DATE: Thursday, October 23, 1997            TAG: 9710230546

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B3   EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA 

SOURCE: BY JEFF ZEIGLER, CORRESPONDENT 

DATELINE: HERTFORD                          LENGTH:   58 lines

PERQUIMANS COUNTY'S HOT TEAM COOLED OFF BY LOSS TO GATES' GIRLS

Perquimans County High, one of the hottest volleyball teams among a strong contingent of local squads in the state playoffs, was upset Tuesday night by Gates County, which scored 11 straight points in the fifth and deciding game.

Meanwhile, Camden High advanced in the playoffs with a 3-0 victory over Lejeune, as did Edenton-Holmes, which beat East Columbus 3-0 in a 2A game. Manteo lost to Southwest Guilford, 3-0, in the 3A playoffs.

Perquimans had high hopes coming into Tuesday's match, the only one in the playoffs pairing two northeastern North Carolina teams.

In the Northeastern-Albemarle Conference tournament, Perquimans had beaten quality programs like Edenton-Holmes and Camden County, and almost knocked off Manteo.

The Lady Pirates were the 1A representative from the conference. Gates finished second in the Tobacco Belt Conference behind Camden.

Gates (14-5) came out aggressively in the first game and went up 12-7. But Perquimans rallied back and cut the lead to 12-11 on a spike by Donna Perry. Gates scored the next three points, including a block and spike by Beth Baker, to win the first game 15-11.

Perquimans (17-7) came to life in the second game. With a slam by Kim Stallings, the Lady Pirates went up 6-0. Stallings had four straight spikes to end the game 15-2.

Gates dominated in game three with a 15-6 win. Perquimans won the fourth 15-4, setting up the tie-breaking finale.

In the deciding game, the Lady Pirates went up 5-0, including a spike and tip by Kim Stallings. Gates rallied back to cut the lead to 5-4 on a one-handed shot by Hope Riddick. Perquimans then went on to score six straight points on tough serves by April Owens, a spike by Mindy Roberson and mis-hits by Gates.

Baker ended the Perquimans rally with a spike. With Kristen Outland serving, the Lady Barons battled back. Perquimans mis-hit three straight serves, and Baker was there to block and spike two more balls to cut the lead to 11-9. A key point in the rally was a save by Jennifer Parker, which led to another Gates point.

Baker ended the game 15-11 and the match with two spikes and a tip for Gates.

Gates coach Barbara Hare called her team's victory an upset.

``They (Perquimans) beat teams like Camden and Edenton and almost upset Manteo in their conference tournament,'' Hare said. ``I knew they (Gates) could do it, but whether they would I didn't know because we didn't play well in our conference tournament.''

Hare said the seesaw battle was typical for Gates.

``We played up and down all season. We'd have an up time and a down time and the comeback. It's like we've been on a roller coaster all year,'' Hare said.

After playing well in the conference tournament, Perquimans coach Carolyn Rogers was upset for the girls.

``We've been playing so well,'' she said. ``We beat every team in the area except Manteo and we took them all the way. I hate to see them lose and all that effort stop right here.''

Camden will host Aurora and Edenton-Holmes plays Ayden-Grifton tonight.

Send Suggestions or Comments to webmaster@scholar.lib.vt.edu