North Lenoir battles Washington before falling in four sets

INFO submitted by Coach Heather Carson

LAGRANGE — North Lenoir didn’t go quietly Thursday night.

The Hawks battled through four competitive sets against Washington, extending the match with a gritty third-set victory before ultimately falling 3-1.

Washington won the opening two sets 25-19 and 25-16, putting North Lenoir in an early hole. The Hawks responded in the third, fighting through a back-and-forth finish to take the set 26-24 and force a fourth.

North Lenoir continued to battle in the fourth, but Washington was able to close out the match with a 25-20 victory.

The loss dropped North Lenoir to 10-2 overall and 3-1 in Three Rivers 4A Conference play.

Despite falling behind two sets, the Hawks showed some fight instead of allowing Washington to complete a straight-set sweep. North Lenoir’s strongest response came in the third, when it made enough plays late to pull out the two-point win.

Camryn Jenkins turned in an all-around performance for the Hawks with 10 service points, 10 digs and seven kills.

Kennedi Starkie contributed seven kills, seven digs and four blocks, while Kelsi Stroud provided a strong presence at the net with five blocks.

North Lenoir remains near the top of a competitive Three Rivers 4A race. The Hawks are scheduled to return to conference action Monday when they travel to West Craven for a 6 p.m. match.