Patriots vindicated from last season, win state championship
By Kai Jones / Free Press Staff
Posted Oct 28, 2018 at 2:40 PM Updated Oct 28, 2018 at 2:40 PM
APA volleyball finish season undefeated with victory over Caldwell Academy
Unexpected, unprecedented, undefeated, and unbelievable were the words Arendell Parrott’s volleyball head coach David Barnes said about his team’s 21-0 season, which ended with a win in the NCISAA 3A state championship match over Caldwell Academy in five sets.
Barnes said unexpected because the Patriots (21-0) had lost All-State performers, Scarlett Combs and Hannah Scott Avery. Caldwell Academy (23-6) was actually Barnes’ preseason pick to win the championship. Barnes said the Eagles along with three other teams in the state would’ve been in the conversation over the Patriots.
But what the rest of the state didn’t know about would be the emergence of junior Alli Grant Avery. No. 22 has dominated all season, and Saturday was no different. Avery finished with 29 kills, 21 digs, 3 aces, and 8 service points.
“It was a little intimidating, but it was exciting and I know that I practiced and I know what to do,” Avery said.
This was unprecedented because the Patriots’ volleyball program has never won a state championship, and neither has Barnes. Barnes has been coaching high school volleyball for about two decades. He’s coached programs with no history of winning championships and turning them around.
Barnes has won conference championships in each of the pat 12 seasons as a coach. Finishing the season undefeated was important to Barnes. He’s been 25-2 and 26-1. Last year APA was 26-0 going into the state title game but lost to another 26-0 team.
“I’ve been that close numerous times, and I started to believe it was never going to happen,” Barnes said. “I think I’ve had a lot of years, just like this group, of overachieving and then just completely running out of gas in the big one.”
Barnes said it was against the Caldwell team earlier this season that he started to believe his team could win a championship. They went to Greensboro and beat the Eagles in five sets, just like Saturday, and won. He began calling them the “Cardiac Kids” after that game. Despite the Patriots winning two of the first three sets, the Patriots couldn’t close.
Barnes said he knew before the match, it would either go to five with the Patriots winning or with the Eagles winning in three. Barnes said he told the team in the huddle they hadn’t lost a five-set game all year, and they would win this one. APA proved him right and finished 4-0 in five-set matches this year.
The way they did it was special for senior Gabby Carriere. Carriere, called the heart and soul of the team by Barnes, finished the 15-4 fifth set out with ten straight points. In her final volleyball game as a Patriot Carriere finished with 12 digs, 4 aces, 19 service points, and 4 kills.
“It was amazing, I wouldn’t trade that for anything,” Carriere said. “It’s so special to finish my career with a championship and an undefeated season, I couldn’t have asked for anything more.”
Kai Jones can be contacted at kjones@kinston.com or 252-559-1078.
By Kai Jones / Free Press Staff
Posted Oct 28, 2018 at 2:40 PM Updated Oct 28, 2018 at 2:40 PM
APA volleyball finish season undefeated with victory over Caldwell Academy
Unexpected, unprecedented, undefeated, and unbelievable were the words Arendell Parrott’s volleyball head coach David Barnes said about his team’s 21-0 season, which ended with a win in the NCISAA 3A state championship match over Caldwell Academy in five sets.
Barnes said unexpected because the Patriots (21-0) had lost All-State performers, Scarlett Combs and Hannah Scott Avery. Caldwell Academy (23-6) was actually Barnes’ preseason pick to win the championship. Barnes said the Eagles along with three other teams in the state would’ve been in the conversation over the Patriots.
But what the rest of the state didn’t know about would be the emergence of junior Alli Grant Avery. No. 22 has dominated all season, and Saturday was no different. Avery finished with 29 kills, 21 digs, 3 aces, and 8 service points.
“It was a little intimidating, but it was exciting and I know that I practiced and I know what to do,” Avery said.
This was unprecedented because the Patriots’ volleyball program has never won a state championship, and neither has Barnes. Barnes has been coaching high school volleyball for about two decades. He’s coached programs with no history of winning championships and turning them around.
Barnes has won conference championships in each of the pat 12 seasons as a coach. Finishing the season undefeated was important to Barnes. He’s been 25-2 and 26-1. Last year APA was 26-0 going into the state title game but lost to another 26-0 team.
“I’ve been that close numerous times, and I started to believe it was never going to happen,” Barnes said. “I think I’ve had a lot of years, just like this group, of overachieving and then just completely running out of gas in the big one.”
Barnes said it was against the Caldwell team earlier this season that he started to believe his team could win a championship. They went to Greensboro and beat the Eagles in five sets, just like Saturday, and won. He began calling them the “Cardiac Kids” after that game. Despite the Patriots winning two of the first three sets, the Patriots couldn’t close.
Barnes said he knew before the match, it would either go to five with the Patriots winning or with the Eagles winning in three. Barnes said he told the team in the huddle they hadn’t lost a five-set game all year, and they would win this one. APA proved him right and finished 4-0 in five-set matches this year.
The way they did it was special for senior Gabby Carriere. Carriere, called the heart and soul of the team by Barnes, finished the 15-4 fifth set out with ten straight points. In her final volleyball game as a Patriot Carriere finished with 12 digs, 4 aces, 19 service points, and 4 kills.
“It was amazing, I wouldn’t trade that for anything,” Carriere said. “It’s so special to finish my career with a championship and an undefeated season, I couldn’t have asked for anything more.”
Kai Jones can be contacted at kjones@kinston.com or 252-559-1078.
