CARDINAL GIBBONS DOWNS NORTHWEST GUILFORD FOR NCHSAA 4-A VOLLEYBALL TITLE
RALEIGH — Cardinal Gibbons kept a long state title streak intact on Saturday afternoon in the North Carolina High School Athletic Association state 4-A volleyball championship at the Raleigh Convention Center.
GIbbons swept past Northwest Guilford for the title in three straight sets by 25-18, 25-15 and 25-17. The Crusaders became the first NCHSAA team to win seven volleyball championships in a row, now across three classifications in this, their first year in the 4-A class.
Gibbons also sports a 49-1 mark in postseason volleyball play in the last 10 years and finished with a 20-3 overall record this season.
Senior outside hitter Briley Brind’Amour of Gibbons had 13 kills and Emma Longley added 11. But Crusader senior libero Mia Fradenburg, with a great all-around game, was chosen as the championship Most Valuable Player with 17 digs.
Northwest Guilford, in its first visit to the state championship match although it has won 16 consecutive conference championships, ended the season with a 27-4 record. Kaitlyn Grube led the Viking attack with nine kills.