BELMONT — On the heels of winning its first conference championship since 1983, South Point volleyball continues to break new ground, this following a 3-0 (25-13, 25-14, 25-18) sweep Thursday, Oct. 20, of North Davidson in Round 2 of the NCHSAA 5A playoffs.
It is the first time in program history in which South Point volleyball has advanced to the third round in back-to-back seasons. The sixth-seeded Red Raiders will travel to No. 3 Jesse Carson on Thursday, Oct. 22, in pursuit of an NCHSAA 5A West semifinal berth.
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While such success and the expectations that come with it are new, it’s the old, simple things which coach Bridget Atkinson wants her South Point team to cling to.
“South Point volleyball is more than what it’s been in the past,” Atkinson said. “We’ve been middle of the pack for much of my 10 years (at the school). And so, being a team which has been the hunter for so long, we wanted to keep the same mentality of hunting something; whether that be a conference championship, playing in the postseason, we want to excel in all things.”
South Point ran away with the Big South 5A/6A title, its 12-0 mark in league play two games better than second-place Crest. Young contributors during the program’s 2025 run, players such as junior Olivia Easton (365 kills, 244 digs, 112 assists and 68 aces), seniors Adleigh Hutcheson (47 blocks) and Charlotte Aschmann (44 blocks), as well as sophomores Ava Cooper (329 digs) and Virginia Ernst (634 assists, 177 digs) took on enhanced roles this season.
According to Atkinson, knowing what she had returning helped create a sense of expectation among those in the South Point locker room following a deep playoff run. However, it was the willingness to clean the slate and start anew which the Red Raider coach is most impressed with.
“With this team, it’s been pretty easy (to get players to carve their own path),” she said. “We knew what we had returning after last season’s run to the third round. We only graduated two seniors, so we knew there was a lot of potential but it was theirs to lose.”
After starting with losses in four of its first five games, South Point has lost only once since mid-August, a three-set loss to West Forsyth at the Hickory Invitational on Sept. 5.
The Red Raiders offered a few glimpses as to why they have been so successful during their second-round matchup with North Davidson. South Point started fast in all three sets, keeping the visitors from Lexington at arm’s length much of the night. And even when NDHS closed the gap in each frame, South Point closed with a finishing kick to vanquish its foe once and for good.
“For us, this isn’t just about winning matches, but about the amount of fun we have and that’s something we’ve carried throughout this season,” Atkinson said. “We talked about it after our very first tournament and we’ve carried it every single match, every single practice.
“This team right here is doing some special things; but the biggest thing for us is how much this group loves each other. Honestly, that’s been the biggest reason we’re having the success we are.”
This article originally appeared on The Gaston Gazette: South Point volleyball's historic season rolls on. Here's how