Looking back at the night of August 28, there wasn’t much of a reason to think that Orange volleyball would fare well against Person.
Just the week before, the Rockets disposed of the Lady Panthers with ease in three sets on scores of 25-11, 25-21 and 25-15. In fact, opening week was forgettable for Orange.
During a one-day event at Apex Friendship High School, Orange had several players out because they had to take the LSAT. Apex Friendship and Jordan each disposed of the Lady Panthers in three sets.
However, Orange showed a spark of what it could become in the final game in Apex when they defeated Jack Britt in straight sets.
As disappointing as the first week of the season had been, the second week would be much better.
It started with a sweep of South Granville in Creedmoor, the Lady Panthers third straight win over the Vikings dating back to last season. It turned out to be the first of several strong nonconference victories for Orange in 2019. South Granville would eventually go undefeated in the 2A/1A Northern Carolina Conference and reach the 2nd round of the 2A State Playoffs.
Two nights later, Orange came out with tenacity in the Person rematch in Hillsborough. A week after Person stomped Orange in the first set, the Panthers responded by winning the opening frame 25-15. The Lady Panthers fed senior attacker Kaitlyn Werden, who finished with ten kills, two aces, two blocks, ten digs and 21 assists, essentially a volleyball triple-double.
To their credit, Person controlled the second set 25-12 behind junior Karoline Cox, who had six kills in the set. After that, it was all Orange.
The Panthers took the third frame 25-18. This was the first time that the Lady Panthers showed off its depth in terms of finishers, many of them underclassmen. Sophomore Emma Van Tiem had seven kills. Van Tiem’s classmate, Avery Miller, also had seven kills. Senior Emma Vosburg, the younger sister of former Orange basketball center Logan Vosburg, came away with seven kills. Senior Vale Serge also had seven kills, a season-high.
Orange wrapped up its most impressive win of the season when they captured the fourth set 25-16. Miller and Van Tiem would have several big blocks in the final set. Each finished with five, as did freshman Erin Jordan-Cornell.
There was hardly any time for Orange to enjoy its win. The very next night, South Granville came calling again, but the Panthers put the Vikings away in straight sets. It continued a six-game winning streak, the longest of the season.
Person’s losses this season were few and far between. The Rockets finished 23-3 and won the Mid-State Conference championship with a 13-1 record. They would fall to Chapel Hill in the third round of the state playoffs.
Orange played in the Big 8, which would send five teams to the state playoffs. The Lady Panthers would win ten matches against teams that made the state playoffs, including a four-set victory over East Chapel Hill, who would capture the second-seed in the Big 8 Conference. It would also start a memorable fall on volleyball courts across Hillsborough.