NNS Midseason Report: South Lenoir Volleyball
South Lenoir volleyball sits at 2-8 overall and 0-2 in conference play at the midway point of the season. The Blue Devils have shown flashes of potential, but inconsistency and inexperience have cost them in key moments.
Their early wins came against Richlands — a 3-1 victory at home on Aug. 13 and a 3-0 sweep on the road on Aug. 27. Since then, South Lenoir has dropped five straight, including conference matches to Heide Trask (3-1) and Clinton (3-1). Against Clinton on Sept. 16, South Lenoir controlled much of the opening set before faltering late, a sequence that has defined much of their season so far.
Conference Standings (through Sept. 16):
East Duplin (2-0, 10-2 overall) – 31 SW, 6 SL – 3W
Clinton (2-0, 8-4 overall) – 26 SW, 13 SL – 4W
Heide Trask (1-1, 8-4 overall) – 28 SW, 15 SL – 1L
Southwest Onslow (1-1, 9-3 overall) – 27 SW, 15 SL – 1W
South Lenoir (0-2, 2-8 overall) – 12 SW, 25 SL – 5L
Pender (0-2, 4-9 overall) – 16 SW, 27 SL – 3L
RPI Outlook
South Lenoir currently sits No. 45 in the Class 3A RPI, holding a .41091 rating. That ranks them 20th in the 3A East and outside of the top tier of contenders. The biggest factor hurting their RPI is wins percentage (2-8, .20000), while their strength of schedule metrics (opponents winning percentage .59804) keep them from sliding even further.
With RPI the sole factor in playoff seeding, South Lenoir will need to add wins to improve their position. Facing East Duplin (10-2, RPI No. 6), Clinton (8-4, RPI No. 2), and Southwest Onslow (9-3, RPI top 20) offers chances for an RPI boost — but losses, even against strong opponents, will outweigh schedule strength in the formula.
What’s Ahead
South Lenoir faces Farmville Central on Sept. 17 before returning to league play at Pender (Sept. 18) and Southwest Onslow (Sept. 23). Those matches are pivotal — both are against middle-to-lower ranked RPI teams — and could help the Blue Devils stabilize before a brutal stretch against East Duplin and Clinton at the end of the month.
Summary
The Blue Devils have talent but remain inconsistent, capable of looking like the better team in stretches before letting sets slip away. If South Lenoir can limit mistakes, close stronger, and steal one against a top-tier conference rival, their RPI could climb enough to improve seeding.
