The Vikings are conference champions for the third time in five years. Here's how it happened.
There were moments when the storm nearly pulled Hoggard volleyball under. Moments when a two-set cushion against rival Topsail started to crumble, the noise rising, the momentum shifting.
But the only moment that truly mattered came at the very end, when the Vikings slammed home their 15th point in a winner-take-all fifth set, sealing a 3-2 victory and the 2025 Carolina Coast Conference title, their third in five years.
"When we were down for those two sets, we weren't together," coach Emily Coleman said. "We were on edge, we were nervous. We had to come together, and they did. They figured it out."
Early on, it looked like Hoggard would dethrone Topsail of its 2024 conference title with ease. After a tight opening frame, the Vikings rolled through the second and had the Pirates on the ropes. But just like last fall, the match turned. Topsail surged back, tying it at two sets apiece and forcing Hoggard to find something deeper.
The moment was there. As both teams entered the decisive fifth set, the Vikings were left with one last chance. One fleeting moment to ensure history would not repeat itself.
"We were kind of just playing as individuals," senior Norah Davis said. "After the third set, we really came together and showed how much better we are when we have each other's backs."
Davis, a transfer from Coastal Christian, has been electric in her first year with the Vikings, leading the team in kills. She didn't feel the sting of last season's heartbreak, but she didn't need to live that moment to understand how much redemption this one carried.
"We try our best to stay calm, not get frantic," she said. "When we all stay calm and play for each other, we do really well."
With the win, Hoggard (24-3, 12-0 CCC) wrapped another perfect run through the Carolina Coast Conference and enters the 8A state playoffs as one of the top seeds.
"Everyone just plays for the team," Coleman said. "This group just loves each other. It's silly, it's crazy, but it's real. They've got one goal, a state championship, and whatever they have to figure out, they figure it out."
This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Hoggard volleyball survives Topsail to claim Carolina Coast title
Category: General Sports
