The Union Pines volleyball team defeated Southern Lee in straight sets to win its second consecutive Cape Fear Valley Conference match Thursday.

The visiting Vikings swept the Lady Cavs 25-19, 25-23, 25-14, improving to 8-4 overall on the year and 3-2 in league play.

Junior captain Crystal Hicks had seven kills, six digs and four blocks on the night for Union Pines. Fellow captain Morgan Bridgers finished with 18 assists.

Vike junior libero Lexi Byrd led the team with 10 digs. Meanwhile, sophomore Brittany Erickson turned in a solid all-around effort with six service aces, four digs and three kills.

On Tuesday, Union Pines opened the week by capturing a critical four-set CFV league victory against Westover.

Hicks came up huge for Union Pines in that match as well, finishing with 10 kills and eight digs during the 25-16, 25-18, 15-25, 25-16 win at Cameron.

Another boost came in the form of a six-dig, two-block, four-kill outing from sophomore Tyler Ross, who returned to action Tuesday after a missing four matches with a shoulder injury.

Anna Sadler added six kills and Cassidy Walker had six digs, Tuesday for Union Pines. Byrd led the Vikings with 10 digs, while Bridgers finished with a match-high 17 assists.

Union Pines is back in action Wednesday at intra-county rival Pinecrest. The Patriots (12-3) earned a 3-0 sweep against the Vikings in their first meeting this year.

PHS JV Gridders 4-0

The Pinecrest jayvee football team turned a fumble recovery and an interception into 14 quick points against visiting Western Harnett Thursday night.

Before it was over, Sam Brower picked off his fifth and sixth passes of the season, and Jacquis Alston recovered a fumble and returned an interception for a touchdown.

All of that added up to a 28-0 victory for the undefeated Patriots (4-0).

Jeremy Klimek was one of the defensive standouts, recovering an Eagle fumble at the Patriot 2-yard line. He also scored the first two touchdowns on runs of 14 and eight yards.

Alston's fumble recovery came after a punt by teammate Steven Kennedy on the first series of the game.

Starting from the Eagle 38-yard line, a 20-yard burst by Juwanza Harris and a 10-yard completion from quarterback Matt Epley to Justin Ray put the Patriots inside the 20.

Klimek broke several tackles on a 14-yard touchdown run and Epley kicked the extra point for a 7-0 Patriot lead. The Patriots were knocking on the door again moments later when Brower intercepted a pass and returned it 15 yards to the Eagle 34. A 15-yard penalty was tacked on to the end of the play.

Three plays later, Klimek negotiated the final eight yards without being touched and Epley's kick made it 14-0.

The Patriot offense turned the ball over the next two times it had the ball. But inbetween, Alston scored on a 50-yard interception return and the home team took a 21-0 lead into the halftime break.

Late in the third period, the Eagles had fourth down and about a foot at the Patriot 2-yard line. Klimek made the fumble recovery as the Patriot defense stacked up the Eagles.

On the first play by the Pats from the two, Klimek nearly took it the distance. He was tackled by the last man he had to beat after a 32 yard gain.

An apparent 70-yard scoring pass from Patriot quarterback Eli Black to tight end Frankie Painter was shortened to about a 20-yard gain by a block in the back infraction.

Midway through the fourth period, Brower's second interception of the game set up an 11-yard touchdown run by quarterback Aaron Reimer.

Third Place for O'Neal XC

The O'Neal cross-country team traveled to Hugh MacRae Park in Wilmington Wednesday, where both the boys' and girls' teams finished third.

The Falcon boys finished with 83 points. Junior Evan Davies stepped up in a leadership role for injured team captain Austin Puleo. He finished in third with 19:52.

Closing quickly in fifth was sophomore Ian Maynor (20:20). Rounding out the O'Neal scoring were sophomore Maxwell Winter (25th, 23:48), eighth grader Josh Hager (27th, 24:21), and seventh grader Evan Miles (31st, 24:44).

The girls finished with 64 points. Junior captain Teresa Berg led the way, finishing second at 22:50. Following Berg was junior captain Alana Godbey (5th, 23:36). Freshman Aleksandra Majka crossed the line soon after (25th, 27:50). Seventh grader Hunter Atkinson came in next (27th, 28:34), with sophomore Courtney Morrison (28th, 28:35) wrapping up scoring.

The Falcon boys and girls teams raced again Saturday at the Adidas Wolfpack Invitational in Cary.

UP Tennis Bounces Back

Bouncing back from a tough 5-4 Monday loss to Pinecrest, the Union Pines' tennis team finished the week with two wins and is now 11-1 overall on the year.

On Wednesday, the Lady Vikings swept Douglas Byrd 9-0 in a league match at the John S. Frye Tennis Facility in Cameron. With the victory, Union Pines is now 7-0 in Cape Fear Valley Conference action.

