Northpoint Christian Volleyball Defeats Arlington in Four Sets

SOUTHAVEN, Miss. — Northpoint Christian’s volleyball team delivered a powerful performance Monday night, defeating Arlington 3-1 in front of a home crowd at Manley Court. The Lady Trojans battled through four tightly contested sets, winning 26-24, 22-25, 26-24, 25-21.

The matchup featured two teams known for heavy hitting, and fans were treated to long rallies and momentum swings throughout the night.

Match Highlights

First Set: Northpoint jumped out to a 7-1 lead behind kills from senior McKenzie Roach and sophomore Christiana Nolan, but Arlington rallied to tie the set at 24-24. A kill from Val Hurdle and an ace from Sarah Johnson sealed the 26-24 win.

Second Set: Arlington answered, pulling ahead early and holding off a late Northpoint surge to win 25-22.

Third Set: The Lady Tigers led 23-20, but Northpoint stormed back with five straight points, capped by a kill from freshman Leah Kirkpatrick, to take the set 26-24.

Fourth Set: In a back-and-forth frame, Northpoint pulled away late with kills from Roach and Hurdle before closing out the match 25-21.

Player Performances

• Christiana Nolan: 19 kills, 4 digs
• Val Hurdle: 14 kills, 5 digs, 2 blocks, 1 ace
• Leah Kirkpatrick: 13 kills, 1 block, 1 dig
• Skylar Morris: 31 digs, 2 aces
• Sarah Johnson: 45 assists, 15 digs

Coach’s Take

Head coach Kim Robinson praised her team’s resilience after returning from a weekend tournament in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, where the Lady Trojans suffered two close losses.

“We love going to that tournament because it pushes us against big public schools,” Robinson said. “We lost some tight matches there, but tonight we finished. Our underclassmen stepped up, and our veterans like Christiana and Val were huge. Mac Roach’s blocking was also a difference-maker.”

Player Spotlight

Nolan, who led Northpoint with 19 kills, said she wanted to ensure the match didn’t reach a deciding fifth set.

“I just tried to pull the team together and keep scoring,” Nolan said. “The crowd gave me energy, and it was really important to bounce back after the weekend.”