Kinston Breaks Through With 3-0 Victory Over Tarboro

Kinston earns first win since 2022 with sweep over Tarboro

KINSTON —Kinston volleyball broke through Tuesday night, sweeping Tarboro 3-0 (25-8, 25-17, 25-18) to snap a 43-game losing streak. It marked the Vikings’ first win since Oct. 11, 2022, and first straight-set victory since Sept. 16, 2019.

The Vikings (1-11, 1-4 conference) controlled the match from start to finish, led by junior Madison Green, who posted five kills on 11 swings to go with 15 digs. Sophomore libero/setter Diara Gooding steadied the defense with 22 digs while adding eight assists from the service line.

Junior K’Niyah Whitfield anchored the back row with a team-high 26 digs, while sophomore Tanija Sutton and freshman Kelayza Ingram added 18 digs apiece.

Kinston was strong from the service line as well, finishing with 21 aces. Gooding (eight), Ingram (four), Sutton (three) and senior Isabel Flores (three) combined for 18 of them.

Head coach Shonda Hines credited her players’ composure and teamwork in the win.

“We were able to put together a complete game,” Hines said. “We executed on both sides of the ball. We minimized our errors tonight and the ladies were very confident about the game. This was a long overdue victory and well deserved for the program.”

It was also a moment for Hines, who has navigated the growing pains of a young roster over the past two to three seasons. Her work building the program has positioned Kinston for brighter results moving forward.

Kinston returns to the court against Ayden-Grifton, with Hines emphasizing focus and execution.

“Going into tomorrow’s game our plan is to execute, make plays, minimize errors, and leave it all on the court,” Hines said. “Everything else will fall in place.”