Field Hockey
Country Day entered the postseason as the #2 seed in the NCISAA tournament after compiling a 10-3-2 regular season record and earning wins in nine out of the season’s final 10 games. The Bucs earned a bye in the first round of the tournament and defeated Providence Day (2-0) and Cary Academy (3-0) to advance to the title game against #1 seed Charlotte Latin. The Bucs and Hawks had split their two games earlier in the season.
Playing on Latin’s home turf and in front of a large and enthusiastic crowd from both schools, the Bucs and Hawks battled through 60 scoreless minutes of regulation play and another 10 scoreless minutes of overtime play before heading to a second golden goal overtime period. The Hawks earned a corner and found the back of the cage just over three minutes into that second period to end the Bucs’ season and secure the title.
Mary Thompson Charlebois ’19, Arden Davies ’20, and Katie So ’20 all garnered All-State recognition for Country Day.
“To say I am proud of this team would be an understatement,” said head coach, Kayleigh Thies. “This team made the decision early on that they would bring Country Day field hockey back to the forefront of hockey in North Carolina; and what an amazing job they did. There was a bond created this season that will last many, many years here at Country Day. I will never forget this season and the amazing young women who made it all possible.”
Volleyball
For the second straight year, the Bucs earned a #2 seed in the NCISAA tournament after a highly successful regular season. This year’s campaign saw Country Day put together a 17-2 record and go undefeated (10-0) against Charlotte Independent Schools Athletic Association (CISAA) teams. After a first-round tournament bye, a 3-1 quarterfinal win over Wesleyan Christian, and a hard-fought semifinal win over Durham Academy (3-2), the Bucs found themselves travelling to top seed North Raleigh Christian Academy for a rematch of the 2017 state championship match.
Unlike last year, when the Knights overwhelmed a young Bucs team, Country Day pushed NRCA to the limit this time around. The Bucs dropped the first set (25-21) before winning the next two (26-24 and 25-16). They continued to build momentum in the fourth set, even reaching championship point at 24-23. But the Knights were equal to the task closed out the set, 26-24. Country Day rebounded in the fifth and final set, jumping out to an early 7-3 lead. Again, the Knights battled back, eventually taking the set (15-11) and the match (3-2).
Zoe Weatherington ’19 and Kayla Spangler ’21 represented the Bucs on the NCISAA 4A All-State team.
“These girls came together back in August with the goal of competing at the highest level for a state championship, and they more than accomplished that goal,” said head coach, Anna Moore. “The heart, grittiness, passion, commitment, and togetherness are just a few of the reasons why our run at a state championship this year was so special. I am tremendously proud and thankful to have coached this group of girls. Thank you to our seniors for all they have done to put our program back on the map.”
Other Sports
- The boys’ & girls’ cross country teams took on a muddy course at Jackson Park in Hendersonville last Friday and came away with 8th and 6th-place finishes, respectively. Sophie Spada ’20 was the teams’ top overall finisher, placing 7th in the 4A girls’ race and earning All-State honors.
- Football earned a #4 seed in the Division II state playoffs and will host Covenant Day in an opening round game this Friday at 7pm. Football All-State teams will be announced at the state championship game on November 16.
- Girls’ golf sent two individual qualifiers to the NCISAA championships October 21 and 22 at the Country Club at Whispering Pines. Aish Sharma ’19 finished in a tie for 27th place and May McDonnell ’22 finished in a tie for 34th place.
- Boys’ soccer earned a #3 seed in a tough NCISAA 4A tournament field before falling to Charlotte Latin (2-1 on penalty kicks) in the quarterfinal round. Richard and Walker Gillespie ’19 both brought home All-State nods to finish out their Country Day soccer careers.
- Girls’ tennis earned a #5 seed in the 4A state bracket, winning an opening round match against Cannon before falling to Charlotte Christian in the quarterfinal round.