Draughn, Patton top Freedom to open volleyball season

Both the Draughn and Patton girls volleyball teams gained in-county, nonconference wins over Freedom on the opening week of the season, with the host Lady Wildcats winning on Monday evening, 25-9, 25-21, 25-11, before the Lady Panthers stayed at home and also gained a win via sweep (25-20, 25-17, 25-14) over their crosstown rivals on Wednesday.

In Draughn’s season-opening victory, Shelby Proffitt supplied 14 assists and two aces, Ashlyn Heavner added 13 assists, four digs, and two aces, and Braylen Clontz supplied 13 digs with three assists.

Kylie Corpening led the way with six aces as the Lady Wildcats posted 19 as a team. Other DHS standouts in the match included Bella Whitson (nine kills), Lillian Collins (six kills, four digs, two aces), Hayden Moss (six kills), and Macy Auton (seven digs, six kills, four aces), while Corpening added four kills.

Soraya Hartman then supplied a triple-double to lift Patton two days later, finishing with 14 kills, 13 digs, and 11 assists to go with her three aces.

The Lady Panthers’ Hannah Huggins (11 kills, 11 digs, two aces) added a double-double, and other PHS statistical leaders in the win were Reagan Hatfield (14 assists, two aces), Jolann Buff (12 digs), Leah Clark (seven digs, three kills), Lila Hudson (five aces, two blocks), Ella Loomis (three kills), Heaven Waycaster (three blocks), and Kynzlee Worley (two blocks).

No individual statistics for Freedom (0-2) were available from either match.

Patton (1-1) and Draughn (1-1) also lost once apiece on opening week, with Patton dropping its Tuesday home opener against Alexander Central in straight sets (24-26, 18-25, 18-25) and Draughn unable to finish things off after leading a tough Brevard squad at home by a 2-1 set margin on Wednesday, falling 11-25, 25-20, 26-24, 11-25, 8-15.

Huggins (12 kills, seven digs) and Hartman (12 assists, six kills, five digs, three blocks, two aces) paced Patton on Tuesday, with Buff adding 13 digs and Hatfield six assists.

Draughn’s statistical leaders on Wednesday included Clontz (24 digs), Collins (22 digs, six kills), Auton (17 digs, six kills, two aces), Proffitt (13 assists, nine digs), Heavner (10 assists), Corpening (nine kills), and Kalia Randall (four kills, three blocks).

And East Burke started the season at 0-2 after falling by a 3-1 margin (23-25, 25-20, 15-25, 20-25) at Newton-Conover on Monday and by a 3-0 margin (17-25, 10-25, 14-25) at St. Stephens the following day.

Sarah Angel notched a team-high 25 digs for EB in Monday’s opener, while teammates Braleigh Carswell added 17 assists, four kills, and two blocks, Aubry Smith had 14 assists, five kills, and three aces Ava Bivens added 10 kills, and Amanda McLean posted seven kills, five blocks, three digs, and two aces.

Angel went for 17 digs the next day, and other Lady Cavs’ leaders in defeat were Carswell (eight assists, four digs, ace, block), Smith (four digs, three assists, ace), Bivens (four kills, ace, block), McLean (three kills, block), and Frankie Gwyn (three kills).

Late Thursday, Draughn visited South Caldwell and Freedom hosted Hibriten. EB is back in action on Monday (Aug. 17) at Freedom, and Patton returns to the court on Aug. 20 at South Caldwell.

BOYS SOCCER

East Burke earns tie vs. Avery

East Burke (0-1-1) opened the soccer season with a 5-2 nonconference home loss against Bandys on Monday but rebounded to tie visiting Avery County, 3-3, on Wednesday night.

No Cavalier individual statistics were available from either contest.

Also Wednesday, Patton (0-1) suffered a shutout 4-0 road loss at A.C. Reynolds. No Panthers’ stats were available either.

Draughn traveled to Bandys for its season opener late Thursday in a match rescheduled from Tuesday, and Freedom hosted Patton late Thursday to open its season as the rivals postponed their match which had been originally scheduled for Monday.

GIRLS TENNIS

Draughn rained out at Foard

Draughn was scheduled to open the girls tennis season on Tuesday before the floodgates opened at Foard, canceling the teams’ opening nonconference match. Draughn was slated to travel to South Caldwell late Thursday.