Southern Wayne head volleyball coach Hannah Sladick Walker, far right, and assistant coach Daelyn Brock, left, stand with their seven seniors prior to their regular-season finale against Charles B. Aycock Thursday evening. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
DUDLEY — Southern Wayne appeared poised to earn a long-awaited conquest of county volleyball rival Charles B. Aycock Thursday night.
The Saints rallied to grab a 2-1 lead after three sets.
“Hopes were high, everybody was excited, momentum was on our side,” SW head coach Hannah Sladick Walker said. “But, we didn’t stay with it. We didn’t have enough fight. We just made a couple of errors, got down on ourselves, they got up and we just kind of lost it.”
Aycock benefited from two crucial fourth-set miscues and dominated the fifth set to complete a 25-22, 17-25, 20-25, 26-24, 15-6 comeback Thursday evening. The teams’ two regular-season meetings have resulted in five-set outcomes — both in the Golden Falcons’ favor.
They’ll meet again Monday in Pikeville for a quarterfinal-round game in the 2023 Quad County 3A tournament. First serve is 5 p.m.
Hunt (13-8 overall) successfully defended its regular-season championship and seized the QCC’s automatic bid to the NC High School Athletic Association playoffs. The top-seeded Warriors play host to East Wake.
The other quarterfinal contests are Fike at third-seeded West Johnston and Smithfield-Selma at second-seeded South Johnston.
A service error gave CBA the opening set.
Southern Wayne senior Gracie Hinson, sophomore Mylee Wiggs and junior Jy’Asha Cousins provided key moments in sets two and three. Hinson and Wiggs combined for four service aces to help the Saints knot the match at 1-1.
Hinson’s cross court kill from the outside pin and service ace spearheaded a 4-1 run that helped cap the second set. Cousins provided a kill and solo block against CBA middle hitter Clara Coles during that stretch.
Eight ties and six lead changes highlighted the fourth set.
Down 24-21, Saints (11-10 overall, 7-7 QCC) fended off three set points in the fourth. Wiggs delivered a kill after Ilescia Warner saved a ball from dropping to the floor after a solo block. Kara Davis created a 24-24 deadlock with back-to-back aces.
An off-speed attack error and Ava Bolechowski’s ace leveled the match at 2-all.
“[Aycock] did exactly what they were supposed to do, they were tipping [and] we could not get it [the ball] up,” Walker said. “They kept tipping and tipping and tipping. And we failed to listen to our coaches, make the adjustments, hit the floor and go all out.”
The Saints appeared to tie the fifth at 4-4, but had a point taken away after the floor referee reversed a touch call at the net. Walker’s team climbed to within one point on two occasions after the decision, but couldn’t get any closer.
Aycock closed out the set and match with a 9-1 run.
Southern Wayne fell to 0-5 in five-set outings this season.
“We couldn’t stop their left and middle [hitters],” Walker said. “We gave up a few errors. You can’t win a game giving up error after error after error. I think some of the girls wanted it, but I’m not sure that it was a whole team effort there. I felt like there was a lot of hustle, lot of drive from a few players, but not all six players on the floor at all times.”
Prior to the opening set, Walker recognized her seven seniors — Hinson, Davis, libero Karlie Lane, Amya Smith, Lesley Elizalde, Lailah Moye and Karen Flores. Each player received a gift basket, signed volleyball from their teammates and flowers.
“My seniors, as you can see, make up a huge part of this team,” Walker said. “Even though a couple of them don’t play all that much, they still bring something to the team on the bench with positive words. The ones who play, they play hard.
“They’re coachable and in just two years have absorbed everything that we’ve given them. We’re super proud of them. It’s been a blast being able to coach those seven.”
The team’s 11 wins are the most in a single season for more than two decades. Walker’s team is slated to earn an at-large berth in the NCHSAA postseason, which begins Oct. 21.
