Photo by Jacques Morin
The Orange volleyball team was long overdue for a dream come true. Especially against a team from Greenville.
They nearly got it in Mary Alice Pike’s first match as the Lady Panthers head coach.
D.H. Conley, the defending 7A Eastern Regional champions, got key kills late from Brooklyn Smith and Cait Moore to defeat the Lady Panthers 3-2 on opening night in Hillsborough. The fifth set went to overtime, but the Vikings won it 16-14 after Orange couldn’t get the ball over the net on match point.
It was a strong effort for an Orange team that had six rotation players making their varsity debuts. Freshman Kynlee Albert, the younger sister of former Orange football and baseball player Hunter Albert, had a strong opening night. The Panther attack was anchored by senior Sawyer White, a fourth-year varsity setter who has committed to Troy University of the Sun Belt Conference.
The fourth set was tied 18-18 when the Lady Panthers went on a 7-2 run to close out the frame. Albert started the run with a strike from the near post assisted by White. Then White delivered a dump kill off a pass from Daphne Tell, followed by kills from Albert and Emilee Cothran. Albert delivered a block to put Orange ahead 22-19. Avery O’Quinn and Aubry Hodges had kills for the final two points of the fourth set.
Orange roared out to a 4-0 lead in the fifth set, which was capped by an ace from White. Conley relied on Moore, a sophomore who riddle Orange all night. Moore had five kills in the final set alone, including a spike that ended a 6-1 Vikings run to put Conley ahead 6-5. Moore scored three straight points to send the Vikings ahead 12-8.
Orange wasn’t done. Tyll delivered an ace to cut the Vikings lead to 12-11. O’Quinn tied the set at 14-14 off a pass from White.
With the match tied, Smith took a pass and slammed it home to set up match point.
Conley defeated Cardinal Gibbons to win the 7A Eastern Regional championship last November. Moore, as a freshman, had 19 kills against the Crusaders.
Marvin Ridge defeated the Vikings 3-1 for the state title.
Orange will return home to face Southeast Alamance on Thursday night.
