ACA outduels Owen in Swannanoa Valley showdown
Warlassies and Lions face off in a clash of undefeated teams
Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
September 17, 2025
Before they took the court in the Owen gymnasium, Sept. 16, two Swannanoa Valley high school volleyball programs boasted a combined record of 25-0.
The clash of unbeaten teams, which pitted 15-0 Asheville Christian Academy against 10-0 Owen, finished in an exhilarating 3-1 victory for the Lions.
ACA made the 10-minute bus trip down Old U.S. 70 to face their Owen counterparts for the second time in two seasons. The programs met last August, less than one month before Tropical Storm Helene pummeled their community. The Lions, who went on to finish the 2024 campaign as the state runner-up in the 3A N.C. Independent Schools Athletic Association, entered this year’s meeting as the reigning victors in the cross-town rivalry.
Led by third-year head coach Nikki Hinson, the Warlassies stepped onto their home court in the midst of the program’s best campaign in recent history, having lost only 3 sets in their first 10 matches. The night was celebrated by chants of “she’s committed” from the Owen student section, referring to junior Mia Roland’s earlier announcement on social media that she accepted an offer to play softball for the University of South Carolina.
Roland came into the night as Owen’s leader in kills, with 133; and 139 digs. She was joined by fellow junior, Adeline West, whose team-best 53 total blocks have been a key factor in the team’s dominance at the net. Junior and team co-captain Kenzie Robinson brought a program-high 323 assists to the court, complementing an offensive barrage of juniors Ava Grant, Peyton Brockman, Avery Boone and seniors Gracyn Farish and Easton Whitson.
The Lions were headed by Torri Render, who in her 15 years with the program has delivered the Swannanoa school four NCISSA state championships. The attack of ACA was bolstered by senior Caroline Peterson, junior Reece Shuman and sophomore Olivia Johnson, a trio that amassed 429 kills, collectively, in 15 matches.
The Warlassies, in front of a vociferous crowd, jumped out to a hot start, finding space between ACA defenders and establishing a 5-0 lead to open the first set. The Lions roared back, taking a 10-9 lead in the frame and later reclaiming the advantage at 13-12. Well-timed attacks by Roland and a strong presence at the net from West, pushed Owen to a 1-0 lead, following a 25-22 victory to start the contest.
Neither team relented in the second set, which included eight lead changes. Owen eventually battled to a 23-22 lead, before the Lions scored two straight to push ahead. With the teams knotted at 24-24, back-to-back points in a 26-24 ACA victory evened the match at 1-1.
Owen responded by taking an early lead in the next frame, but the Lions moved ahead, 2-1, in a closely contested 25-23 battle. The final and deciding 25-17 victory was controlled throughout by ACA.
The Lions improved to 16-0 with the win, the team’s longest winning streak since 2022, when the program finished 24-0 on its way to a state title, ACA will be back on the road at 5:30 p.m., Monday, Sept. 22, facing 8-5 Brevard.
The match was the first of three in as many days for the Warlassies, who will head to Rosman for a 5:30 p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 17, meeting with the Tigers. Owen wraps up its busy week at home, beginning at 6 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 18, when it hosts Western Highlands Conference foe Mountain Heritage.
Photos of the Swannanoa Valley showdown between Asheville Christian Academy and Owen High School can be viewed in the gallery at the top of the page.