Orange Volleyball

Is this the time for the Orange volleyball team? They certainly looked like a team ready to make a trip to Reynolds Coliseum in Saturday when they defeated J.H. Rose 3-1 in the state quarterfinals on Saturday. The Lady Panthers earned its first trip to the regional semifinals since 2004 with a victory over the Rampants, the defending 3A Eastern Regional champions. Ella Wimsatt finished with 19 kills, 33 digs, two aces, one assist and one block as the Lady Panthers improved to 26-4, its best mark since they reached the 2004 3A State Championship match. Middle blocker Ava Wilkerson had 14 kills with four blocks, including a crucial point in the fourth set that gave Orange a 21-19 lead. Senior libero Sadye Porter had her usual solid defensive performance with 13 digs, along with two assists. Orange is now one match away from the state championship match. They will host Carrboro tonight (Tuesday) at 6PM inside Orange Gymnasium. The Jaguars, who have won two state championships, defeated Orange 3-1 on August 16 in Jaguars Gymnasium. The Lady Panthers defeated Carrboro 3-1 last year in Hillsborough. The winner will face either North Iredell or Ashe County for the 3A State Championship in Raleigh on Saturday.

Orange volleyball’s Ella Wimsatt, Ava Wilkerson & Sadye Porter discuss playoff win over J.H. Rose

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Reaching a regional championship game means something to Orange volleyball. It has only happened twice before.

When you beat J.H. Rose to do it, it means a little more.

The Rampants have won five Eastern Regional Championships, including last year’s victory over Cedar Ridge in Greenville. They have claimed three state championships.

On Saturday, pressed with playing its best, the unique blend of veterans and underclassmen combined to play its best game of the season and knocked Rose out of the state playoffs in the 3A state quarterfinals.

In possibly her best game in a season full of stellar presentations, senior Ella Wimsatt had 18 kills and 33 digs, while sophomore Aubrey Jordan registered 17 kills as Orange defeated Rose 3-1 at Orange Gymnasium on scores of 25-19, 21-25, 25-15, 25-19.

It was a double dose of good news for Orange on Saturday. In Fayetteville, 4th-seeded Carrboro rallied from two sets down to beat Cape Fear 3-2. That means Orange will host the 3A Eastern Regional Final in Hillsborough on Tuesday night at 6PM.

It is the third time in eight years that the East Final has been played in Hillsborough. In 2021, Cedar Ridge swept Rose. In 2015, Asheboro knocked off Cedar Ridge in four sets.

“We know coming in that they were a very well respected volleyball team,” said Orange coach Hope Heverly. “So we focused that we were tightened up on some of the Xs and Os. The girl respect Rose and knew they had to play their best game. I believe that they did that.”

It’s the first time since 2019 that Rose hasn’t reached the Final Four of the state tournament.

For the fifth straight match, Heverly started freshman Sawyer White with sophomore Rachel Silcott as the two alternated between setter and outside hitter. The arrangement, which started in a loss to Cedar Ridge in the Central Carolina Conference Tournament championship game two weeks ago, started shaky but has improved with every match. White finished with 16 digs, 23 assists and six kills. Silcott came away with 27 assists, nine digs and four kills.

Heverly made the change to increase Orange’s finishing weapons, which paid dividends against Rose. Five different Panthers had kills in the fourth and decisive set.

Senior libero Sadye Porter  had 14 digs.

Orange opened strong with a 10-2 run. Junior Abby Silinski had back-to-back aces while Wimatt registered her first kill of the day to put the Lady Panthers ahead 8-2. The closest the Rampans could get was 22-18 after they racked up five straight points, with a block and a kill by freshman Kate Wallen. Moments later, Wallen was whistled for walking into the net, leading to an Orange side out. Jordan had the final two kills of the frame, including on set point.

Rose used its power at the net to control the second set, which they never trailed. Senior Emily Smith had eight kills and a block for the Rampants in the second frame alone. A kill by Rose senior Shea Jenkins put the Rampants ahead 18-11. Orange mounted a rally when Wimsatt scored a kill, followed by an ace to reduce the Rose lead to 21-17. But Smith scored kills on the final three Rampants points to even the match.

