NC Volleyball playoffs: Determined Providence wins round 1; complete statewide scores

It takes a bit of tunnel vision to get through a sports season this school year, says Providence High volleyball coach Maggie Malone.

“You’ve got to stay focused on what you need to do in each set, in each game,” Malone says. “And you’ve got to remain focused on what must be done just to get out there and play.”

Malone’s team has kept that focus this season, with COVID-19 seemingly hovering over every practice and match.

The Panthers (15-0) beat Jordan High out of Durham 3-0 in the first round of the N.C. 4A state playoffs Tuesday.

And they say the team’s focus this season is on something that happened a year ago.

Last season’s Panthers cruised into the 4A playoffs with a 23-3 record. They had not lost to a 4A opponent in North Carolina and had three victories over their SoMeck 7 4A Conference rival Ardrey Kell.

But in the second round of the playoffs, the Panthers were swept 3-0 by Ardrey Kell.

“Ardrey Kell is a very good team,” Malone says. “And it’s really hard to beat a good team four times in a season. But that loss stung. I think that made us hungry this year.”

While much of the sports world shut down during the early months of the pandemic, Malone’s players worked hard on their own, then began gathering in small groups in the summer when permitted. Once the delayed volleyball season began in November, the Panthers have worked hard to avoid COVID-related problems.

“We’ve tried to do a good job of staying safe,” junior setter Katie Cruise said. “I think we had one player who had to do contact tracing. We’ve worked hard because this season means so much to us.”

Cruise and senior middle blocker Madison Cail are key parts of the Providence team that swept through the SoMeck 7 4A schedule (with two victories over Ardrey Kell) and handled nonconference powers Watauga and Northwest Guilford.

They say the playoff loss last season has provided the focus for the Panthers this season.

“That loss really hurt,” said Cruise, who has 344 of the team’s 481 assists this season and is among team leaders in several other categories. “It’s provided us with a lot of motivation.”

Cail, who leads the team in kills with 118, adds, “It’s something in the back of our minds. We want to get farther this year.”

Their closest call was a 3-2 victory at Watauga, the top-seeded team in the 3A Western region.

“It was a long drive up there (Boone) for that match,” Cail said. “And they’re a good team. When it got tight, we told ourselves, ‘Let’s not lose.’

Cruise added: “Going into the fifth set, we knew we’d have to push hard to win. But it was good for us.”

Malone said the Watauga match taught the Panthers that they “can keep fighting in a five-set match. We learned a lot from that.”

Cail and Cruise came to the sport in different ways. Cruise started playing volleyball around the age of 10, competed with travel teams, and adopted it as a year-around sport. Cail was a late arrival, getting involved at age 14 and learning quickly.

Cail has committed to play in college at Emory University next year, and Cruise was an early commit to Appalachian State.

“Madison is a natural leader,” said Malone, herself a former standout player at Wingate University. “She has the ability to get people to follow her.

“And Katie is our quarterback. Without her, not much can happen for our team.”

Malone, Cail and Cruise all know that Providence could meet up with Ardrey Kell again in this year’s playoffs. That would happen in the third round, on Saturday. But they aren’t spending time bracket-watching.

“We are focusing on what happens on our side of the court,” Cail says.

Steve Lyttle on Twitter: @slyttle

Mecklenburg, Wake County teams begin the playoff chase

As the N.C. 4A playoffs begin Tuesday with several Mecklenburg and Wake County teams starting their push for a state championship.

Wake County teams have won the past five 4A state championships. Green Hope has won the past four in a row, and Cardinal Gibbons won in 2015.

Providence and Ardrey Kell won the 2011 and ‘12 titles, the last 4A champions from Mecklenburg County. Hough (2013, 2017), Providence (2014) and Ardrey Kell (2019) have reached the state finals. Due to COVID-19, the 2020 season was altered. It started several months late, in November, and will end Jan. 23.

