Corinth Holders volleyball reloads with talented group

Two Rivers Conference volleyball opponents might have breathed a collective sigh of relief after Corinth Holders graduated six strong upperclassmen from last year’s club, which rolled to the TRC title en route to reaching the second round of the NC High School Athletic Association 3A State Playoffs.

Little did they know that Corinth Holders coach Charles Riley was in the process of senior-proofing his program — at least for the next several seasons.

Riley has just one upperclassman — Jamie Turner — as part of his frontline group, which combined for 30 kills during Tuesday’s TRC opener: a 25-10, 25-8, 25-8 home decision over Smithfield-Selma.

“We kind of have a four-year plan going right now,’’ said Riley, the only coach the Pirates have known during their seven-campaign spike existence. “I feel like we are in a position where we can be pretty good for the next three or four years. We have seven juniors on our varsity team, and we have a really good group of freshmen. We have elevated the expectation level of our program, and we expect to be at the top of the conference, even when we move up (to the 4A level in 2017).’’

But while depth and youth are key intangibles for the Pirates (7-4 overall, 1-0 TRC), much of their success this fall will depend on the skill and leadership of Turner, who delivered a team-high 12 kills as part of Tuesday’s triumph.

“We have some good young players on this team,’’ Turner said. “I feel like I have to be a positive role model and be there (for the underclassmen) both on and off the court. I have to be a mediator, teammate and friend all rolled into one. We do have talent, it’s just up to us to make sure everyone is on the same page, and everyone plays with a lot of heart.’’

While Corinth Holders has established itself as an elite-level area power in Class 3A, Smithfield-Selma is in a rebuilding phase under second-year coach Deanna Morris, who had plenty of experience at Spring Creek in Wayne County before arriving at SSS.

“We are developing a program,’’ said Morris, whose crew is now 4-7 and 0-1. “We play in a highly competitive conference, and we have some heads-up players. We are on the way up. The biggest thing (Tuesday) was that Corinth Holders played a really good game. But our girls are learning. We showed a lot of heart and didn’t give up.’’

TURNING POINT

Smithfield-Selma led 7-6 in the opening set before Corinth Holders earned a sideout, and proceeded to deliver the next seven points, three of which came on kills from junior Julie Weisenberg. The Pirates would continue to pull away and wrapped up the set with three straight service points from Weisenberg, the last of which was claimed courtesy of a blast from Turner.

THREE TO KNOW

Jamie Turner, Corinth Holders: Turner’s experience, talent and leadership abilities will certainly be key intangibles as the season progresses for the Pirates. Her 12 kills were timely, and she opened the match with a kill on the first point, along with the final point of the first set off another blast. While Corinth Holders has plenty of hitters up front, Turner is still the Pirates’ unquestioned go-to blaster, as evidenced by her team-best 109 kills. She has also reached double figures in kills on six occasions through 11 matches.

Ali Blanco, Corinth Holders: A junior middle hitter, Blanco is another important returnee for the Pirates, and she now receives the majority of work in the middle, mainly due to her blocking skills. But Blanco is also developing into a top-flight hitter. She offered six kills and five blocks as part of a solid performance on Tuesday.

“We have put a lot of work into some of the adjustments we have made as a team this year,’’ Blanco said. “We have put some players in new positions, but everything has fallen into place. Everybody picked up on their roles pretty quickly. We learned (from last season’s playoff loss) that we have to go for the kill and be determined to be better at all times.’’

Delaney Colangelo, Corinth Holders: Few high-level clubs can achieve success without boasting a quality defensive specialist, and Colangelo helps fill that role for the Pirates in effective fashion. A senior, Colangelo helped finish off the match with a service flurry that began with Corinth Holders ahead 9-8 in the third set. Colangelo would rattle off the next 16 points, including six aces, to close out the victory.

BY THE NUMBERS

16: Corinth Holders was effective from the service stripe with 16 aces. Colangelo and Megan Philipson led the way with six apiece.

105: Riley has now picked up 105 career victories, the last 83 of which came at Corinth Holders. Before he arrived to begin the Pirates’ program, he served as a head coach at West Johnston and Smithfield-Selma. Riley has also won two league crowns at Corinth Holders, including last year’s title.

7: The Pirates flashed their up-front depth with seven different players nabbing at least one kill Tuesday. In the decisive opening set, five different hitters picked up two more kills. Simply put, Corinth Holders’ depth allows the Pirates to be void of any rotation weaknesses.

4: Smithfield-Selma has already matched its victory total from last year with a quartet of conquests as Morris continues to work with the program. The Spartans have defeated both Southern Nash and Nash Central twice.

9: After falling at Hunt on Sept. 1, the Pirates have won nine consecutive sets as part of sweeps over Hunt (in the rematch), Rolesville and Smithfield-Selma.

This story was originally published September 14, 2016 at 10:00 AM with the headline "Corinth Holders volleyball reloads with talented group."