The two teams opened the third set with an 8-8 tie before Wimsatt took control. After White scored off an assist from Silcott to put Orange ahead for good in the set at 9-8, Wimsatt had three straight kills during a 6-1 Orange run to put the lead at 21-13, leading to a Rose timeout. Naturally, Wimsatt’s spike on set point gave Orange a 2-1 lead.

Orange struggled to take the lead in the fourth set. Rose wouldn’t allow the Lady Panthers to score off serves, building a 10-8 lead off kills from Smith and Jenkins. Sophomore Ava Wilkerson, who finished with 14 kills and five blocks, evened the set at 13 with a rejection of an attack by Jenkins. Jordan inserted her influence with her best finishing sequence of the day down the stretch. After Wimsatt scored an ace to give Orange a 17-16 lead, Wimsatt scored two crucial digs on a point that ended when Jordan scored off a feed from White. Silcott followed with another kill.

Rose came back with three straight point to even the set at 19-19, ending with a kill from Wallen. That’s when the Orange sophomores came through with their biggest plays. Jordan earned a side out with an overhand blast from the near post. With Porter serving, Wilkerson scored her third block of the set off an attack by Shea.

Jordan and Wilkerson each had kills to set up match point at 24-19. Rose failed to return Porter’s serve, leading to the Orange student section rushing the floor in jubilation.

On Tuesday, Orange will face Carrboro for the second time this year. On August 16, the Jaguars started its season with a 3-1 win over the Lady Panthers at Carrboro Gymnasium. They will arrive in Hillsborough on a 24-match winning streak.

Orange will go for its second-ever appearance in a state championship match. They reached the 2004 final, where they lost to Mooresville.

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It’s not just that the Orange volleyball team is winning state playoff matches. It’s that they’re dominating them.

Now, for the first time in 17 years, the Lady Panthers are in the state quarterfinals behind another strong performance from its finishers.

Senior Ella Wimsatt piled up 18 kills and 15 digs, her 18th double-double of the season, as the Lady Panthers defeated Union Pines 3-0 on scores of 25-9, 25-14, 25-16 in the third round of the 3A State Playoffs. Orange will face J.H. Rose, the defending 3A Eastern Regional champions, on Saturday (today) inside Panther Gymnasium at 3PM.

Facing the top 3A seed from the 4A/3A Sandhills Conference, Orange only trailed once when the Vikings scored the opening point. Orange racked up eight aces against the Vikings, including five in the opening set.

Orange’s new tandem setter combination of freshman Sawyer White and sophomore Katie Silcott produced its best game yet since head coach Hope Heverly shifted to the new alignment. Silcott had 20 assists, nine digs, three kills and two aces. White registered 17 assists, seven digs, two kills and an ace on match point.

“I think they’re starting to enjoy making it a little further than they have in the playoffs before,” Heverly said. “They’re pushing themselves and really holding themselves accountable. They definitely had more of a drive tonight.”

Unlike the second round win over Northern Nash, the Lady Panthers didn’t have a hiccup early, mainly because of better serving. Wimsatt, senior libero Sadye Porter, Josie Crawford, Silcott and Abby Silinski all had aces in the opening set. Orange opened with a 5-1 run, capped by an ace from Porter and a spike from Wilkerson, who wound up with seven kills and a block.

Leading 16-7, Orange ran off eight straight points with Wimatt serving late in the set. Sophomore Aubrey Jordan, who finished with eight kills, scored on set point with a crosscourt spike that stayed inside the right sideline to put Orange up a frame.

“I think our seniors know that at any moment, this could be their last game,” Heverly said. “I noticed an increased sense of urgency. No matter when the end may come, we want to go out with our heads high.”

