST 3A
FOURTH ROUND RESULTS
No. 1 N. IREDELL 3, No. 4 N. Henderson 0
No. 10 FRED T. FOARD 3, No. 3 Kings Mountain 1
THIRD ROUND RESULTS
No. 1 N. IREDELL 3, No. 25 Lake Norman Charter 0
No. 4 N. Henderson 3, No. 12 Forestview 0
No. 3 Kings Mountain 3, No. 11 W. Henderson 1
No. 10 FRED T. FOARD 3, No. 2 W. Rowan 2
SECOND ROUND RESULTS
No. 1 N. IREDELL 3, No. 16 Franklin 0
No. 25 Lake Norman Charter 3, No. 24 Canton Pisgah 1
No. 12 Forestview 3, No. 5 ASHE COUNTY 1
No. 4 N. Henderson 3, No. 13 E. Rowan 0
No. 3 Kings Mountain 3, No. 14 E. LINCOLN 0
No. 11 W. Henderson 3, No. 27 N. LINCOLN 0
No. 10 FRED T. FOARD 3, No. 7 Oak Grove 0
No. 2 W. Rowan 3, No. 18 HICKORY 0
FIRST ROUND RESULTS
See statewide pairings, link below
WEST 4A
FOURTH ROUND RESULTS
No. 4 Hough 3, No. 8 S. Iredell 1
No. 3 Sun Valley3, No. 2 WATAUGA 1
THIRD ROUND RESULTS
No. 8 S. Iredell 3, No. 1 W-S Reagan 2
No. 4 Hough 3, No. 5 Asheville Roberson 1
No. 3 Sun Valley 3, No. 6 Ardrey Kell 2
No. 2 WATAUGA 3, No. 10 Marvin Ridge 2
SECOND ROUND RESULTS
No. 1 W-S Reagan 3, No. 16 NW Guilford 0
No. 8 S. Iredell 3, No. 9 Providence 0
No. 5 Asheville Roberson 3, No. 12 E. Forsyth 1
No. 4 Hough 3, No. 13 Lake Norman 1
No. 3 Sun Valley 3, No. 14 Cox Mill 1
No. 6 Ardrey Kell 3, No. 11 Western Guilford 0
No. 10 Marvin Ridge 3, No. 7 Greensboro Grimsley 1
No. 2 WATAUGA 3, No. 18 Mallard Creek 0
FIRST ROUND RESULTS
See statewide pairings, link below
COMPLETE STATEWIDE PAIRINGS: https://www.nchsaa.org/sports/volleyball