MIDDLESBORO — It was an improbable run for Pineville to capture the first ever 13th Region “Class A” Middle School Volleyball Championship. The Mountain Lions came into the tournament as the highest seed (5), dropping contests to every other participant in the inaugural league. With their backs against the wall, Coach Jon and Samantha North’s Pineville squad won three straight, including one play-in game, to secure a 2-0 win against host Middlesboro on Thursday night.
“The team never lost sight of what we were trying to accomplish,” North said, “it would have been easy to lay down and quit when we didn’t win a single match in the league. They truly, deep-down believed we could make a run, and despite what adjustments or lineups I can make, that attitude made the difference.”
The Mountain Lions path to the tournament championship went, Red Bird 2-1 (21-16, 12-21, 21-14), Williamsburg 2-1 (16-21, 21-16, 21-19), and Middlesboro 2-0 (22-20, 21-19).
Middlesboro was able to upset Jackson County to secure a spot in the championship match.
“We had to run the gauntlet to get here,” North continued. “Red Bird is always a tough out and well coached, Williamsburg has, in my opinion, the best high school coach in the 13th Region in Dirk Berta. To knock those two teams off was a program defining moment for us, and then we got rewarded by playing the host school who is also a rival in Middlesboro. Caroline deserves a coach of the year award for what she was able to do with that program in year one.”
“I told this group if they stick together, we will be putting a lot more hardware in the trophy case.” North concluded.
The first year league also crowned a fifth and sixth grade champion, Williamsburg defeated Red Bird 2-0 to capture the league’s first championship.
