North Duplin senior middle blocker Tateyawna Faison, left, gets a touch on the ball against Union’s Rachel Jackson during their Carolina 1A volleyball match Thursday evening. (Rudy Coggins|mountolivetribune.com)
CALYPSO — Never judge a book by its cover.
You never know the full story until you read each chapter.
Though the novel had a happy ending for North Duplin’s volleyball team, it learned that Union – which entered the game with just one victory – wasn’t to be taken lightly.
The Rebels worked for every point against the hustle-minded Spartans and prevailed 25-20, 25-21, 25-20 in their Carolina 1A encounter Thursday evening.
“You can’t measure that team by their record … lot better than it indicates,” ND head coach Heather Best said. “They’re very scrappy, feisty. Told my girls you can’t sit back on your heels [against them], have to be on your toes. They don’t stop … very hard to get a ball down on them.
“We played well, wished we had finished a little better, but I’m pleased to take the win.”
North Duplin concluded the night 3-for-16 (.188 percent) on set-point possessions.
“I don’t like that stat,” Best chuckled. “Sometimes I think kids, they get comfortable and it’s nerve-wracking from a coaching standpoint. You want them to be comfortable, but you don’t want them to be too comfortable.”
Union fended off four opening-set points until Abigeal Norris Brown connected on a deep-cross court kill off Lilly Fulghum’s assist. Marissa Bernal served four consecutive aces to help the Rebels rally from an early five-point deficit.
In set two, the Spartans shaved a double-digit deficit to five points. Their rally eventually ended when Bernal delivered a monster back-row kill off Fulghum’s assist.
Led by outside hitter Morgan Smith, Union attempted a late, third-set comeback. Bernal thwarted the momentum with a match-clinching kill — her third of the night.
Bernal registered 18 digs, while Tristyn Blust had 13. Lilly Fulghum served six aces and distributed 29 assists. Eva Quintanilla logged eight kills, while Tateyawna Faison (three blocks) and Abigeal Norris Brown provided seven kills apiece.
Maggie Brown supplied five kills.
“I think we came out kind of flat early, let them go on a couple of seven- or eight-point streaks in two sequential sets,” said Union head coach Blake Travers. “Once that happens, you’re in trouble. It was like, we’re down … time to lock in. [Then] we were able to play back and forth.
“[But] you’ve got to have that intensity when you get off the bus. It’s just a mindset thing.”
Best and Travers have dealt with season-long injuries.
North Duplin (10-6 overall, 5-3 Carolina 1A) continues to play without defensive specialist M’Chelle Jaco due to concussion protocol. Her absence along with other in-season injuries has caused Best to tweak her lineup on numerous occasions and carefully follow playing guidelines set by the NC High School Athletic Association.
Meanwhile, Union (1-17, 1-7) has dealt with losses of three key starters due to different injuries. Travers hasn’t put the same starting rotation on the court this season.
“We’ve got a lot of girls that don’t have a ton of varsity experience that are playing varsity … getting used to the speed of the game,” Travers said. “We’ll be in better shape next year.”
The late-season affair also marked North Duplin’s annual “Spike Out Cancer” fund raiser that benefits The Outlaw Foundation. Fans who attended the game silently bid on different baskets of items, baked goods, wreaths and a boxed filled with Christmas goodies.
The final total raised hasn’t been announced.
Bill Outlaw, foundation creator and a cancer survivor, spoke briefly before the Rebels and Spartans took the court.
“We raise money to support cancer patients who are batting the disease,” Outlaw said. “We pay their utility bills, car payments, gas payments, food, etc. When you’re fighting cancer, you know the bills are still coming in and a lot of times you can’t work.
“When you can’t work and you have to get those treatments, it’s our goal to help as many people as possible. We’ve raised a lot of money in the past and 100 percent goes directly to the family in need. Every dime you spend or donate today goes to help somebody in east of I-95 to the coast.”
You may reach sports writer Rudy Coggins at prepswriter2@gmail.com or call/text 919-709-9257.
