Staff report

CHINA GROVE — It was a sweep, but it was a competitive sweep as Lake Norman Charter’s volleyball team beat South Rowan 25-19, 25-22 and 25-23 in a South Piedmont Conference Tournament semifinal played Tuesday in the Carson gym.

Top-seeded Lake Norman Charter (20-1) has beaten South in three different gyms. The Knights have lost once to Carson, but that’s been their only setback all season.

The good news for the fourth-seeded Raiders (15-9) is after a steady diet of Carson, Lake Norman Charter and East Rowan, they should be ready for whoever they’ll face in the 3A state playoffs.

South is 18th in the 3A West RPI rankings, so the Raiders will get in with no problem, but they likely will be on the road in the first round. The top 16 seeds in the 23-team bracket will get home games.

Campbell Withers had 21 digs for the Raiders. Meredith Faw and Meghan Eagle had 13 each. Laney Beaver had 11.

Faw led in kills with eight. Avery Fisher had six. Danica Krieg had four kills and two of South’s three blocks.

Beaver had eight assists, while Eagle and Raegan Shell had six each.

Lake Norman Charter, league co-champion along with Carson, is fifth in the 3A West RPI rankings and will tangle with Carson (9th) on Wednesday at 6 p.m. at Carson.