On Tuesday, Union Pines topped East Montgomery 8-1 in a non-conference contest. Sophomore Laura Cameron had three wins over the two matches, becoming the third Lady Viking to reach the 35-win plateau. Her career record is now 36-7.

Union Pines next hits the courts Monday when they host Overhills in a conference match at 4:30 p.m.

Falcon Tennis Tops FA

The O'Neal School traveled to Fayetteville Academy on Thursday and won their second conference match in a row by the score of 8-1.

In singles, Brianna Ek defeated Hannah Pitkanen 6-0, 6-0, Amelia Schirmer defeated Sita Chandra 6-1, 6-1, Victoria Scarpa lost a close match to Huda McGraw by the score of 7-6(2), 6-4.

Mary Garner defeated Haley Bigler 6-0, 6-0, Greyson Keel defeated Emma McConley 6-4, 6-1 and Ally Hoehn-Saric defeated E.J. Scott 6-1, 6-2.

In doubles, Ek and Scarpa defeated Pitkanen and Bigler 8-0; Schirmer and Garner defeated McGraw and McConley 8-1; and Keel and Hoehn-Saric defeated Chandra and E.J. Scott 8-1.

O'Neal improved to 4-2 (2-1), while Fayetteville Academy dropped to 0-4 (0-2).

FA Blanks O'Neal Soccer

The O'Neal School boys' soccer team resumed action Thursday night after an eight-day layoff against conference rival Fayetteville Academy.

The game was a rough, physical game, according to coach Ted Hassenfelt, in which Fayetteville Academy got on the board early off an O'Neal own goal early in the first half.

The Falcons were able to settle down for the last 10 minutes of the first half and most of the second half, but were unable to match the intensity and physical nature of the Eagles.

O'Neal's best scoring opportunity came late in the game when Stephen Stewart pushed a shot wide of the goal with five minutes remaining.

O'Neal has 11 days off until they face Fayetteville Christian on Sept. 27 at home.

PHS Tennis Wins Two More

The Pinecrest girls' tennis team inproved to 5-0 in the conference with a pair of sweeps against Richmond Senior and Hoke County this week.

Pinecrest 9, Richmond 0:

Singles - Ally Parziale (P) defeated Courtney Pope 6-0, 6-0; Mariotti Meyers (P) defeated Ashley Martin 6-0, 6-0; Chrissy Nurnberg (P) defeated Maegan Davis 6-1, 6-0; Caroline Decker (P) defeated Brittany Hudson 6-0, 6-0;Alyson Grine (P) defeated Caroline Kirkland 6-0, 6-1; Gaby Adler (P) defeated Kaly Shelley 6-2, 6-3.

Doubles - Nurnberg/Decker (P) defeated Pope/Martin 8-0; Emily Gower/Sarah Sizer (P) defeated Davis/Hudson 8-3; Karen Smith/Sam Matthews (P) defeated Kirkland/Bailey 8-2.

Pinecrest 9, Hoke 0:

Singles - Ally Parziale (P) defeated T.Howell 6-0, 6-0; Mariotti Meyers (P) defeated L.Clark 6-0, 6-0; Chrissy Nurnberg (P) defeated P.Tweedle 6-3, 6-1; Caroline Decker (P) defeated M.Need-ham 6-0, 6-1; Gaby Adler (P) defeated H.Thaggard 6-1, 6-3; Casie Jingle (P) defeated A.Daniels 6-0, 6-1.

Doubles - Nurnberg/ Decker (P) defeated Howell/ Clark 8-0; Emlyn Satterwhite/ Kailey Osterman (P) defeated Tweedle/A.Kelly 8-2; Emily Gower/Sarah Sizer (P) defeated Thaggard/Daniels 8-6.

O'Neal Netters Lose

The O'Neal varsity volleyball team was defeated by Fayetteville Academy last night in three games.

The scores were 12-25, 21-25, and 21-25.

Maeve Bartiss had seven kills, Katelyn Hunt had 10 digs, and Katie Dyer had two solo blocks.

O'Neal's next home game is Sept. 27 against Fayetteville Christian at 5 p.m.

PHS Jayvee Booters Romp

Eight different players got into the scoring column as the Pinecrest jayvee boys' soccer team (2-2) defeated Lumberton 9-1 at home on Wednesday.

Drew Phillips, Rene Cruz, Mark Kropp, Felix Licerio, Phillip Lett, Josh Rhea, Jeffrey Maser and Ivan Miron were the goal scorers. The Patriots were also the beneficiaries of an own goal.

Jovanny Gonzalez and Zack Eiserman were among those contributing assists. Caelan Kohut was the Patriot goalkeeper.