On Monday evening, the C.B. Aycock volleyball team started off its season with a nail-biting 25-23, 20-25, 25-22, 25-23 victory against Neuse Charter.
First-year head coach Jordyn McGhee also got her first win as the Golden Falcons’ head coach.
“I think the girls proved that they wanted it. They came out and shined at the end of each set,” McGhee said. “We had some errors, but everybody does because of the first game jitters, but overall they talked through it and played as a team.”
During the early stages of the first set, C.B. Aycock flew out of the gate with Alora Stanton’s ace giving the Golden Falcons a 12-4 lead, but Neuse Charter mounted a comeback and eventually took a 21-20 lead.
The Golden Falcons battled back, and another ace from Stanton tied things up at 22-22. Laci Best connected on a kill to put the Golden Falcons up 23-22, and C.B. Aycock went on to win the first set 25-23.
“They had the motivation to want to win the first, and I think that’s what pulled us through,” McGhee said.
In the second set, an ace from Gracie Mooney gave the Golden Falcons a 10-4 lead, but the Cougars outscored the Golden Falcons 21-16 down the stretch to take the second set 25-20.
“The game was point for point, Neuse Charter brought their a-game, and I appreciate that because we needed it for our first game,” McGhee said. “It was a good first match for the girls because they had to work to get it.”
Late in the third set, the Golden Falcons found themselves down 18-20, and McGhee called a timeout to settle things down and talk it over with her team.
Coming out of the timeout, the Golden Falcons tied the game with back-to-back kills from Clara Coles and Best.
C.B. Aycock then used a quick 5-2 run to come back and win the third set 25-22.
“During the timeout, it’s me making sure that they’re good,” McGhee said. “Point by point and pass by pass, that’s how you have to do it because you can’t just go out there and goof off.
“So, it was really getting them settled and ready to go again.”
In the fourth set, the teams worked through eight ties and six lead changes. With the game tied 23-23, the Golden Falcons won two straight points to win their season opener.
C.B. Aycock (1-0 overall) hosts Princeton today at 5 p.m.
