Eagerly awaiting the varsity volleyball game September 19, parents and fans flooded the stands of the NC Arena. The NC Lady Warriors (30-8) faced off against the Walton Raiders (15-7) in an integral game for both teams. The game decided who moved on in the region.
NC beat Walton in 3-1 sets, a major accomplishment for the team. In the time leading up to the game, Walton actively tried to intimidate the Warriors with an intense warm-up. It seems, however, that the intensity served them poorly in the long run by likely expediting the players’ fatigue. After the first set, which ran neck-and-neck until Walton won at 25-21, NC dominated the following two. After maintaining a heavy lead that nearly closed toward the end of the set, the Lady Warriors won the second set 25-21. Again they beat the Raiders 25-17 in set three, and to settle it, beat them 25-15 in the fourth and final set of the game. Through it all, NC’s crowd of fans and onlookers cheered and chanted in favor of the victors.
Prior to the game, the announcer read out the names of the members of the white, navy and orange middle school volleyball teams, from Barber, Palmer and Awtrey. The groups looked at the crowd with pride before moving to the stands to energetically cheer on their older counterparts. The encouragement likely helped significantly due to the stakes involved in the game.
Prior to Tuesday, players not only focused intensively on their skills but also their mindsets. With the knowledge that Walton’s energy and impressive offense acts as a major challenge against NC and the long-running rivalry between the teams wrought the players with anxious hope leading up to the game. This anxiety further affected the team due to the eight years without a win for the Lady Warriors against the Raiders.
“I’m really excited for the game because, in years past, Walton has been our biggest competitor, and since we already lost to Cherokee in our region, if we beat Walton, we have a chance to be first in [the] region this year. In the past, we’ve lost to them because we were thinking they were a really good team, but in reality, they are a very beatable team. If we go in with the right mindset, it’ll change everything.” NC junior outside hitter and defensive specialist Sarah Boyle (7) said.
Between Walton’s outside and middle hitter Sophia Henry (16) running into a referee standing on a ladder, to the second set when a member of NC’s team landed in the splits to pass the ball successfully, a palpable desire to win permeated the entirety of the game. While each member of the team played impeccably in the game, defensive specialist Itoro Okpok (6) and libero Hannah Nicholson (9) stood out for their consistent ability to powerfully hit the ball regardless of how far it flew.
“The hard work has paid off for my peers on varsity and I’m really proud of what I have done in addition to what all my teammates have done. Going into the end of the season, I think we have a real possibility of winning the state championship after beating Walton and eventually winning regionally, so I just feel really proud of everybody. All of the long tournaments and the long practice days; they’ve all been for something and paid off in a way,” magnet senior and right-side hitter Imani Mensah (11) said.
Looking forward, the Lady Warriors can progress through regions and into the state level. Their highly competitive spirits combined with their proactive attitudes may bring them through to the win. With less than one month left of the season, ongoing cheers and encouragement from NC fans will necessarily help the team’s morale.
