West Bladen Tops East Bladen in Rivalry Match, Moves to 5-0 Start

BLADENBORO, NC — In one of the most electric atmospheres of the season so far, the West Bladen Lady Knights continued their unbeaten run Tuesday night, defeating the East Bladen Lady Eagles 3-1 in an intense cross-county rivalry matchup.

With the win, West Bladen improved to 5-0 — their best start since the 2019-2020 season — while East Bladen fell to 0-6 but showed promising flashes throughout the night.

From the opening serve, it was clear neither team planned on backing down.

West Bladen started fast, leaning on Makenna Thurman’s consistent serving and Jaylen Clark’s strong presence at the net.

The Lady Knights controlled the pace early and used a late scoring run to pull away, taking the first set 25-17.

But the Lady Eagles weren’t going to be intimidated on the road. In the second set, East Bladen’s offense came alive behind the steady hands of Taylor Dowless, who delivered several well-placed attacks that found open space in the Knights’ defense.

Aubrei Nixon made her presence felt at the net with a pair of big blocks that energized the East Bladen bench. The Eagles fed off that momentum, closing out the second set 25-19 and tying the match at one set apiece.

With the match knotted up, West Bladen came out of the huddle with renewed focus. The third set belonged entirely to the Lady Knights.

Natalee Sykes and Greer Pope worked seamlessly together to set up their hitters, keeping East Bladen guessing on every possession.

Thurman delivered a string of momentum-shifting serves that put the Eagles on their heels, while Halaina Conklin and Clark hammered down key kills to close out a dominant 25-9 win in the third set.

The fourth set carried the same intensity, but West Bladen never relinquished control. Their defense tightened, their transitions stayed crisp, and they executed their game plan with precision.

Conklin and Clark continued to find success at the net, while Thurman’s six total aces in the match helped seal the deal. West Bladen finished strong, taking the final set 25-15 to close out the rivalry win.

Despite the loss, East Bladen showed resilience and stretches of steady play that Head Coach Jordan Raynor can build on moving forward.

Dowless led the way offensively with several clutch kills and aggressive swings, while Marlee Potter added timely points that kept East within striking distance early in sets.

Nixon’s defensive presence was a difference-maker, turning away multiple attacks at the net, and Tatum Allen steadied the back row with consistent serve-receive play.

Though still searching for their first win, the Lady Eagles’ competitive fight was evident, especially in that second set, and they’ll look to carry that energy into today’s matchup against Hobbton, where JV begins at 4:30 p.m. and varsity follows at 6:00 p.m.

JV Match Brings Early Drama

The junior varsity matchup opened the night and brought plenty of excitement, with East Bladen earning a 2-0 sweep in one of their most competitive performances of the season.

The first set was a back-and-forth battle. West Bladen built an early lead behind the serving of Kensleigh Kinlaw and Bristol Allen, while Addi Wilcox directed the offense and distributed the ball effectively to keep the Knights in system.

Berkleigh Guy added steady setting and attacks from the right side, and Vera Valentiner provided a spark at the net with a key kill midway through the set.

East Bladen answered with a late rally, powered by Julia Flowers, whose six kills in the match gave the Eagles the momentum they needed. Tenley Dowless made her presence known defensively with three big blocks, while Maylin McMichael contributed consistent serving to keep West Bladen on their heels.

Behind that late surge, East claimed the opening set 25-23.

In the second set, East Bladen carried its momentum forward. Flowers continued to find success on the outside, while Bella Beard and Gracey Edwards added scoring support at key moments to keep the Knights from mounting a comeback.

Addison Douglas anchored the back row for the Eagles, making several important digs to extend rallies, and Avianna Whittington brought energy defensively with strong positioning and quick reactions.

West Bladen battled until the final point, leaning on Wilcox’s leadership at setter and Kinlaw’s aggressive serving to close the gap late. Chloe Walters distributed well and added touches at the net.

Abigail DiCicco, Makenna Bryan, Hadley Dove, Maycee Kinlaw, Abigail Dew, Hailii Andrews, and Amiya McCarty-Macfield each contributed in key spots, giving the Knights depth throughout the match.

Despite their fight, the Eagles held their ground and closed out the second set 25-19, completing the sweep and securing the rivalry win for East Bladen’s JV squad.

Up Next

West Bladen (5-0) hits the road today for a matchup against Heide Trask, looking to keep their unbeaten start alive. East Bladen (0-6) will host Hobbton tonight in non-conference play.

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West Bladen Tops East Bladen in Rivalry Match, Moves to 5-0 Start