Tuesday’s first round results, second round pairings

Class 4A

Tuesday’s first round

West

Northwest Guilford def. Mallard Creek 3-0 (25-9, 25-25, 25-12)

Ardrey Kell def. Porter Ridge 3-0 (25-13, 25-17, 25-16)

Providence def. Jordan 3-0 (25-7, 25-22, 25-16)

McDowell def. Butler 3-0 (25-12, 25-11, 25-16)

Reagan def. Berry Academy 3-0 (25-12, 25-11, 25-16)

Myers Park def. Lake Norman 3-0 (25-16, 25-19, 25-19)

Green Level def. Hough 3-1 (25-15, 20-25, 25-12, 25-15)

Green Hope def. Davie County 3-0 (25-14, 25-11, 25-12)

East

Pinecrest def. Ashley 3-0 (25-16, 25-16, 25-23)

Broughton def. Holly Springs 3-1 (25-5, 23-25, 27-25, 25-20)

South Central def. Heritage 3-0 (25-10, 25-21, 25-16)

Hoggard def. Jack Britt 3-0 (25-10, 25-14, 25-20)

Millbrook def. South View 3-0 (25-14, 25-14, 25-22)

Corinth Holders def. Laney 3-0 (25-20, 25-17, 26-24)

Cardinal Gibbons def. Scotland County 3-0 (25-7, 25-12, 25-8)

Apex Friendship def. Wake Forest 3-0 (25-7, 25-14, 25-4)

Thursday’s second round

West

Ardrey Kell (12-3) at Northwest Guilford (15-1)

Providence (15-0) at McDowell (8-4)

Myers Park (15-0) at Reagan (14-0)

Green Level (9-2) at Green Hope (11-0)

East

Broughton (9-3) at Pinecrest (15-0)

South Central (9-4) at Hoggard (10-1)

Millbrook (10-4) at Corinth Holders (12-1)

Cardinal Gibbons (13-0) at Apex Friendship (14-0)

Class 3A

Tuesday’s first round

West

Watauga def. North Henderson 3-0 (25-19, 25-19, 25-20)

West Henderson def. Concord 3-0 (25-10, 25-7, 25-8)

Hickory def. Western Guilford 3-1 (28-26, 27-29, 25-22, 25-23)

Cox Mill def. Southwest Guilford 3-0 (25-22, 25-20, 25-17)

North Iredell def. Weddington 3-0

Marvin Ridge def. Kings Mountain 3-0 (25-23, 25-20, 25-21)

Crest def. T.C. Roberson 3-0 (25-10, 25-8, 25-7)

South Iredell def. Sun Valley 3-0

East

D.H. Conley def. Terry Sanford 3-0 (25-12, 25-13, 25-8)

Cedar Ridge def. Union Pines 3-0 (25-17, 25-13, 25-13)

Chapel Hill def. Southern Alamance 3-2 (21-25, 25-20, 25-20, 15-25, 15-13)

New Hanover def. Harnett Central 3-1 (25-9, 20-25, 25-21, 25-14)

Clayton def. West Carteret 3-0 (25-15, 25-20, 25-14)

Person def. Southwestern Randolph 3-0 (25-20, 25-17, 25-23)

Hunt def. Jacksonville 3-1 (20-25, 25-15, 25-21, 25-18)

Gray’s Creek def. J.H. Rose 3-1 (25-18, 25-20, 20-25, 25-20)

Thursday’s second round

West

West Henderson (10-1) at Watauga (11-1)

Hickory (10-3) at Cox Mill (15-0)

Marvin Ridge (11-3) at North Iredell (13-0)

South Iredell (10-4) at Crest (10-2)

East

Cedar Ridge (9-0) at D.H. Conley (12-1)

Chapel Hill (13-2) at New Hanover (8-5)

Person (13-2) at Clayton (12-0)

Hunt (11-1) at Gray’s Creek (14-0)

Class 2A

West

Tuesday’s first round

R-S Central def. Mount Pleasant 3-1 (25-20, 16-25, 25-16, 25-17)

