VANDER, N.C. – Building up momentum doesn’t come easy early in the volleyball playoffs.

As Tuesday night’s opening round wore on, 8-seed Cape Fear managed to muster up enough energy to bury 25-seed Currituck for a 3-0 sweep.

After narrowly escaping the second with a 25-23 win, the Colts left no doubt in a 25-11 third to advance to round two.

With their season on the line, the Knights were a scrappy opponent. They made a first-set run to close the gap to 9-8. Once Cape Fear took off with a run of its own to lead 20-11, Currituck answered back.

Despite trimming its deficit to as little as 20-17 and 21-18, the Knights couldn’t get past the strong play of Addison Gunter who secured a 25-20 win.

Freshman Sophia Wilson downed three aces early in the second to spark a set-opening 8-0 run. Claudia McDaniel and Gunter made plays when it mattered down the stretch to hold off a comeback attempt and win the frame by two.

The Colts put the match on ice with their huge third set. On Thursday night, they welcome in 9-seed Harnett Central who defeated Lee County in four.

Source: highschoolot.com