South Stokes used a strong front line defense and a consistent service game to end Highlands volleyball season in the second round of the NC High School Athletic Association 1-A playoffs on Tuesday night.
The Sauras jumped out to an early lead and never looked back in a 25-18, 25-15, 25-15 win, and moved on to the third round.
The visitors took over the first set midway through when back-to-back kills from Sydney Mounce propelled them to a 20-11 advantage. A pair of kills from India Clark temporarily got Highlands back in contention but it wasn’t enough to stem the tide.
A similar string of aggressive offense lead to run away in the second set as South Stokes never allowed Highlands to get into any rhythm. Bella Wilson made a spectacular play at the net to block a potential outside hit that got the Highlands crowd involved, but an immediate unforced error stopped the momentum and pushed South Stokes advantage to 15-5.
The Highlanders were able to make a brief run late in the set but never closed within five points of the visitors.
Highlands jumped out to a 3-2 lead in the third set, but the Sauras rebounded with a pair of kills from Aleigh Williams and Tianna Corum.
South Stokes, who play in arguably the strongest volleyball league in the state, improved to 11-15 overall. They will play Mountain Island Charter School in the third round of the playoffs on Thursday.
With a win, the Sauras would likely match up with Murphy in the West semifinals. The Bulldogs play Bishop McGuiness on Thursday.
Highlands ends the season 13-10 overall.