EAST BEND, N.C. –– Dalton Lewis is not building this iteration of Ashe County’s volleyball program to be a one or two-hit wonder, he is building it to last.

The Huskies’ encore to one of the most decorated seasons in program history is off to a blazing start.

In a battle of one-loss teams, Ashe easily dispatched of Forbush, 3-0 in straight sets, to improve to 10-1 overall.

Entering this week, the Huskies check in as the No. 11 team in HighSchoolOT’s latest statewide Top-25 poll.

To tell the story of this year’s team may seem easy — four starters are back from a group that went 21-4 and qualified for the fourth round of the 3A state playoffs a year ago.

That is until you realize five girls have teamed up to average at least a kill per set— two more than a year ago. In the wake of HighSchoolOT All-State selection Paige Overcash graduating, three-year letter winner Lanie Bowers has waited her turn to become one of the state’s most dominant do-it-all players.

So far, Bowers has saved her best work for last averaging over 4.2 kills per set, one of the top marks in the state.

Paige’s sister Lorali Overcash has continued to prove her value as one of the top setters around. On Monday night, Lorali surpassed 300 assists this season, a Top-10 number in NC. Meanwhile, libero Alexis Rollins rapidly approaches both 700 assists and 700 digs in her four-year career.

Whereas some of the state’s top teams lean heavily on the contributions of one or two key players, the Huskies embrace their cohesiveness as one unit.

“We have a lot of girls that have a lot of experience pulling in the same direction with each other,” said Lewis.

Two seasons ago the program parlayed a 17-3 record into a second round playoff appearance. Last October, it fell two wins short of a trip to the state title.

This September is a big step towards building towards the next goal. Wednesday begins a two-week stretch through the opening half of Northwestern 3A/4A conference play.

The final weekend of the month features a trip to West Henderson where it not only has to face the currently unbeaten Falcons, but the reigning 2A champions at Brevard as well.

Ashe’s first two wins of September came on the road against teams that entered 8-1 overall.

As Lewis adds, “once playoff time comes around, it’s not about record, but about the lessons that you have learned and the fire that you have been through.”

Last fall, Polk County and Brevard kicked down the 1A and 2A doors with their relentless style of “Mountain Volleyball”.

To avoid the same happening in 3A, you’re going to have to go through West Jefferson.

HighSchoolOT updates weekly NCHSAA playoff projections based off of the state’s RPI formula. This information is available for those who are HighSchoolOT Insiders. To view the most recent projections, click below.

Source: highschoolot.com