By: Cami Wheeler
Shield Editor
On Oct. 24, NRCA varsity volleyball played in the state semifinal game against Ravenscroft at the Ravens’ home court.
“It was very cutthroat. We had a lot of people from the other team cheering,” junior Zoe Richardson said. “We had to focus on ourselves and the team aspect, so we worked on encouraging each other and pulling from each other, and that’s how we got our energy.”
NRCA fans also pulled up in support. “We were thankful for all our [fans] that came out for the Ravenscroft game. That was one of the biggest reasons why we had momentum on our side and how we came out with a major victory,” Richardson said.
The Lady Knights won 3-2 to advance to the state championship. They traveled to Concord on Oct. 28 to play Cannon High School at the Cougars home court. Cannon won the title game 3-0, making NRCA varsity volleyball the 2023-2024 NCISAA State Runners-Up.
Although they didn’t win the 2023 title, the team still had a positive outlook on the season. “Even though we didn’t win the state championship this year, coming [in] runners-up is still a huge achievement, and beating Ravenscroft, [who] we lost to in the conference championships, beating them for semifinals for states was [an] exciting thing, and I’m very proud of all my teammates and coaches for the major accomplishments,” Richardson said.
The team focused on growth and let the outcome follow. “[We] focused [on] the little things rather than the big end goal because, by [focusing on] the small details, you’re going to get a big outcome at the end,” Richardson said.
The legacy of NRCA volleyball goes beyond the current season for those who have been part of the program. “You should take what you can out of the game and remember the love you have for the game. That was one of the biggest takeaways. Our love for the game will never change, and even our alumni that graduate can always come back, and they are still a part of the NRCA volleyball family,” Richardson said.
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