Volleyball Cruises To Finals

The Big East Volleyball tournament got underway Monday night and #3 seed Northern Nash whipped the #6 seeded Lady Firebirds to end their Season. The game of interest for the Lady Gryphons Nash Central whipped Fike and don't quote me on this but I think Nash Central draws the #4 seed in the Big East in next week's State Playoffs after beating Fike.

Tonight after having played and won last night Nash Central got off to a fast start against the Lady Gryphons and as the #1 seed Rocky Mount did not play in the tournament on Monday. Any one who has ever watched the ACC basketball tournament knows that a lot of times after a team has had a bye they are a little rusty getting into tournament mode while the team that played yesterday comes out firing. Nash Central led the first game 22-18 before the Lady Gryphons stepped on the gas and won 25-23 over the Lady bulldogs. Game two was a 25-16 Gryphon win and game three was 25-15.

Now that the Big East Volleyball season is near the end there is no way that Tia Hudgins is not player of the year.

It was workman like but the Lady Gryphons advance to the tournament final where they will meet Hunt who came out quickly in winning the first two games but Northern Nash decided to make Hunt work hard and took them to five games before Hunt won game Five. So #1 Meets #2 Thursday night at Hunt

The NCHSAA release the brackets for Volleyball Tuesday without the teams only the conference. #1 Big East Rocky Mount will play a home game Tuesday against #3 Eastern Carolina. The second round they are bracketed with the Coastal #5-Waccamaw #2 winner and if they win round one round two is also home.

Big East #2 Hunt is hosting Coastal #3 and of course if you remember last year Rocky Mount went up against the #4 from the Coastal last year in round two and had no answer for tall West Craven team and you can bet the #3 Coastal will be tall. So this is not a good bracket for the #2 Hunt even though it is a home match.

Big East #3 Northern Nash will travel to Eastern Carolina #1. and #4 Nash Central earns a trip to the Mid State #2.

To refresh your memory the Waccamaw conference is the Wilmington area 3-A schools. The Eastern Carolina conference is the Goldsboro area. The Coastal is the Greenville area and Mid State is the Burlington schools.

Wednesday Cross country holds the weekly run at Southern Nash. Soccer after their big victory Monday over Hunt must keep the ball going in the net as they host Fike. Big East Tennis is underway and sorry to say I have no idea where the Lady Gryphons stand in this week's action..

I have good news to report that Northern Nash friend Randy Langley is home from Wake Med after his heart attack over the weekend. He will not be in the press box Friday night when Northern has a home game.