Frazier-Price duel entertains, but Trojans jolt Warriors’ title hopes

A lively turnout Thursday evening, Oct. 3, for the pivotal 3-A Quad County Conference volleyball clash between visiting South Johnston and Hunt High was treated to an impressive duel between No. 5 on each side.

Neither senior disappointed as each turned in a splendid overall performance and, at times, each was overpowering. However, Trojans senior Lannah Price, most enjoyed the occasion in leading the Trojans to a 25-20, 25-20, 25-13 conquest of senior Presley Frazier and her Warriors teammates.

The teams entered deadlocked for second place in the eight-team Quad County and, with its second triumph against Hunt this season, South Johnston continued to pressure front-running West Johnston for the QCC championship that has never been won by any team other than Hunt.

The Warriors, with two league tests remaining, slid into third place at 9-3 and dipped to 11-8 overall. South Johnston climbed to 10-2 in the conference and 14-5 in all matches. Going into Thursday night’s clash with C.B. Aycock, West Johnston was perched atop the standings at 10-1, losing only to Fike.

The outcome may have signaled the end of Hunt’s dominating conference run. And that’s not the news Hunt seniors Frazier, Paige Mathews, Kayla Battle, Azayiah Kerson, Dakota Wilkins and Brooke Davis wanted to hear on Senior Night. The six, understandably, did not want to be the seniors on the first Hunt team to not win the Quad County title.

The Warriors have not been mathematically eliminated.

But as Hunt’s Frazier noted: “ A lot has to happen. It’s all luck now.”

The Warriors finish the regular season on the road against West Johnston next Tuesday and at archrival Fike the following Thursday. South Johnston confronts East Wake before its county shadow with West Johnston.

Back to the Price-Frazier duel. Price, who edged Hunt’s Gracelynn Wolzen for conference player of the year in 2023, thundered for 18 kills and accumulated 14 digs. Frazier powered for 16 kills and 20 digs. No other Hunt player had more than two kills. Price is listed as No. 3 statewide in kills by MaxPreps.com while Frazier is right behind her in fourth place across the state in the not-updated totals.

“It was a lot more her,” Frazier assessed. “We didn’t get hits as much. We can’t score if we don’t try. I had some really good moments, but I was not the most consistent tonight. I know I had two service errors (eight miscues all totaled).

“We know Presley is a great player,” Price expressed. “We prepared for that and focused on that. We know she’s going to get kills. But, so what! We’re going to get the ball back.”

Both teams spent their energy and entertained the crowd with a bunch of jaw-dropping saves. Hunt was crippled by 13 service errors. The Trojans committed fewer miscues.

However, drawing the most excitement for the Trojans was defeating Hunt at home for the first time in the four years of the Quad County.

“There’s always a good crowd here, and we expected that coming in,” commented Price. “We have never won in this gym. Both teams came in 9-2 (in the league).”

Added veteran Trojans head coach Matthew Stevens: “It’s a great feeling. We played well. Our defense was really good and is what won the game for us. I think we frustrated them offensively and put pressure on them. We were good at digging the ball. Lannah had a few errors, but we can live with that.”

The first set unfolded in a manner that was not surprising — with Frazier and Price putting on a show. The score was knotted six times before the Warriors trailed 15-14 when the combination of Price’s thunder and the left-handed serving of junior Anna Preslee Warren boosted the Trojans ahead 18-14 on a Price slam and forced a Hunt time-out.

The Trojans pushed the margin to 20-14. Hunt committed errors of pressure and, throughout the match, stopped their momentum with 13 miscues on 45 serves.

The Warriors led for the first time at 7-6 in the second set on Battle’s block. Hunt junior Yoseline Sevilla’s ace resulted in a 9-9 tie. An ace from Mathews, a Hunt captain along with Frazier, and a kill and an ace in succession from the 6-foot Frazier staked the Warriors to their biggest lead of 18-16. But with the score tied at 20-20, a Hunt service error presented the Trojans the opening they needed to tally the last five points. Sophomore Olivia Bellamy’s serve ended the set.

Frazier accounted for Hunt’s first four points of the third set but, by then, Price and company had amassed nine. A lengthy serving stretch from Price, who has committed to Virginia Commonwealth University of the NCAA Division I ranks, sent South Johnston into command at 23-13. Price’s perfectly aimed, blistering kill to the left corner ended the match.

“In sets Nos. 1 and 2, we had service errors and they didn’t,” second-year Hunt head coach Matt Lemmons reviewed. “It seems like we have more in  bigger games. Then, when we felt it slipping away, we kind of crumbled. But I told the girls: ‘Don’t let this game define your season’.”

Mathews, who set the match’s standard for hustle, matched Frazier’s 20 digs. Battle wound up with four blocks and Mathews led with two aces.

For South Johnston, Price was complemented by Warren, Bellamy and junior Audrey Peacock.

“We made dumb errors the whole night,” Frazier declared. “We didn’t play the best we can.”

Battle suggested the need for an attitude adjustment,  saying: “We need to learn to settle a little bit.”

Lemmons surmised: “Defensively, I was happy; we were strong. But when you keep taking down ball, down ball after down ball, the dam is going to break.They just took too many hard hits and, eventually, they started getting points. The dam broke in the third set. I just wish we had gotten more swings.”

Noted South Johnston’s Stevens: “When Pressley was on the back row, they were struggling offensively a little bit. We just wanted to prevent them from having long service runs.This was one of the best matches we have played in a while.”

Price lauded the footwork of her setter, and concluded: “We got good digs defensively, strong passes and good sets.”

And final thoughts on Frazier and Price:

“It’s a battle,” described Stevens. “It’s between them for (conference player of the year).”

Said Lemmons: “In my opinion, they are the two best players in the conference. The overall biggest difference with their No. 5 is that she can swing.”

And Price benefited with an advantage in opportunities Thursday.

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