Dynasty! North Raleigh Christian wins 6th straight NCISAA volleyball title
For North Raleigh Christian, Kayla Hawkins soaring high to put down championship point was as close as it could be to perfect timing.
Hawkins’ point came within minutes of the clock hitting 6 p.m. Saturday. It cemented Hawkins’ eighth kill of the day and her team’s sixth straight N.C. Independent Schools volleyball state championship.
North Raleigh Christian beat Cannon School 25-16, 25-12, 25-15.
North Raleigh Christian (17-1) has won three 4A state championships since the NCISAA added the classification in 2018. The Knights claimed 3A (then the largest classification) titles from 2015-17.
“They accomplished it, again, what we asked them,” North Raleigh Christian coach Chris Murray said. “They did an awesome job throughout the whole season and just today outdid themselves.”
Riley Buckley set the clinching third set’s tone with a serving effort that foreshadowed the celebration. Buckley’s serve yielded six straight North Raleigh Christian points for a 7-0 advantage. The Knights maintained control to the end.
“Everyone is very selfless and playing for each other,” Buckley said. “Everyone wants the best for each other and is willing to do whatever it takes for the team.”
North Raleigh Christian’s Brynn Covell tallied a team high 10 kills. She was among six Knights with four or more kills. Teammate Arica Davis – a 6-foot-4 middle hitter – added nine kills and six blocks.
“It’s a sign from God,” Davis said of her six blocks to secure her team’s sixth straight title. “It was meant to happen tonight.”
North Raleigh Christian is the second Raleigh school to win six consecutive NCISAA volleyball state championships. Cardinal Gibbons achieved this milestone from 1998-2003.
Cannon (10-2), a first-time state finalist, was led by Meghan Schreck’s nine kills. The Cougars held a 6-2 second set lead and forced a Knights’ timeout.
Davis followed the timeout with a kill. A Hawkins kill and Cannon hitting miscues yielded a 7-7 tie. Two Covell kills – one with finesse from the left side and another with power from the right side – and Covell’s service ace built a 13-8 North Raleigh Christian advantage. The Knights maintained control, again, after another Cougars timeout.
“We can’t allow a team like that any type of wiggle room,” Cannon coach Kim Jackson said “It has to be foot on the gas 100 percent of the time. And unfortunately, that’s not always realistic.
“We knew that we were going to ride the ebb and the flow of this game. So just keep giving that 100 percent effort.”
This story was originally published November 7, 2020 at 6:02 PM.