Fred T. Foard def. C.D. Owen 3-0 (25-5, 25-13, 25-12)

West Stokes def. Oak Grove 3-0 (25-22, 25-17, 25-22)

Patton def. East Lincoln 3-1 (22-25, 27-25, 30-28, 25-17)

West Wilkes def. Maiden 3-0 (25-13, 25-7, 25-22)

Surry Central def. Hendersonville 3-2

South Rowan def. South Point 3-0 (25-10, 25-12, 25-22)

West Stanly def. Central Davidson 3-2 (25-15, 22-25, 20-25, 26-24, 15-11)

East

Wheatmore def. Durham School of the Arts 3-0 (25-5, 25-18, 25-8)

McMichael def. Goldsboro 3-0 (25-6, 25-10, 25-16)

Currituck County def. Whiteville 3-0 (25-13, 25-13, 25-19)

Carrboro def. Ayden-Grifton 3-0 (25-9, 25-14, 25-19)

North Lenoir def. Randleman 3-0 (25-23, 25-21, 25-13)

South Granville def. East Duplin 3-1

Croatan def. St. Pauls 3-1 (25-20, 25-14, 14-25, 25-13)

Farmville Central def. Midway 3-1 (25-22, 22-25, 25-18, 25-19)

Thursday’s second round

West

Fred T. Foard (15-0) at R-S Central (13-0)

Patton (13-2) at West Stokes (14-0)

Surry Central (11-3) at West Wilkes (15-0)

South Rowan (15-1) at West Stanly (10-0)

East

McMichael (14-1) at Wheatmore (13-0)

Currituck County (10-2) at Carrboro (11-0)

South Granville (11-3) at North Lenoir (10-0)

Croatan (12-0) at Farmville Central (13-1)

Class 1A

Tuesday’s first round

West

Mountain Island Charter def. Mount Airy 3-1 (25-17, 25-17, 21-25, 25-20)

Highland Tech def. Community School of Davidson 3-0 (25-20, 26-24, 25-23)

Rosman def. North Stanly, forfeit

Gray Stone Day at Alleghany (12-2)

Bishop McGuinness def. Christ the King 3-0 (25-22, 25-14, 25-15)

Blue Ridge Early College def. Uwharrie Charter 3-0 (25-15, 25-11, 25-23)

Murphy def. Lincoln Charter 3-0 (25-20, 25-11, 25-13)

East Surry def. Cornerstone Charter 3-1 (25-20, 25-22, 21-25, 25-22)

East

Falls Lake Academy def. Martin Riverside 3-0 (25-8, 25-10, 25-8)

Lakewood def. East Columbus 3-0

East Wake Academy def. Princeton 3-1 (23-25, 25-14, 25-20, 25-19)

Louisburg def. South Creek 3-1 (22-25, 25-9, 25-17, 25-12)

Neuse Charter def. Pamlico County 3-2 (28-26, 25-19, 22-25, 21-25, 15-12)

Camden County def. Cape Hatteras 3-0 (25-19, 25-15, 25-12)

East Carteret def. Pinetown Northside 3-0 (23-25, 25-22, 25-21, 25-20)

Perquimans County def. Vance Charter 3-0 (25-16, 25-20, 25-10)

Thursday’s second round

West

Highland Tech (12-0) at Mountain Island Charter (15-0)

Rosman (10-2) at Gray Stone Day-Alleghany winner

Blue Ridge (11-0) at Bishop McGuinness (13-1)

East Surry (9-1) at Murphy (14-0)

East

Lakewood (11-4) at Falls Lake Academy (9-2)

East Wake Academy (9-1) at Louisburg (9-2)

Neuse Charter (9-3) at Camden County (11-3)

East Carteret (7-0) at Perquimans County (15-0)

NOTE:

Third round Saturday; semifinals Jan. 19; finals Jan. 23

This story was originally published January 12, 2021 at 11:15 AM.