Fifth in a series of stories on Rowan volleyball teams ...

By Mike London

mike.london@salisburypost.com

SALISBURY — The Salisbury Hornets are off to a strong start in the volleyball season and have a good chance to keep it going.

The Hornets are young, but there’s some power and skill in the sophomore class, so they can expect to be stout in 2023 and 2024, as well.

The Hornets aren’t tall, but they’ve got some good athletes.

The coaching situation is stable, with Andrea Davis and Steve Yang returning to guide the team.

Best case scenario, the Hornets contend for their first Central Carolina Conference championship since 2014 — the Juliana Anderson days.

Hanging a banner is asking a lot, but the first playoff berth and first winning season since 2016 are realistic goals.

East Davidson has a super player and looks like the team to beat. West Davidson has tradition. Lexington isn’t bad at all in volleyball these days and made the playoffs in 2021.

But overall, it’s a friendly, manageable league for the Hornets. Most of the CCC bullies moved up to 3A with the realignment that kicked in last fall.

Senior Brooke Cunningham can man the middle or hit from the outside and won’t leave the court much. She had 22 kills as the Hornets started this season 3-0. and she’ll get her share of digs.

The go-to hitter for the Hornets is sophomore outside hitter Ava Morris. She had 38 kills in the first three matches. She’s also good on defense and has 25 digs.

Also part of the sophomore class are Addie Myers, who is an undersized (5-foot-6) hitter who gets her share of kills and Elinor Hinson, the daughter of AD Brian Hinson.

Hinson is a track high jumper and has some bounce. She could lead the team in blocks.

Sophomore Ashley Yang will be counted on to make most of the split-second, on-the-court decisions. She’ll get the assists (85 in the first three matches), a lot of digs (45) and some kills.

Freshman Dayami Acevedo has been a key addition to the defense. Acevedo, Katie Peeler and Sheenya Daugherty are racking up quite a few digs.

Seniors Icesis Nwafor, well-known for basketball, Abigail Perez and Maddie Albright also are on the roster. They don’t have as much playing experience as some of the younger players, but senior leadership is always important.