Coach Kelan Rogers and Chloe Webster.

 

Staff report

WEST JEFFERSON — Carson’s 15th straight volleyball win took place in the mountains on Saturday.

The fifth-seeded Cougars (27-5) broomed the fourth-seeded Ashe County Huskies from the 3A state playoffs with a 25-17, 25-22 and 25-21 sweep.

It wasn’t the standard sweep. It was a hard fight. Ashe County (19-3) had won 20 straight times on its home floor, including a  miraculous comeback in Thursday’s second round to get past North Lincoln.

Carson’s reward will be a trip to top-seeded West Henderson for the fourth round on Tuesday. Only four teams are left in 3A West now, along with four more in 3A East.

West Henderson, which features 6-foot-3 Georgia recruit Emma Bryson in the middle, hasn’t lost since mid-September. Carson has won 21 of its last 22 matches.

Carson pushed to a 20-13 lead in the first set after kills by Katy Falkowski and Piper Thonen.

Reese Joyner had back-to-back kills for 22-15 and 23-15, and the Huskies wilted down the stretch. Carson got three of its last five points to close out the first set on missed serves by the home team.

Carson was in control most of the second set, although Ashe County was able to make a strong run late and fought back to a 24-22 deficit. Carson coach Kelan Rogers called timeout at that point, and the Cougars responded with what was probably the biggest point of the match. Kaylee Thonen handled serve receive, made an ideal pass to Rylee Hedrick, and Hedrick made a great set to outside hitter Joyner, Carson’s go-to person, for set point.

Backs to the wall, the Huskies fought furiously in the third set. Carson held some slim leads, but Ashe always came back. It was 20-all when the Cougars located Joyner for back-to-back kills for 21-20 and 22-20.

Alana Herring then had two straight aces, rocketing back-to-back serves low and hard for 24-20.

Then Joyner, who had a dominant night, put down set and match point.

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No. 2 seed North Iredell won 3-1 against Lake Norman Charter on Saturday and will host Kings Mountain on Tuesday. Kings Mountain is one of the teams that has beaten West Henderson.