North Lincoln’s Savannah Payne is The Observer’s girls’ high school athlete of the week
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- The Observer named nine standout nominees for boys' high school athlete of the week.
- Charlotte Latin keeper Louis Markin led in soccer saves and football scoring kicks.
- Union Academy’s Myers Wood posted 10 goals and seven assists in three straight wins.
North Lincoln volleyball player Savannah Payne is The Observer’s girls’ high school athlete of the week.
The Knights’ senior had three kills and three aces in a 3-1 win at St. Stephen’s on Sept. 8.
Payne also had 16 kills, 10 digs and two aces in 3-1 victory over Fred T. Foard on Sept. 9, and she finished off the week with 11 kills, five digs and one ace in a 3-1 loss to Maiden on Sept. 11.
Payne had 112 kills, 51 digs, 17 aces, nine blocks and two assists for North Lincoln through her first 15 games this season.
Last week’s finalists
Emily Allen, Cherryville volleyball, Sr.: The Ironmen senior setter had 30 assists, 13 kills, 12 digs and two aces in a 3-2 win at Piedmont Charter on Sept. 8.
The next day, Allen added 34 assists, six kills, 11 digs, four aces and three blocks in a 3-2 victory at Stuart Cramer.
Allen has 245 assists, 56 kills, 88 digs, 20 aces and 15 blocks for Cherryville (6-4) this season.
Rory Boyle, Community School of Davidson volleyball, Jr.: The Spartans’ junior middle hitter had 43 kills and 12 blocks to help Community School of Davidson to a 3-0 record this week with wins over Christ the King (3-1, Sept. 8), at Hough (3-1, Sept. 10), and at Langtree Charter (3-0, Sept. 11).
Boyle, an N.C. State commit, has contributed to a Community School of Davidson team that is still perfect at 11-0 this season.
Ella Buelow, Providence Day volleyball, Sr.: The Providence Day senior setter had a season-high 49 assists, also setting the school record with 1,106 assists in her career, to go with 18 digs, three kills and an ace in a 3-2 loss at Charlotte Country Day on Sept. 10.
Buelow also had 35 assists, three aces and a dig in a 3-0 win over Covenant Day on Sept. 9, and she had 27 assists, seven digs, two kills and an ace in 3-0 victory over South Charlotte Thunder on Sept. 8.
Buelow has 380 assists, 85 digs, 31 kills, 22 aces and nine blocks for Providence Day (8-7) this season.
London Caul, West Charlotte girls’ tennis, So.: The Lions’ sophomore won 6-0, 6-1 at No. 1 singles to lead West Charlotte to a 9-0 win at Julius Chambers on Sept. 9.
Caul also won 6-1, 6-1 at No. 1 singles in a 9-0 win over North Mecklenburg, Sept. 11.
Caul, in her second year as the top player for the Lions, is 3-2 at No. 1 singles for West Charlotte (2-3) this season.
Kasey Dingman, Lake Norman girls’ cross country, Sr.: The Wildcats’ senior ran an 18:14.05 to win the Printcrafters’ Invitational at McAnderson Park in Statesville on Sept. 9.
Dingman, a Virginia Tech commit, helped the Lake Norman girls’ cross country team to victory at the same event.
Caitlyn Frisch, Lake Norman Charter, Jr.: The Knights’ junior shot back-to-back 73s to finish tied for the eighth place at the Girls’ High School Palmetto Tournament of Champions at Pawleys’ Island on Sept. 12-13.
Frisch had five birdies in her two rounds at the same event.
Anya Lee, Myers Park Volleyball, Sr.: The Mustangs’ senior had 12 kills, one ace, one block and one dig in a 3-1 win at South Mecklenburg on Sept. 11.
Myers Park (9-3) also lost 3-2 to Hough on Sept. 9.
Elizabeth Lyle, Charlotte Country Day Field Hockey, Sr.: The Buccaneers’ senior goalkeeper had 12 saves in a 3-0 shutout of Myers Park on Sept. 9.
Lyle also had 10 saves in a 6-0 win over Providence Day, Sept. 11.
Lyle has allowed only three goals in goal for Charlotte Country Day (9-0) this season.
Sanaa Mohammed, Charlotte Country Day Volleyball, Jr.: The Buccaneers’ junior outside hitter had 14 kills, 14 digs, four aces and a block in a 3-0 win over Cannon School on Sept. 9.
The next day, Mohammed had 28 kills, 21 digs and four aces in a 3-2 victory over Providence Day.
Mohammed has 190 kills, 157 digs, 28 aces and seven blocks for Charlotte Country Day (7-5) this season.
Chloe Schofield, Providence Day golf: The Chargers’ senior shot back-to-back 3-under-par 69s to finish tied for third individually at the Girls’ High School Palmetto Tournament of Champions in Pawleys’ Island, SC, on Sept. 12-13.
Schofield’s play also helped the Providence Day to a sixth-place finish.
Gracie Song, Cuthbertson golf: The Cavaliers’ senior shot a 3-under-par 33, that included three straight birdies to finish her round, and earned medalist honors at Southern Carolinas conference meet at Charlotte National on Sept. 8.
Song also helped the Cuthbertson girls’ golf team to a fifth-place finish.
Song is 8-under-par this season in three league matches.
. Note: Information published today includes statistics through September 13.
Previous winners
Week 1: Gia Lowe, Mooresville
Week 2: Salah Dellinger, Ambassador Christian
Week 3: Juliana Andrea Castellanos Trujillo, Ballantyne Ridge
Week 4: Lillian Broadway, Piedmont
Week 5: Savannah Payne, North Lincoln
This story was originally published September 15, 2025 at 8:10 PM with the headline "North Lincoln’s Savannah Payne is The Observer’s girls’ high school athlete of the week."
