CHAPEL HILL — First-round action in the high school volleyball state playoffs within all four classifications of the North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA) are set to get underway on Wednesday.
The teams advancing to the state championship will have to play six matches in 11 days after the NCHSAA altered the postseason schedule due to areas affected by Hurricane Matthew. With the opening round set for Wednesday, second round play will take place on Thursday, followed by third round matches on Saturday, Oct. 29.
Seven teams within the Wilmington area qualified for this year’s postseason, including the Hoggard Vikings, who rolled to a 12-0 mark in Mideastern Conference play and this year’s Mideastern County Tournament Championship.
While Hoggard has had no trouble against foes from inside the division, currently on a 50-match winning streak against league opponents, the Vikings were just 5-5 against non-conference teams this season. Hoggard gets a home match to open the playoffs and could host a second round contest on Thursday before a weekend date with No. 1 Green Hope in the third round if the higher seeds hold true.
Libero Madie Shider and Kirby Smith played a vital role to the Vikings’ success this year. Schider finished the regular season with 503 digs, while Smith paced the attack with 312 kills.
South Brunswick is the only other local team to be hosting a first-round match. The Cougars finished fifth in the conference, but outlasted Topsail for the top seed out of the 3A portion of the division.
4A bracket:
No. 4Hoggard (17-5) vs. No. 13 Holly Springs (12-10)
No. 10 New Hanover (11-5) at No. 7 Person (19-2)
No. 14 Laney (8-9) at No. 3 Cape Fear (17-3)
No. 13 Ashley (12-10) at No. 3 Southern Alamance (18-4)
3A bracket
No. 5 South Brunswick (7-10) vs. No. 12 Terry Sanford (11-10)
No. 14 Topsail (9-8) at No. 3 Northern Guilford (18-4)
2A bracket
No. 16 North Brunswick (8-14) at No. 1 Currituck County (15-1)
Volleyball playoff schedule
First Round: Oct. 26
Second Round: Oct. 27
Third Round: Oct. 29
Fourth Round: Nov. 1
Semifinals: Nov. 3
Finals: Nov. 5
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