Mills River – West Henderson Lady Falcons edged North Henderson Lady Knights in five sets at home on Sept. 19.
NHHS (12-8; 6-2 Mtn. 7) rallied from five points down late to pull out the opening game (“set”) 27-25. West (13-8; 7-1 M7) won the next set easily at 25-11. But the next two sets were nail-biters. The Lady Falcons won 26-24, after winning four straight points to tie it at 19-all. NHHS led 23-21, but couldn’t put away West.
Yet North won the fourth set 25-23, pulling out to a 24-20 lead and holding on. That forced a decisive, abbreviated fifth set. The first one to reach 15 points and win by two takes the match. The Falcons won 17-15. They led most of that set, but trailed 15-14 which was match point. They won the next two points, to win their fourth match in a row.
Whenever head coach Tiffany White Lowrance’s crew takes the court, 6-foot-3 star middle blocker Emma Bryson stands out for her height and all-around skill. Bryson said she thrives on challenges from Knight and other “top players.” She shouts to urge on teammates. She waves a hand after a pivotal point. She said such gestures express a match’s “wow factor.”
Bryson, a junior, is committed to playing volleyball for the Georgia Bulldogs. She was in West’s Homecoming Court last football Friday.
In the victory over NNHS, Bryson led West with 19 “kill” slam winners. She also had ten “dig” retrievals, reaching to return opposing shots. Bryson made 229 kills, 82 blocks, and 37 aces two seasons ago, as a freshman. She already has 249 kills in 2023. A pivotal volleyball stat is hitting percentage. That is the percent of hits that are “kill” winning shots, minus errant shots. When Bryson smashes the ball, 26 percent of her hits are “kill” winners. Also, 38.7 percent of her kill shots win points with no deduction for errors.
Isabella Baylor, also a junior, has 118 kills. Sophomore standout Marley Orr has 91 kills. Orr made 13 kills and 16 digs against NHHS, earning Coach Lowrance’s special praise. Setter Holland Corbin contributed 44 assists. Defensive specialist (“libero”) and co-captain Allyson Garcia led West with 20 digs.
“We’re working together well,” sophomore Alena Mayberry said. Setter Melea Humiston, a junior, likes the subbing ritual’s camaraderie. A player coming in holds hands with the Falcon she replaces. They often praise each other’s play, for extra motivation. Several Falcons and Knights alike said they get “pumped up” for pressure points late in sets.
Tiffany Lowrance has more than 300 volleyball wins as West’s head coach. West was 24-7, and won two playoff matches in 2022-23. In 2021-22, West was 12-0 and 21-5 overall. NHHS was 10-2 in league play and 22-6 overall.
West and Franklin (14-1) now lead the Mountain Seven Conference at 7-1, a game ahead of NHHS. FHS lost 3-1 at West, but beat the Lady Knights and hosts them on Sept. 28 and West on Oct. 5. At stake is seeding for the league tourney and then for 3A state playoffs.
Coach Sue Moon’s Knights beat West 3-2 at home in their first matchup of 2023. These intense arch rivals might meet again in the M7 tournament at Smoky Mountain, and/or in 3A playoffs. West blanked A.C. Reynolds, which dropped down to 3A, but lost 3-0 at perennial playoff nemesis Kings Mountain.
Glittering Knights
Last season, the Lady Knights split with West, and defeated the Lady Falcons in the M7 tourney as libero and ‘23 grad Lily Marsh was the MVP. That was the first season in eight years in which NHHS beat West in volleyball. The Knights advanced furthest (round four) of any Henderson or Buncombe County squad. They won their first-ever league title.
Sue (Dalton) Moon first coached NHHS volleyball and basketball when the school opened in 1993. She is among winningest volleyball coaches in the state, surpassing 600 victories. She was the 3A N.C. Volleyball Coaches Association state coach of the year for 2021-22.
Coach Moon “reminds us to play our game,” when motivating during key huddles, Bailey Rowe said. Rowe is the reigning M7 MVP. She leads NHHS with 251 kills. “Back Row” Rowe is adept in Moon’s “back row attack.”
Peyton Taylor has 206 kills, also at a sparkling 35 percent rate. Aubrie Barnwell has 161 kills (30.8%). They are among seven seniors out of 11 varsity Knights.
HHS, East
West’s final regular-season home matches are Monday, Oct. 2 versus Brevard and Oct. 9 against M7 foe Tuscola. NHHS hosts East Henderson (2-12; 0-8 M7) Oct. 3, also at 6 p.m. Devin Gordon coaches East. Ashland Palmer, Makaylah Leonard, 5-11 Sarah Alverson, and Jenah Gordon are most accurate Eagle slammers.
Hendersonville (4-8; 4-3 MFC) is paced by freshman Emory Freeman and Chloe Parmalee (both 31.5% kills), tall Ella Pavao and Stella Veech. Coach Hailey Cook’s Bearcats welcome West on Oct. 4 at 5 p.m.