Orange took control of the second set with a 9-2 run that started when Wimsatt earned a side out with a light palm thrust at the net. Wimsatt scored off another kill to make it 9-5, which turned into five straight Orange points, ending with a point from sophomore Mariah Poole. The Lady Panthers built a 21-12 lead following another kill from Wimsatt. White’s first kill of the match came on set point, assisted by Wimsatt.

The Vikings managed to tie the third set three times early, but Orange’s outside hitters took control to build a 7-1 run. Wilkerson had consecutive kills and a block during the run. After the Vikings were called for a double hit, Orange took a 12-6 lead..

Union Pines best run of the match came when they scored five of six points to reduce Orange’s lead to 15-14, but Orange immediately reeled off five straight points. Senior Josie Crawford had an ace, followed by a kill from Wimsatt, which led to the Vikings calling a timeout. Afterwards, Wimsatt put up two more points before White’s ace ended the match.

Now, Orange prepares to face one of the most established named in North Carolina volleyball. J.H. Rose last journeyed to Hillsborough in 2021, where they lost to Cedar Ridge 3-0 in the 3A Eastern Regional Championship match. Last year, the Rampants turned the tables, beating the Red Wolves to advance to the state championship match.

Though Orange will be the home team on Saturday, there is a sense that the Lady Panthers may be an underdog to a Rose team that has been to the Final Four each of the past three years.

Though Heverly has been with Orange as head coach just five months, she isn’t surprised that her team is playing for a spot in the regional championship game on Saturday.

“I could always see the potential in them,” Heverly said. “I told them several times that we’re a whole different team than we were at the beginning of this season. I’m hoping that by the time our season ends, we’re still stronger than the way we’ve been going. It will be a great matchup with Rose. I know our girls will come out ready.”

For the first time since 2005, the Orange volleyball team has advanced to the 3A State Quarterfinals. On Thursday night, the Lady Panthers impressively defeated Union Pines 3-0 in Hillsborough on scores of 25-9, 25-14, 25-16. Senior Ella Wimsatt finished with 16 kills and 12 digs, her 18th double-double of the season. Liberal Sadye Porter had 12 digs, two assists and one ace. Orange has won 25 matches, the most in 18 years. It wasn’t just Orange’s third straight playoff win, but the Lady Panthers were dominant. They only trailed once the entire match, which came after the first point of the match. Orange has swept all three of its state playoff opponents, Swansboro, Northern Nash and Union Pines. It’s particularly gratifying for Wimsatt, who has been a varsity performer the past four years. Before Tuesday, Wimsatt hadn’t advanced past the second round of the state playoffs. Now, Orange will host J.H. Rose on Saturday. The winner will advance to the 3A Eastern Regional championship game on October 31. Orange, the Central Carolina Conference regular season champions, will face the Rampants at 3PM on Saturday.

Orange volleyball’s Ella Wimsatt & Sadye Porter discuss playoff win over Union Pines

For the first time since 2005, the Orange volleyball team has advanced to the 3A State Quarterfinals. On Thursday night, the Lady Panthers impressively defeated Union Pines 3-0 in Hillsborough on scores of 25-9, 25-14, 25-16. Senior Ella Wimsatt finished with 16 kills and 12 digs, her 18th double-double of the season.

For the first time since 2015, the Orange volleyball team has reached the third round of the 3A State Playoffs. On Tuesday night, the Lady Panthers defeated Northern Nash 3-0 on scores of 25-14, 25-10, 25-10. Orange’s young but imposing front line provided a size advantage, once again, that overwhelmed the opposition. Sophomore middle blocker Ava Wilkerson finished with eleven kills. Freshman Sawyer White rotated between setter and right outside hitter. She registered five kills, two aces, seven digs, 16 assists and one block. Wilkerson, with her 6-foot-3 frame, leads Orange with 57 blocks. She also has 234 kills, which is second on the team. White has worked her way into the regular rotation for 1st-year head coach Hope Heverly. It was a long wait for Orange to finally reach the 3rd round of the state playoffs for Orange. The Lady Panthers had been eliminated in the second round each of the past two years. Now, Orange has not only reached the third round, but they will host Union Pines on Thursday night in Hillsborough. Orange hasn’t reached the state quarterfinals since 2007, when they were a 2A team. They will get their opportunity when they host Union Pines on Thursday night at 6PM in Hillsborough. The 2007 Orange squad finished with 25 wins. The current Lady Panthers are 24-4.

