One way to see the character in a team is to how they battle back from adversity.

The Cary High Lady Imps definitely showed their teams character Saturday over at Holly Springs High School as they took on the Lady Golden Hawks in the opening round of the NCHSAA State Volleyball Play-offs.

HSHS, (18-7), faced CHS, the #5 seed out of the Tri-8, with elimination sitting up two sets to one and just trailing by a point in the fourth set, but the Lady Imps went on to get the final three points in the fourth set to tie the game and then controlled play in set five to advance to the next round with a 25-20, 20-25, 23-25, 25-21 and 15-8 win over Holly Springs the #1 seed out of the Greater Neuse Conference.

Cary opened set one jumping out to a 7-4 lead behind two kills by Junior Morgan Williams and a kill by Junior Lizzy Sullivan.  Holly Springs answered right back taking the lead 11-8 with the help of two CHS errors and kills by Sophomore Brandi Anderson and Junior Courtney Barrett, and a block by Sophomore Natiece Ford.

With the score 13-11, HS, the Lady Imps went on a 8-0 run to build an 19-13 advantage.  Following back-to-back kills by Senior Kelsey Campbell and a Holly Springs error, Junior Carolina Salevan hit an ace to make it 15-13, forcing HS Head Coach Gentry Doggendorf to call for a time-out.

Following the time-out, Salevan went on to record three more aces and Campbell also had a block during that run.  The Lady Golden Hawks slowly closed the gap to two points, 22-20, following a kills by Senior Jordan Reaves and Freshman Erica Nunn which were sandwiched around four Cary errors. 

CHS was not to be denied getting the last three points off a kill by Salevan, a HS error and a block by Williams, getting the 25-20 first set win.

Holly Springs opened the second set jumping out to a 5-0 lead behind kills by Reaves, Ace by Junior Melissa Cubillos, and three Cary errors, prompting a time-out call by CHS Head Coach Phillip Goodloe.

The Lady Imps responded well to the time-out answering back with four straight points.  Campbell recorded back-to-back kills then Salevan had back-to-back aces to make the score 5-4, HS.

HS slowly expanded their lead out to seven points, 13-6.  First getting a four-point seperation, off a kill and ace by Reaves, then a five-point lead off an ace by Sophomore Mallorie Cubillos, and then seven-point advantage off a kill by Nunn, block by Anderson and Ford and an Ace by Junior Brittany Cathey.

Following a CHS time-out, with the score 20-12, HS, Cary responded back going on a 6-1 run closing the gap to 21-18, HS.  After side-out exchanges, latest coming off a block by Williams, Sullivan opened the run with an ace, then following an HS error, Juniors Clarke Glendenning and Williams had a block, the Williams had a kill to close out the run and prompt a Holly Springs time-out.

The Lady Golden Hawks closed out set two following time out going on a 5-2 run to win 25-20.

The tie breaking set saw Holly Springs jump out to a 6-2 lead behind two kills by Reaves, and a kill by Sophomore Kathleen Barkley.

CHS responded going on a 6-2 run to tie the score at 8.  After two HS errors, Sophomore Allie Endres recorded an ace to make it 6-5, HS.  Then following a serve-out, Glendenning had a block, then a HS error tied it at 8.

From there the game went back-and-forth till the game was 16-15, HS, thats when the Lady Imps went on a 5-0 run.  Following a kill by Sullivan, Endres book-ended two aces around a Holly Springs error prompting their Head Coach to call for time out.  After the time-out, another HS error made it 20-16, CHS.

Just as Cary went on a run to take the lead, the Lady Golden Hawks follow suit going on a 4-0 run to retake the lead.  With the score 21-19, Ford scored a block, Reaves had a kill and Melody Cubillos recorded an ace making it 22-21, HS, prompting Coach Goodloe to call for a time-out. 

When play resumed Barrett recorded a kill making it 23-21, HS.  From there the teams exchanged side-outs giving the Lady Golden Hawks the 25-23 set two win and the two sets to one advantage.

Unlike sets two and three, where the Lady Imps fell behind early, set four saw them jump out to the early advantage.

With the score 2-0, HS, Campbell got the kill for the side-out.  After a HS error, Campbell got another kill and then Salevan got an ace for the 4-2 lead for Cary.

CHS expanded their lead to 5 points, 13-8, behind a kill by Salevan, an ace by Sophomore Kylie Howe, an HS error, and then a kill by Campbell.  HS closed within two then tied the score at 15.  Holly Springs made it 13-11 after a net serve, a CHS error, and a kill by Anderson. 

Then following another net serve and CHS error, Melissa Cubillos had a kill to make it 15-14, CHS, making Coach Goodloe to call for a time-out.  When play resumed, Anderson recorded another kill to tie the game at 15.

For the rest of set four, the Lady Imps answered everthing the Lady Golden Hawks threw at them.  Cary made it 20-16, following a 5-1 run, which was started by a HS error, then back-to-back kills by Endres made it 18-15.  Then after side-out exchanges, Sullivan scored a kill to make it 20-16, and making HS Coach Doggendorf call for a time-out.

When play resumed, Holly Springs got the ball back off a CHS error then a block by Barrett and Ford made it 20-18, CHS.  HS served the ball out giving the ball back to Cary, which got a block from Williams and Campbell putting the Lady Imps back out to a four-point advantage, 22-18. 

The Lady Golden Hawks closed within a point, 22-21, after a net serve and two CHS errors.  But the Lady Imps closed out the game in strong fashion with two kills by Salevan and then got the 25-21 win off a HS error.

With the score tied at 4, CHS surged ahead with 5-point run, to take the lead 9-4.  After a net serve for the side-out, Endres book-ended two aces around an HS error, which made the HS coach call for a time-out.  When play resumed, Endres served another ace to make it 9-4, CHS.

From there, both teams exchanged points till it was 13-8, CHS.  Following a kill by Endres for the side-out making it 13-8, another HS error made it 14-8 and forced HS coach Doggendorf to call for her second time-out.  After the time-out, Cary, (12-10), got the 15-8 win off another HS error and advancing to the second round of the state play-offs.

The Lady Imps will next play the Lady Falcons from Durham Jordan High School on Tuesday, Oct. 21st at 7:00 p.m.  Durham Jordan defeated Wakefield in their opening round contest three sets to one.  The Lady Falcons come into the contest with a 17-5 record and the #2 seed out of the PAC-6 conference.