ACA slips past Owen in Swannanoa Valley volleyball rivalry

Lions and Warlassies go the distance in tightly contested match

Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
September 16, 2026

A Swannanoa Valley volleyball rivalry was renewed, Sept. 15, when Owen hosted Asheville Christian Academy in a matchup of programs representing a pair of local schools.

The battle on the court lasted five sets, as the Lions stormed back to defeat the Warlassies, 3-2, claiming the final frame, 17-15.

Owen entered the contest with a 9-2 mark, in the midst of a seven-game winning streak that began in late August. ACA won three of its previous four matches before making the nearly four-mile trip to the Owen gymnasium.

Led by senior outside hitter Reece Shuman and junior middle hitter Olivia Johnson, the Lions established an early lead in the opening set. The Warlassies tied the frame, 17-17, as the teams exchanged leads before the visitors emerged with a 26-24 victory. Owen, led by a group of seniors including setter Kenzie Robinson, middle hitter Adeline West and outside hitter Ava Grant, eclipsed an early 1-point ACA lead in the second set, establishing a lead that would hold throughout a 25-21 performance to tie the match, 1-1.

The back-and-forth contest continued in the third set, with the Lions establishing a 14-7 advantage near the midpoint of the frame, as senior opposite hitter and setter Mallory Corbett, junior outside hitter Caroline Simpson and freshman middle hitter and opposite hitter Martha Grace Courcelle propelled ACA to 2-1 lead with a 25-20 victory.

Owen, with an arsenal of seniors, libero Avery Boone and defensive specialist Payten Brockman; junior right side hitter Ellison Duvall and sophomore defensive specialist Reid Pomeroy, led throughout much of the fourth set, before a lengthy volley ended with the Lions tying the frame, 22-22. ACA established its first lead since the opening of the set with the subsequent point, before the home team stormed back to seize a 24-23 advantage. The Warlassies knotted the match, 2-2, with a 25-23 victory.

As the deciding frame began, Owen set the tone with the opening point, before ACA settled in to take a 4-3 lead. The Warlassies reestablished the lead, 6-5, before winning four of the next five points. With Owen clinging to a 14-13 advantage, the Lions tied the score, 14-14, before Shuman blasted a kill shot across the court from the left side. The teams were locked in 15-15 struggle, following an athletic finesse touch shot by West.

The Lions roared back to seize a 17-15 victory, taking the final 2 points, defeating the Warlassies for the second time in two seasons.

Owen, which remains atop the Western Highlands Conference with a 5-0 mark, fell to 9-3, overall, in the contest. ACA, which is 1-0 in NCISAA Carolina Athletic Conference, improved to 11-4, overall.

The Warlassies will travel to Burnsville, Thursday, Sept. 17, for a 6 p.m. match against conference foe Mountain Heritage. The Lions will return home at 5:30 p.m., Tuesday, Sept. 22, when they host Carolina Day.

The teams will meet again, in Swannanoa, at 4 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 8, when ACA hosts Owen.

Photos of the match between ACA and Owen can be viewed in the gallery at the top of the page.