Varsity Volleyball

Our Varsity Volleyball Team travelled across town to take on Grace Christian on Tuesday, September 12th. The Warriors were looking to seek redemption after 2 consecutive losses.  The Warriors started off strong showing great on court communication and energy which propelled them to a victory in the first set.  The second set was plagued by errors on the part of the Warriors which allowed the Eagles to gain momentum and eventually win that set.  In set three, the Warriors were able to regain focus and limit their errors.  Despite the Eagle's overbearing student section, the Warriors energy level elevated.  Sophomore Grimsley McNairy and Senior Rebekah Leshnock made some key plays as well as and our Libero, Senior Emily Deihl, played very strong defense.  The fourth and deciding set found the Warriors firing on all cylinders.  The Warriors mixed up their shots to keep the Eagles on their toes.  Seniors Skyler Woods and Rebekah Leshnock had great chemistry and were able to connect on several key plays down the stretch to push the Warriors over the top!  The Warriors look more connected as a team and played GREAT volleyball!

The Warriors will be in action again on Thursday, September 14th when they host Cary Christian.  Come out and support! 

Our Varsity Volleyball team hosted undefeated Thales Academy of Apex on Thursday, August 31st.  The Warriors were focused heading into the contest against Thales.  Having just come off of a win the Warriors new that they had a tall task ahead.  The Titans were 8-0 coming in to Warriror Territory.  The Warriors started off on a role.  Good serving and great back line defense had the Warriors ahead early in the contest.  The Warriors continued to maintain and took the first match.  The second match had several lead changes. The Warriors battled back and was able to come out on top.  Heading into the third match the Titans seemed to be running out of gas.  The Warroirs capitalized and continued to apply pressure.  Ultimately, the Warriors prevailed in three straight sets and upset the previously undefeated Titans.  The Warriors will be in action again on Tuesday, Sept. 5th as they host Wake Christian Academy.

Our Varsity Volleyball Team traveled across town to take on Ravenscroft.  The Warriors were looking to continue to build momentum.  The match was exciting as both teams made adjustments to counter the success of the other.  The Warriors won the first 2 sets but the Ravens stormed back to win the next 2 sets forcing a 5th.  The Warriors kept their composure, focused on the goal at hand, and were able to come away with a 3-2 victory.  "I am very proud of the way the ladies were able to lock in and get the job done.  Although we still need to fine tune somethings, we look better each time we take the court." - Coach Romel. The Warriors are in action again on Thursday, August 31st when they host Thales Academy of Apex.

Player of the match Rebekah Leshnock - 7 blocks, 11 kills, 11 Digs and 14 assist 

Our Varsity Girls Volleyball Team hosted University Christian on Saturday, August 26th.  The Warriors entered the match trying to capture their second win in a row after bouncing back from a loss against NRCA.  The Warriors started the match off strong and playing well together.  The Warriors went on a run and forced several errors from University Christian.  The Warriors continued their momentum into the 2nd match but due to some substitutions and errors by the Warriors, University Christian was able to go on a roll of their one and get the match within striking distance.  Senior Skyler Woods quickly doused the fire of the Barracudas by serving several aces.  The Warriors were rotating well and making great passes.  In the third set, the Warriors continued to roll behind the smart playmaking of Senior Skylar Woods, the back line play of Senior Emily Deihl, and the outside hitting of Senior Rebekah Leshnock and Sophomore Grimsley McNairy.  The Warriors were able to win the match in 3 straight sets.  The Warriors will be in action again on Tuesday, August 29th as they take on Ravenscroft.  

UPPER SCHOOL ROUND-UP (8/21-8/25)

JV FOOTBALL

Our JV Football team traveled to Cary Christian to take on the Knights for their season opener.  The Warriors were in high spirits and ready to compete.  Matthew Palmer had a 60 yard for a touchdown as the only score for the Warriors.  “The loss was tough but was a great learning experience.  We will learn and get better from it.” – Coach Viera The Warriors next contest is against Arendell Parrott Academy at home next Wednesday, August 30th. 

