Eagles finish with school-record 28 wins

ASHEBORO — When the season comes to an end, there are certain teams that will forever remain special for a high school coach. And it may not have anything to do with how successful that team was during the season.

For Uwharrie Charter Academy volleyball coach Lee Kennell, this year’s Eagles squad was one of those teams. 

Another stellar volleyball season came to an end Saturday in the third round of the state 1-A playoffs as the Eagles dropped a three-set match to Cornerstone Charter, and it took a long while for the players and coaches to emerge from the locker room after the match ended.

“They didn’t want to leave,” Kennell said after the Eagles fell 25-21, 25-23, 25-23 to the Cardinals, who won their 22nd straight match to move into the regional semifinals. “They didn’t want to leave the locker room. They asked if they could spend the night. To me, as a coach, that’s probably more special than any win, just knowing that they love being around each other so much.”

The Eagles finished 28-4, a school record for wins in a season, and added a Piedmont Athletic Conference tournament championship to their resume. Two playoff wins were followed by a tense, back-and-forth battle that saw Cornerstone Charter, which recorded wins over Randleman and Trinity this season, earn key points late in each set. All three sets were highlighted by incredible defensive play, long rallies and thunderous kills from both teams. 

Cornerstone’s junior outside hitter Caroline Smith may have been the difference.

 “It was back and forth, they put the ball away when they needed to,” Kennell said. “Anytime they needed a big point, they fed number 10 (Smith). It was two good teams battling it out.”

The Eagles had solid performances by Caroline Way, Emory Johnson, Anna Brewer, Sadie Upchurch, Morgan Lowe, Kayden Faglier, Carly Rush, Ava Hancock, Nyasia Wharton and Gracie Smith. But the powerful hitting of Cornerstone’s Smith, Ashley Belland, freshman Chloe Cobb, Grace Shoemaker and Nora Lysse was enough for the Cardinals.

Kennell said his team didn’t play its best, despite giving Cornerstone everything it could handle.

“From the get-go, I think we felt a little added pressure,” Kennell said. “Our serve receiving was a little off. We talk all the time about how we have to compete when we don’t play our best volleyball and I thought we did. That’s the only reason we stayed in that game. We competed.”

That they did.