APEX, N.C. — Some programs are just built to last. Chapel Hill volleyball is one of them.

The No. 7 Tigers defeated host Apex Friendship in a 3-0 sweep on Thursday (25-12, 25-20, 25-20).

Both teams also entered with wins over some of the top competitors in smaller classifications, with Chapel Hill (2-0) having defeated 3A contender Carrboro 3-0 and Apex Friendship (1-1) defeated 2A contender Seaforth 3-0. However, both teams were also dealing with heavy graduation losses from the year before and needed another nonconference test against a fellow 4A team to measure themselves.

The only starter Chapel Hill returned from last year’s 22-3 team is injured.

Yet the promising new faces prove the Tigers are reloading yet again.

Keilani Ledaja-Brewer, a sophomore, led the way in kills. Her hot start helped the Tigers roar through the first set. Chapel Hill closed it out on a 7-3 run and went on a 12-2 run in the middle of the set.

Last year, Ledaja-Brewer was second on the team in kills, but she was almost three kills per set short of All-American Laynie Smith. With Smith at Illinois now, it’s Ledaja-Brewer’s show.

Apex Friendship settled down in the second set. The Patriots are strong in serve receive thanks to junior libero Carly Markham, a UNC recruit, and went back-and-forth with Chapel Hill in the second set. Middle hitter Caroline Smith also issued key kills.

But then Chapel Hill senior libero Kira DeVrieze, a Delaware State recruit who had to play behind three-year starter Cady Cox, stepped up as the go-to answer defensively.

Her diving digs kept the Tigers, also ranked fourth in the HSOT 919 area code top 15, picking up key points even as they trailed late, falling behind 16-14 in both but going on 9-2 runs in both to pull ahead for good.

Apex Friendship’s next match is against Athens Drive on Tuesday, while Chapel Hill has a Saturday match against Willow Spring.

Josiah Blake contributed to this report.

Source: highschoolot.com