Area high school volleyball teams are hoping to make plenty of noise on the court this season. As they keep working before the season gets started in full swing, here are eight questions about local play.
Which players will stand out the most?
There are several players who enter the season as potential area player of the year choices.
Among them are: Croatan senior outside hitter Emily Gray, Dixon senior outside hitter Ari Stone, East Duplin senior outside hitter Zoe Cavenaugh and even Jacksonville Christian Academy senior setter Selma Scott, who plays at a high level.
The player of year award may have to be decided by which players help lead their teams to postseason success.
Who can take the Coastal Conference?
West Carteret won the Coastal Conference title in 2023 and 2024, and on paper, the Patriots should be the favorites to again win the league, which is now a 5-A/6-A conference.
Croatan showed it could topple the Patriots by defeating West Carteret in the conference tournament final last year, and look for the Cougars to again be the top contender to jump ahead West Carteret with Gray, senior Hannah Buchan and junior McKenna O’Kane returning.
Dixon could be a dangerous team. While the Bulldogs won just seven matches last season, they return some experience with the likes of Stone, senior Kaylie Moore, junior Lizzy Capps and sophomore Aileen Lowman.
Swansboro also has a handful of returning players from last year’s 15-win team and the Pirates should never be counted out.
How good can East Duplin be?
East Duplin returns the most talent as Cavenaugh is joined by senior Zoe Turner and juniors Kinsey Cave and Karsyn Parker as key players coming back to the Panthers.
East Duplin started 4-0 and 8-1 last year before finishing 7-5 in the East Central Conference. On paper, the Panthers and South Lenoir should be two of the favorites in the ECC, which is now a 3-A/4-A Conference.
Who leads Jacksonville?
Jacksonville has had some strong leaders in recent seasons, from Lovina Teel and Nevaeh Ortiz in 2023 and Serayah White and Shawnee Flatt last season.
But this season, juniors Athena Teel and Lakota Flatt will take their turns being leaders for the Cardinals after being role players last year. Flatt and Teel have a lot of experience and have played at high levels.
Their presence will be important as the Cardinals try to compete in the tough Big Carolina 6-A/7-A Conference.
Can JCA keep making a name?
Jacksonville Christian Academy showed last season that it could hold its own as it defeated Northside in three sets, finished 23-4 and won the Mid Atlantic Christian Association 2-A tournament.
The Conquerors return four top players in seniors Anna Hodges, Selma Scott and Violette Smith and sophomore Julianna Barrientos.
Look for the Conquerors to also be excited for their nonconference game at Southwest on Aug. 28.
Will Bev bring Lejeune up?
Lejeune has not had a winning season since it went 10-9 in 2013, although the Devilpups have improved after a winless 2020-2021 winter season.
Longtime Southwest coach Bev Marley has returned to coaching following a brief stint away as she now leads the Devilpups. Marley’s experience and attention to detail will help Lejeune players progress on the fundamentals.
Lejeune will also rely on returning players, senior setter Rica Tosing, junior outside hitter Kasyn Griffey and junior middle hitter Dylan Janssen.
Will Kornegay enjoy return to Richlands?
Kiki Kornegay, a 2020 Richlands graduate, is back with the Wildcats as coach, replacing longtime coach Ashton Allgood.
The Wildcats look to continue their competitive ways as with the likes of seniors Cameron Cubas and Kamdyn Dickerson returning.
Who are the wild cards?
White Oak won seven games last season, the most since the Vikings won 10 in 2019. They started 7-4 before dropping their final six matches.
However, White Oak returns a core group with seniors Alyssa Carkhuff, Mariah Reeves, Brianna Sherman and Kylie Stephens, and will have a chance to earn some early season momentum before facing tough Big Carolina 6-A/7-A Conference games.
Then there’s Southwest. The Stallions, led by seniors Dixie Johnson and Julie Padgett, will have a chance to win some nonconference matches as well as in ECC play following NCHSAA realignment.
At Liberty Christian Academy, senior Jaeda James is perhaps one of the area’s better players that very few of heard of, given she plays for a small school. But James has showed her talents as she has 412 kills the last two seasons and was third-tea mall-area last season.
Over at Northside and Living Water Christian School, the Monarchs and Warriors look to keep improving after they won two and three games last year.
