Wakefield takes volleyball title

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CORRECTION

A story about the Tri-Nine Conference cross-country championships in the Sports section Thursday misidentified the sixth-place finisher. It was Bakri Abushouk of Cary.

****** Wakefield made a habit of steamrolling Cap Seven 4-A volleyball opposition all season.

And in the finale of the conference tournament on Wednesday in Raleigh at Broughton's Holliday Gym, the pattern continued.

The Wolverines established their dominance with a 25-11 first-set victory, then won 25-20 and 25-16 for a sweep of No. 2 seed Enloe.

Wakefield (22-0) has won all but five sets and all but three against conference teams. Enloe, which like Wakefield will play in the N.C. High School Athletic Association playoffs, is 20-3, with all three losses to Wakefield.

"We knew we needed to start strong, and we did," said Wakefield coach Cynthia Terrell, whose team also won the conference's regular-season and tournament titles in 2005.

Enloe fought gamely, particularly early in each set, but Wakefield always came back.

"Wakefield played really well," Enloe coach Branden Green said. "... They played a great game and were able to take us out of our game."

Senior middle blocker Katie Slay, the conference MVP, led the Wolverines with 16 kills. Sophomore setter Caily Pfeiffer had 16 assists.

Enloe senior middle hitter Anna Moore, the 2008 conference MVP, repeated on the all-conference team.

Wakefield will host Middle Creek in its first-round state playoff game on Saturday at 1, the same time Enloe will host Cary. For a rematch, the teams would each have to win three times to meet in the Eastern semifinals.

Harnett Central wins league volleyball title

Harnett Central and Garner each broke new ground on the way to sharing the Greater Neuse River 4-A Conference regular-season championship in volleyball.

Central walked away with a league title in its first year of 4-A play. Garner won its first title of any kind in 21 years. Both finished the league season 13-1, losing to each other once.

Wednesday night at Garner, Harnett Central won the third meeting to take the league's tournament championship and the conference's No. 1 seeding for the playoffs, which start Saturday, with a 25-12, 24-26, 25-19, 21-25, 15-9 victory.

Central (17-4) and Garner (15-6) each will host first-round matches. The sides could meet again in the Eastern Regional final.

Harnett Central took control of the fifth and deciding game on back-to-back blocks by Peaches Crisp. Crisp's block tied the score at 7, then she teamed with Markita Spencer on a block for the next point for a 9-2 run.

Holly Nobles had 11 kills for Central, and Garner sophomore Joselyn Ostrowsky had eight.

D. Clay Best

Green Hope sweeps Tri-Nine cross country

Tri-Nine Conference champions in boys and girls cross country were crowned with little surprise Wednes day at WakeMed Soccer Park's course in Cary.

Green Hope's Bryan Spreitzer and Apex's Kersie Jhabvala each won titles in wire-to-wire fashion.

Green Hope also swept the team titles -- the eighth straight year the boys have won. The girls have won in seven of the past eight years.

In winning in a time of 15:27, Spreitzer defeated last year's first- and second-place finishers, Cary's Mohamed Abushouk (sixth,16:52) and Middle Creek's Trey Geiger (fourth, 16:30).

"I knew if I did my best, I really thought that I could win," Spreitzer said. "It's like eight seconds faster than I've ever run at this course. It's a pretty tough course, lots of hills."

Green Hope also placed Ryan Walling (third, 16:24) and Joe Hagan (fifth, 16:31) in the top five to end up with 31 team points.

Apex was the only other team with fewer than 100 points, finishing with 54.

Jhabvala, a senior, improved upon her fourth-place finish in 2008 to winning with a 18:28, shaving 1:26 off her time a year ago.

Joining Jhabvala in the top five were Green Hope's Maura McDonnell (second, 18:32), Olivia Enright (third, 18:35), Jessica Rossabi (fifth, 19:15). Cary's Deanna Foshee (18:37) was fourth.

The Falcons had 27 team points, defeating Cary (47) and Athens Drive (68).

All teams and players participating in the Mideast Regional next week will return to the course Oct. 31.

J. Mike Blake

Green Hope boys win in Tri-Nine soccer

Junior Ryan Konrad did not appear to be destined for a starring role in Green Hope's crucial soccer showdown against visiting conference rival Apex on Wednesday in Morrisville.

Konrad, a reserve defender, was on the bench with about four minutes to play and the score 2-2.

However, after entering the game, Konrad delivered a goal with nine seconds left, giving Green Hope a 3-2 victory over the Cougars. The Falcons (11-1-3 Tri-9) have the inside track on winning the conference, having defeated Apex (11-3) twice.

"I was surprised," said Konrad, whose 25-yard kick that bent past a defender and the diving goalkeeper. "It was the greatest feeling to see that ball go in."

Senior Jared Girard assisted with a perfect pass and also scored twice.

Dave Malenick