VARSITY SOCCER

ARENDELL PARROTT (8/22)   Our Varsity Boys Soccer Team travelled to Arendell Parrott Academy to take on the Patriots.  The Warriors were feeling confident coming off of their strong performance against Dash United.  The Warriors had a positive start with several attacking opportunites but made a costly error on defense that led to a goal by the Patriots.  “It took us a while to adjust fielding with 3 new players on defense.” – Coach Sewell. The Warriors gave up 2 more goals before the half and went into halftime down 3-0.  The Warriors came out the second half and played much better.  The Warriors controlled play, created more chances and were able to get a goal back; Landon Brestwitz scored with an assist from Fabian Fallas. “We have work to do, as we must improve our game awareness and technical abilities, best part of it all; the boys are up to the challenge.” -Coach Cornéjo

CARY ACADEMY (8/24)  The Varsity Boys Soccer Team faced Cary Academy on their home field.  The Warriors held the Chargers scoreless in the first half but were unable to score themselves.  The Warriors came out of the half flat and allowed 4 goals in the second half.  “The boys tried hard but it just wasn’t enough today.  We will go back to the practice field as there is much to work on!” – Coach Cornéjo

VARSITY CROSS COUNTRY

THALES ACADEMY (8/22) Our Varsity Cross Country team traveled to Rolesville to compete in their first race of the season hosted by Thales Academy. The start to the season has been challenged by high heat and humidity, but the team has been faithful to train when and where they can. The Warriors were eager, and a little apprehensive, to race, to find out their level of fitness, and to set a 5K season best on which to build. The girls’ team led by Sophomore captain Lizzie Latchford with Freshmen girls Annie Erickson and Emma Rose Marshall, was first to race in a field of 47 athletes. Lizzie and Annie ran together through the first two miles and finished the race in 15^th (28:19) and 19^th (28:46) with only 27 seconds between them. Emma Rose ran courageously and showed mental toughness in successfully finishing her first Varsity race (39, 35:43).By the time the gun went off at 6:05 PM for the boys’ race, the temperature had cooled significantly and with cloud cover, a light breeze, and a largely shaded course, conditions were much better than expected. Our six athletes, led by Senior captain Kaishun Sato-Choi, Charlie Slawinski, Connor Jordan, Nico Janas, Carter Moran, and Thomas France ran respectable first races of the season. First to cross the finish line for St. David’s was Charlie, whose 2^nd place overall finish in a sub 18:00 time of 17:56 bodes very well for the season ahead. Rounding out our team in the seven-school field of 68 athletes were Connor Jordan (43, 24:52), Nico Janas (51, 26:06), Kaishun Sato-Choi (57, 28:12), Carter Moran (63, 31:13) and Thomas France (67, 33:17). The team earned a 6^th place finish with these performances.

VARSITY GIRLS GOLF

GRACE CHRISTIAN OF SANDFORD (8/22)   Our Varsity Girls Golf Team opened their season against Grace Christian of Sandford at the Quail Ridge Country Club.  Mackenzie Cline was our lone player on a course she had never played before and on a very hot afternoon. The course was in great condition!  Mackenzie shot a 1 over par 37 to be the Match Medalist of the day among 15 other players.  She started with a double bogey on her first hole, and then eagled the next hole, reaching a par 5 in 2 shots and making a 10 foot putt for eagle, to get back to even par through 2 holes. She had a very steady round after that.  Mackenzie finished as the medalist for this event.

VARSITY GIRLS TENNIS

RAVENSCROFT (8/22)   The Varsity Girls Tennis Team travelled to Arendell Parrott Academy to take the Patriots.  Junior Kennedy Holmes and 8^th grader Anna Hauser both won very tough singles matches in 3 sets.  The doubles teams for the Warriors played well again.  The Warriors are learning and growing with each match.  “I am very proud of how all of the girls played.  Parrott had a really strong lineup, especially at the top.” – Coach Crowder

JV VOLLEYBALL

ARENDELL PARROTT (8/17)  Our  JV Volleyball Team played big rival Arendell Parrott in Lockerbie Gym on August 17^th. It was the first game of the season for this team, and they came ready to play! While the team lost, both sets were close (27-25 and 25-23). The entire team had a consistent serving and hitting game with standouts M.E. Martin, L. Graham, E.K. Woody and M.E. Borges. Coach Lamb and Coach Eastmann were pleased with the team’s performance and know that their team will continue to improve throughout the season. They look forward to their next game at North Raleigh Christian on August 22^nd.

