Kings Mountain
Kings Mountain won the 2023 3A Volleyball state championship vs Orange, 3 at Reynolds Coliseum, NC State.
| Year | 2023 |
|---|---|
| Sport | Volleyball |
| Classification | 3A |
| Champion | Kings Mountain |
| Runner-Up | Orange |
| Score | 3 - 2 |
| Venue | Reynolds Coliseum, NC State, Raleigh |
Notes
Thrilling is an understatement to describe the five-set Championship Match between the Kings Mountain Mountaineers and the Orange Panthers. Consistent bump, set, hit ratios along with wall-like defense, led to Kings Mountain securing its third state title in a 3-2 nail-biter. The first set started out evenly, but King’s Mountain quickly set themselves apart, dominating with a comfortable 25-12 win in the first set. Orange responded in the second set as sophomore Aubrey Jordan led with five kills, and sophomore Kate Silcott added three aces and a block. Kings Mountain met Orange’s energy with equal effort. Swapping serves almost every point, the Panthers came back to tie it up 1-1 with a 26-24 win The Panthers kept their momentum in the third, each team staying within three points of one another. Again, the Panthers came out on top to secure the 25-20 win. The Mountaineers met the Orange with high intensity in the fourth set and senior Meile Songaila tallied six kills as the Mountaineers came up with a 25-21 win. In both teams’ first-ever fifth set in a Championship Match, Senior Sadye Porter had one ace and three saves for the Panthers while Songaila had four kills and a block. The Mountaineers were able to hold off the Panthers to secure their third state title with a fifth-set score of 15-12. Orange High School finished the season with a 27-4 record. The East Region Champions had a record of 12-1 in the Central 3A conference. Orange made its second appearance in the finals this year as it was runner-up in their first trip in 2004. Kings Mountain High School finished the season with a 33-1 record. The West Region Champions had a record of 14-0 in the Big South 3A conference. Kings Mountain is now 3-0 in finals, having won the state title in 1998, 2001 and 2023. The NCHSAA is committed to recognizing outstanding sportsmanship in each of our State Championship events. The Association has partnered with the North Carolina Farm Bureau to award a pair of Sportsmanship Awards at each championship event, recognizing players who have demonstrated the ideals of outstanding character and sportsmanship throughout the 2023 season. The winners of the 3A Volleyball NC Farm Bureau Sportsmanship Awards are Senior Mary Grace Hogue from King’s Mountain High School and Ella Wimsatt from Orange High School. The NCHSAA is proud to partner with Wells Fargo to present the Most Valued Player award in the 3A State Championship match to Meile Songaila from Kings Mountain. In a post-game interview, the Panthers’ Head Coach Hope Heverly said “[You] would never know how sophomore-heavy this team is, we are looking towards a bright future for Orange High School Volleyball.” Senior Sadye Porter added that “it’s an unreal feeling to play in the state championships and I feel very grateful to be a part of this team.” Mountaineers’ Head Coach Heather Pasour said, “I’m super proud of the girls, I don’t feel like they lost momentum and gave up at any point today.” Songaila added what this State win meant to her and the program. “We went into the gym every day seeing the Mountaineer’ win States 20 years ago. I want kids 20 years from now to look back on us and feel inspired to work hard to achieve their own State Title.”