Uwharrie Charter Academy coach Lee Kennell addresses the team during a match earlier this season. (PJ Ward-Brown / Randolph Record)
RANDLEMAN – Uwharrie Charter Academy’s volleyball looks all heated up again.
The Eagles are Piedmont Athletic Conference Tournament champions and hold big aspirations for the state playoffs.
UCA upended regular-season champion Randleman to win the PAC Tournament last week. The teams split two matches in the regular season.
Both teams received high seeds for the state playoffs
The Eagles are seeded fourth in Class 1A West, entering the state playoffs with a 26-3 record.
Eastern Randolph is in the bracket as the No. 24 seed.
Randleman, taking an 18-4 record into states, received the No. 3 in Class 2A West. Southwestern Randolph is on the other side of the bracket at No 13.
As top-four seeds, UCA and Randleman would have at least three home matches if they advance.
First-round matches are slated for Tuesday night, followed by the second round Thursday and the third round Saturday.
UCA toppled the host Tigers 25-13, 25-18, 20-25, 26-24 in the tournament final, with Caroline Way posting 21 kills, Kayden Faglier adding 13 kills and Ava Hancock delivering three aces.
UCA won matches on three consecutive nights, beginning with a quarterfinal sweep of Wheatmore and then a semifinal sweep of third-seeded Southwestern Randolph 25-19, 25-17, 25-18. Faglier had 13 kills in the Southwestern Randolph match.
Randleman, after a bye in the quarterfinals, blew past visiting Trinity, the fourth seed, with a semifinal sweep.
Trinity opened the tournament with a quarterfinals sweep of fifth-seeded Providence Grove, while Southwestern Randolph swept sixth-seeded Eastern Randolph.
Mid-Piedmont Conference
Asheboro was the runner-up in the league tournament, falling to top-seeded Oak Grove 25-14, 15-15, 29-31, 25-23 in the title match.
Emma Kate Forester had 12 kills and six blocks and Emma Little supplied 16 digs for Asheboro.
The Blue Comets, the regular-season runners-up, were in the semifinals via a bye and then needed four sets to subdue third-seeded North Davidson to reach the final. Emma Ingold had 18 digs and five aces and Lia George and Forester both had 12 kills.
For the state playoffs, Asheboro was dubbed the No. 14 seed in Class 3A West, meaning a home match Tuesday night vs. Pisgah and then potentially playing on the road the rest of the way if it advances.