NORTH RALEIGH CHRISTIAN ACADEMY (8/22)  Our JV Volleyball Team traveled to NRCA to take on the Knights on August 22^nd.  The Warriors were looking to build upon a their performance in the first game of the season.  The Warriors were a bit nervous due to the notoriety of the Knights.  The Warriors allowed their nerves to get the best of them in this contest.  By the time they settled into the match and realized they could be competitive against NRCA it was too late.  “the girls let themselves get overwhelmed that the other team was known to be a hard one.” – Coach Lamb

VARISTY VOLLEYBALL

NORTH RALEIGH CHRISTIAN ACADEMY  Our Varsity Volleyball Team travelled across town to face the Knights on Tuesday, August 22^nd.  The Warriors had a slow start in the first 2 sets as our hitters just could not seem to get going.  The Warriors had a few unforced errors and trouble defending the outside and middle hitters of NRCA.  The Warriors were able to make some adjustments in the 3^rd set with Senior Skyler Woods setting 5-1 and Senior Rebekah Leshnock moving to outside hitter.  Sophomore Grimsley McNairy stepped up for the Warriors and had several key plays as she was aggressively attacking from the front and back row.  Senior Rebekah Leshnock made some key blocks as well to help the Warriors take that set.  “We faced some talented players today.  Playing against this level of competition will help prepare us for the tough schedule ahead.” – Coach Lightbourn

CARY CHRISTIAN SCHOOL (8/25) – Our Varsity Volleyball Team headed to Cary Christian on Friday, August 25^th.  The Warriors were looking to bounce back from their first loss of the season against NRCA.  The Warriors started off slow but were able to get things going and win the first set.  The Warriors had too many unforced errors in the 2^nd and 3^rd sets and found themselves down 1-3 headed into the 4^th set.  The Warriors were able to bounce back and win the 4^th set behind some key kills and blocks from Senior Rebekah Leshnock and Junior Eliza Everett.  By the 5^th set the Warriors were clicking on all cylinders and easily took the win.  “We are still making too many unforced errors during crucial moments of the match.  We have to get better.” - Coach Lightbourn

Our Varsity Volleyball Team hosted the Pirates of Arendell Parrott Academy on Thursday, August 17th.  The Warriors came out fired up and ready for the match up.  The Warriors came out strong and took control off the opening serve.  The Warriors were clicking on all cylinders offensively and defensively during the first 2 matches.  It seems as though the Warriors would secure a 3 - 0 sweep but the Patriots had other plans.  The third match was a nail biter with several lead changes.  The match went down to the wire with the Patriots coming out on top and forcing a 4th set.  The fourth set was also a nail biter with the score being tied several different times.  The game came down to a key play by Senior Maya Foster which put the Warriors over the edge.  The Warriors are now 6 and 0.  The Warriors will be in action again on Tuesday, August 22nd when they take on North Raleigh Christian Academy at home!  Come out and support our Varsity Volleyball Team! 

The Varsity Girls Volleyball Team traveled to Asheville, NC on Thursday, October 20th to take on Asheville Christian Academy.  The Warriors had been battle test all week in the 3A StateTournaments with tough games against Cary Christian and Asheville School.  After fighting their way to a victory in each of those match ups the Warriors found out they would face an even stronger opponent On Saturday, October 22nd.   The Warriors headed down to Asheville on Saturday to match-up against undefeated Lions of Asheville Christian Academy.  The Warriors were very scrappy as usual making several hustle plays and forcing long volleys against the Lions.  The Lions were able to close out the first set and had the momentum going into the second.  In the second set the Warriors continued to play hard and play together to overcome the power hitters and play at the net for the Lions.  Ultimately those 2 things combined proved to be a bit much and Asheville Christian would go on to win the second and third matches also.  Join me in congratulating the Varsity Girls Volleyball Team and Coaches on a great season! Let's also thank them for their hard work and dedication in serving St. David's!

Emotions were flying high on Senior Night as the Varsity Girls Volleyball Team hosted conference opponent Trinity Academy on October 11th.  The game started off very intense with several lead changes.  The Lions went on a run which led them to a 4 point lead.  The Warriors were able to rally back but it would not be enough to close out the set.  The Lions won the first set 25-17.  The second set was much like the first with several lead changes, a hard fought battle, and Cary Christian closing out the victory with a 25-15 win.  "Before the third set started I suggested to the girls that they play for their parents since they seemed flat the first two sets.  I could see the fire in their eyes after our talk," said Coach Lightbourn.  There was a fire indeed!  The Warriors following up Coach Lightbourn's speech with 2 hard fought grudge matches in the 3rd and 4th sets.  The Warriors were able to win those sets behind the hustle, tough play, and great serves by several players.  The Warriors were able to force a 5th set with the Lions.  Having used most of their energy battling back from a 0-2 deficit, fatigue began to set in on the Warriors.  Trinity kept their composure and was able to capitalize each time the Warrior made an error.  Trinity Academy may have won the match 3-2 but the Warriors did not go down without a fight!  Thank you to our Seniors, Greysen Woody, Emma Walsh, and Catherine Hodge for their numerous years of dedication and service to the St. David's Varsity Girls Volleyball Team! 