Orange volleyball’s Ava Wilkerson & Sawyer White discuss playoff win over Northern Nash

For the first time since 2015, the Orange volleyball team has reached the third round of the 3A State Playoffs. On Tuesday night, the Lady Panthers defeated Northern Nash 3-0 on scores of 25-14, 25-10, 25-10. Orange’s young but imposing front line provided a size advantage, once again, that overwhelmed the opposition.

For a lofty goal that has been denied to the Orange volleyball team the past eight years, reaching the third round of the 3A State Playoffs came easy enough.

The Lady Panthers endured some early hiccups to roll past Northern Nash 3-0 on Tuesday night in Hillsborough. The Lady Panthers (24-4) have now won more game than any Orange team in the 17 years. Records on MaxPreps that date back to 2007 show the winningest team in the last 16 years was the 2008 team, which finished 19-5.

It’s the first time that Orange has reached the 3rd round of the 3A State Playoffs since 2015.

Orange will face Union Pines in Hillsborough on Thursday night at 6PM. The Vikings defeated won a five-set thriller against Western Alamance in Cameron on Tuesday.

Senior Ella Wimsatt finished with 12 kills and seven digs. Sophomore middle blocker Ava Wilkerson finished with eleven kills. Sophomore Aubrey Jordan had seven kills.

While the best may still be ahead for the Orange volleyball team, getting past the second round is no small feat for a senior class that had spent the past two years bumping its head on a glass ceiling. Last year, Cedar Ridge defeated Orange in the second round. In 2021, Hunt edged the Lady Panthers in five sets.

“Starting this season, the seniors had set the goal of getting past the second round,” said Orange coach Hope Heverly. “Coach (Mary Alice) Pike and I quickly told them that wasn’t an OK goal, that we were going to make it more than just  past the second round. But I know that was something important to them was to make it past tonight.”

Northern Nash, coming off its first playoff win in nine years, ends the season 15-6. The Knights found themselves ahead 7-4 in the opening set after Orange had three early serves go long.

“I could tell the girls were just a little bit nervous,” Heverly said. “You could tell it was a mixture of adrenaline and nerves early. I knew they would settle down. Once we settled down, we really showed them who we were.”

Jordan started a 7-2 run with a kill set up by White. Wilkerson followed with an unassisted spike on a low-hanging ball off a serve from junior Abby Silinski. Wilkerson put Orange ahead for good, both for the opening set and the rest of the match, with another kill assisted by White. Orange ended the set on a 9-1 run, ending with a spike by Jordan.

Sophomore Katie Silcott and freshman Sawyer White alternated between setter and right outside hitter. Silcott, who surpassed 1,000 career assists in the regular season finale against Walter Williams, came away with 27 assists, five kills and three digs. White had five kills, 16 assists and seven digs.

“We’re making more of a dynamic front,” Heverly said. “Having Sawyer coming on now and stepping up to run a 6-2 has been really beneficial for us. Sawyer has been training with Katie a lot this season and you can see it’s really coming up big now in the postseason.”

Silinski caused the Knights fits in the second set. She had four aces during a 10-1 Orange run that culminated the second set. After a kill by White set up by Wimsatt, Orange completed the frame after a serve by the Knights went into the nylon, ending at 25-10.

Orange opened the third set with four straight points, including a kill by Wilkerson. The Knights came back to even things at 5-5 after a block by Brooke Rose, but the Lady Panthers came back with six in a row. White and Wimsatt each had blocks to put Orange ahead 11-5. Orange went on an 8-2 run to go ahead 22-9, ending with a kill from sophomore Mariah Poole. Wilkerson had a kill on match point.