WCA captures NCCSA 2A volleyball state title in a sweep

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After coming up short in back-to-back NCCSA 2A state championship matches, the Wilmington Christian Academy volleyball team was finally able to lift the trophy on Saturday afternoon. 

In her final high school match, Hannah Pollard put down nine kills and added two blocks to help the Patriots finish off a sweep (25-21, 25-16, 25-22) against visiting Greenville Christian Academy. 

The two other seniors on the roster also played key roles. Georgia Taydus handed out 14 assists, while Lexy Neal served four aces. 

“We wanted it really bad for this group of seniors,” coach Jenny Tyrpak said. “I pulled two of them up when they were freshmen, and they played with me for four years. We’ve been through a lot of ups and downs, so it was very satisfying to win here on our home court.”

WCA (19-13) finished with 16 aces, including a team-high six from libero Nora Rutland. 

It was the 17th state title for the Patriots, but first since 2019.

“I feel like it’s been a long time coming,” Taydus said. “It’s just been building and building. I’ve been waiting for this moment for four years. The fact that it happened senior year is epic.”  

The Patriots got off to a fast start in the opening set by building a 9-3 lead following three consecutive aces from Neal. 

Greenville Christian Academy was able to battle back and even the score at 13, but a kill from Mallory Deutsch put the home team back on top for good. An overpass kill from middle Ava Gray ended the set. 

Gray led all players with 13 kills, while Deutsch chipped in six. 

A 12-0 run that featured five aces from Rutland as well as a pair of kills from Gray gave WCA an insurmountable 21-7 lead in the second set. 

Despite going up 2-0, the Patriots knew the job wasn’t finished. Greenville Christian Academy was in the same position during the semifinals before battling back for a reverse sweep. 

The final set was tight throughout. WCA trailed 21-18 before getting back-to-back kills from Gray and a pair of aces from Audyn Wenzel. 

Another kill from Gray and a hitting error set up match point. After failing to convert on its first opportunity, WCA was able to celebrate following a service error.  

“Having played them before, we knew they were a very emotional team,” Pollard said. “We needed to stay consistent and not let their emotions sway us.”