Lady Cavs gain super comeback win

Published | Sep 13, 2023

Set scores remained close for the East Burke volleyball team throughout the grueling Catawba Valley 2A Conference schedule.

The Lady Cavs broke through Tuesday with a four-set home win over Lincolnton gaining just their second home win of the 2023 season.

(note: last week’s win over Bunker Hill was a home match after air conditioning issues at the Lady Bears gym in Claremont).

The win created a fifth-place tie with the Lady Wolves in the CVAC standings ahead of a Thursday road match with West Lincoln, tied for third place with Newton-Conover.

“I’m super excited and super proud of this win,” said Lady Cavalier volleyball coach Tracy Greene. “They stuck in there and fought and battled.”

The Lady Cavaliers dropped the opening set to Lincolnton 25-18 before taking the next three sets by scores of 25-22, 25-18, and 25-17.

East Burke started out set two with leads of 5-2, 7-4, and 9-6 as Katherine Greene, Ashaunah Reinhardt-Phillips, Raegan Carter, and Addy Fortenberry each recorded a spike kill at the net.

Lincolnton started with the lead in set three before the Lady Cavs forced a 5-5 tie and took control from there scoring five straight points.

A spike kill by Carter, Fortenberry, and Bree Winkler and serves by Fortenberry were crucial plays in the third set.

East Burke took early control in the fourth set scoring the first eight points led by Greene, Winkler, and Fortenberry.

Fortenberry led with 21 assists, 10 kills, four blocks, and three aces with Greene (21 digs, 10 kills), Winkler (nine kills), Reinhardt-Phillips (seven kills), Hermione Garro (25 digs), and Caroline Pruitt (12 assists, two aces) also being key contributors.

The JV team was also victorious in two sets (25-19, 25-19) led by Carissa Towery (18 assists), Sarah Angel (11 digs), Hayden Lowman (9 kills), Karlie Chester (5 kills), Heaven Waycaster (5 digs, 3 aces), and Amanda McLean (2 blocks).