South Lenoir surges past Greene Central behind Cash and Hawkins to move on in the playoffs
South Lenoir surges past Greene Central behind Cash and Hawkins to move on in the playoffs
SNOW HILL — The South Lenoir volleyball team saved one of its best performances of the season for when it mattered most. The 19th-seeded Blue Devils pulled off a first-round upset over No. 14 Greene Central, winning in straight sets 25-20, 25-18, 25-21 on the road Thursday to advance in the NCHSAA 2A state playoffs.
South Lenoir (6-15) has now won three of its last four matches, peaking at the right time. The Blue Devils got a dominant effort from Reese Cash, who was unstoppable at the net, while freshman Eliza Hawkins continued her breakout season with key plays in every set.
“We knew who we were playing — we scouted, we watched film, we did what we had to do to get better,” South Lenoir head coach Madison Harvey said. “I think the girls played really well and played hard. They played better than what we’ve seen for most of the season, but the rest of the season doesn’t matter — we have to play from here. I’m extremely proud of them.”
After Greene Central jumped out to an 8-2 lead in the opening set, Harvey called a timeout to settle her team down. Her message was simple: “What is going on?” Whatever she said worked — South Lenoir rallied behind Cash, who delivered multiple kills down the stretch, including the clincher for a 25-20 win.
The second set saw more of the same. Greene Central opened strong with a 5-1 lead, but South Lenoir battled back to tie it at 10-9 before pulling ahead for good. Cash and Hawkins continued to lead the way as the Blue Devils controlled the tempo, taking the set 25-18.
The Rams (12-12) fought hard in the third, erasing a late deficit to get within 22-21 before South Lenoir finished it off 25-21 to complete the sweep. Ava Kearney and Donley Phillips powered Greene Central’s offense, with Kearney hustling across the floor and Phillips delivering several powerful spikes and timely plays.
“The set count doesn’t reflect the fight from both sides to earn those points,” Greene Central head coach Emily Lahr said. “There was definitely a lot of push from both sides. We were able to show a lot of skill and fight, and I’m super impressed and proud of how they executed when they were down.”
For Cash, it was about stepping up when her team needed her most.
“I just tried to lead,” she said. “You’ve got to pick the team up when they’re down. I was on today, and they were setting me up — I was just doing the best I could do.”
With the victory, South Lenoir advances to face No. 3 Midway (15-6) in the second round of the 2A state playoffs. Greene Central finishes the year at 12-12, placing third in the Eastern Plains Conference after another competitive season under Coach Lahr.