The Varsity Girls Volleyball Team traveled to Grace Christian on September 29th for an in conference match up.  The Warriors walked into a packed crowd full of enthusiasm at Grace.  The first set had multiple lead changes and the Warriors had a few opportunities to seal the deal but could not close the set out and the Eagles won 25-23.  The second set was similar to the first with several lead changes but once again Grace Christian was able to keep their composure and pulled off the unthinkable win again with the same score of 25-23.  After two hard fought sets the Warriors came out flat in the 3rd set and the Eagles were able to take advantage and won the third set 25-10.  The Warriors are on Fall Break next week and will be in action again on Tuesday, October 11th for Senior Night versus Trinity Academy.

The Varsity Volleyball Warriors played their final match of the 2021 season on Saturday, October 23rd in High Point in the NCISAA Championship hunt. "The feeling of being in the quarter finals with my teams was indescribable. The girls were hype, both crowds were loud and the atmosphere was so electric" Coach Romel Lightbourn said. During the opening set, both teams were point for point all the way up to 23-23 where Senior Samantha Leshnock got the last 2 kills to close out the first set. 

St. David’s knew this match would be a dog fight and the team that made the least mistakes would win. High Point Christian protected their come court and took the second set 18-25 but the Warriors responded and won the third as Leshnock, the team captain, took the team on her shoulders and lead the team to a 25 - 22 victory over High Point in the third set. 

Each set was very close but during the fourth set Emma Walsh went down with a severe sprain and from there the team, unable to recover the hiccup, had a couple of miscommunication errors and loss the fourth set 19 - 25. The Warriors fought extremely hard in this game but ended up giving it up in the final set where High point gain momentum and never looked back winning the fifth set 15-10. 

Coach Romel said "As a coach, I am extremely proud of the way they competed. I told them it would take every we have to win this match and they left everything on the court. They played a phenomenal match but we fell short of a couple of points. Our seniors played such an important role in the growth of our program and the development of this team. Seniors, we love you and you will definitely be missed."

The 7 seniors will be missed by teammates, coaches, and parents. The 2021 season was a great one, with amazing competition and amazing memories that will never be forgotten. 

On Thursday, October 14^th, the Varsity Volleyball team fell to the Wake Christian Bulldogs at home. The match was an out of conference game, meaning it did not affect the Warriors’ standing in their conference. Even so, the Lady Warriors were still hoping to pull off a win over the Bulldogs. Unfortunately, the game did not go their way. The ladies battled closely with Wake Christian, but they fell off at the end of each set due to unforced errors and lack of effort. Finishing out at the end of each set is something the Warriors struggle with and that they hope to improve heading into playoffs. Head Coach Romel Lightbourn stated that the ladies need to “keep the momentum from the beginning to the end of the game and minimize the errors that cost them a loss by the end of the match”. Lightbourn wishes to see his team fight harder to win at the end of the sets and fight harder in matches overall. The Bulldogs were a strong team with a powerful offense. The Warriors had a strong defensive night, but the offense is what mainly costed the loss. The ladies are working bettering all aspects of the game before playoffs and are determined to win in playoffs.

The Varsity Volleyball ladies beat Arendell Parrott Academy in 3 straight sets Thursday, September 16^th in Kinston. The team is thrilled to have broken their 5 set match streak, and especially against one of their biggest rivals, the Patriots. Defense was key in this game, as Parrott has a strong offense. The Warriors displayed the tenacious defense they have been working on in practice by never letting a ball drop and certainly not without a body hitting the ground. Not only did the defense perform well, but so did the serving and offense. The first set was tight, as the team was working to figure out their opponent. The ladies closed the set out by finishing 25-23. The second set improved, with a score of 25-19. The third and final set was the best of the match, 25-12. The team is ecstatic to have won this important conference game and hopes to bring tonight’s performance in the coming matches. The team will play Cary Christian for the second time on Tuesday, September 21^st. The game is home, so if you are able, come out and support the team!

The Varsity Warriors Volleyball team fell to the Durham Academy Cavaliers in three straight sets during their home match on Thursday evening. The first set was lost 25-14, while the second was closer with a score of 25-19. The third set’s score was 25-16. Although the Warriors fought hard, they did not come out with their 5^thwin of the regular season. Coach Romel Lightbourn said it is imperative that the Warriors “come out much stronger in the first set in order to stay strong throughout the entirety of the match.” To beat other tough, experienced teams like Durham Academy, the team will need to limit errors, keep the defense aggressive, and continue the strong serving game. The team looks forward to their next game at Cary Christian on September 8^th. This will be Warrior’s second meeting with the team this season, following their win over the Knights during a pre-season tournament in Winston Salem in mid-August.