<body><div><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=4Oa1OU_0pWqyDih00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=4Oa1OU_0pWqyDih00" width="1703" height="1217" > Perquimans’ Lady Pirates volleyball team finished the season 26-4 overall after falling 3-2 to the Falls Lake Firebirds in the N.C. High School Athletic Association’s 1A state playoffs east regional championship, Tuesday, Oct. 31. The Pirates, who ran through the regular season by posting an undefeated 12-0 Four Rivers conference record, entered this year’s playoffs as the region’s No. 3 seeded team. They played host in their first four playoff matches but traveled to Creedmore to face No. 1 Falls Lake in the regional championship. Falls Lake advanced to last Saturday’s 1A state championship but lost 3-0 to west region champ Polk County, the No. 1 seed from Columbus. <nbtemplate data-id="AdPlaceholder" data-content="JTdCJTdE"></nbtemplate> Falls Lake opened the match by beating the Lady Pirates 25-17 in the first set. Perquimans responded by winning the second and third sets 25-21 and 25-23. A 25-22 winning effort by Falls Lake in the fourth set forced a fifth set, which the Firebirds won 15-10. Perquimans head coach Kristie Thach described the match as a “true east regional championship” that “lived up to the hype” of both teams’ fans. It was an intense match in which the players on both sides “gave everything they had,” she said. Thach said her team simply got outplayed in the first set. “We didn’t play our game and really weren’t in it,” she said. In the second set, senior Lady Pirate Mary Woodard made about 14 consecutive serves to help the team win, Thach said. The Pirates were able to carry that momentum into the third set. <nbtemplate data-id="AdPlaceholder" data-content="JTdCJTdE"></nbtemplate> “Once we made a comeback we played really well,” the coach said. “We played like a different team.” Thach said the match was highlighted by several lengthy rallies that made for an exciting time for volleyball fans. The match was not the first trip to Creedmore for the Lady Pirates. In last year’s 1A playoffs, then No. 3 Perquimans beat No. 2 Falls Lake 3-1 in a quarterfinals match. According to Thach, Falls Lake has a good fan following and the Lady Pirates were aware of the excited atmosphere they would face in this year’s match. “That wasn’t a surprise,” she said. The coach also said there was a nice turnout by Perquimans’ fans, too. Thach said while she was disappointed with the loss, she was sad for her group of seniors, who played their last game as Lady Pirates. <nbtemplate data-id="AdPlaceholder" data-content="JTdCJTdE"></nbtemplate> In addition to Woodard, other seniors on this year’s roster included Morgan Baccus, Daven Brabble, Marleigh Cooper, Harlee Hunter, Ashlynn Ward and Ellie Ward. This class of seniors saw considerable success while playing at Perquimans. The Pirates advanced to last year’s 1A state championship and lost 3-0 to Union Academy. In 2021, Perquimans lost 3-2 to Roxboro Community in a quarterfinal match. And in 2020, the Pirates lost 3-2 to East Wake Academy in the east regional championship. East Wake went on to win that year’s 1A state championship. “They have nothing to hang their heads about,” Thach said of the successful season her players had this year. <nbtemplate data-content="eyJhcGlLZXkiOiAiZDgxM2Q5Yzg3NTI3N2IzNWU0YzRmZDM0NTAyMjJkNmQiLCAiZGVzY3JpcHRpb24iOiAiU3Vic2NyaWJlIHRvIFRoZSBQZXJxdWltYW5zIFdlZWtseSIsICJldmVudCI6ICJtcF9zdWJzY3JpcHRpb25fYnV0dG9uX2NsaWNrX2V2ZW50IiwgInVybCI6ICJodHRwczovL2FwZzAxLm5ld3p3YXJlLmNvbS9zczcwdjIvZW5jL2NvbW1vbi90ZW1wbGF0ZS5qc3A_aW5pdD1zdGFydCZpbml0RWRpdGlvbj1QV1omcmV0dXJuPWh0dHBzJTI1M0ElMjUyRiUyNTJGd3d3LmRhaWx5YWR2YW5jZS5jb20lMjUyRnBlcnF1aW1hbnMlMjUyRiIsICJtZWRpYUlkIjogMTU5MzI0NiwgInRpdGxlIjogIlRoYWNoOiBMYWR5IFBpcmF0ZXMgaGF2ZSBubyByZWFzb24gdG8gaGFuZyB0aGVpciBoZWFkcyJ9" data-id="MediaPlatformAmplitudeButton"></nbtemplate></div></body>

Mountain View, CA

Perquimans’ Lady Pirates volleyball team finished the season 26-4 overall after falling 3-2 to the Falls Lake Firebirds in the N.C. High School Athletic Association’s 1A state playoffs east regional championship, Tuesday, Oct. 31.
                The Pirates, who ran through the regular season by posting an undefeated 12-0 Four Rivers conference record, entered this year’s playoffs as the region’s No. 3 seeded team. They played host in their first four playoff matches but traveled to Creedmore to face No. 1 Falls Lake in the regional championship....