Salisbury’s Isabella Rusher will tee off at 9:20 a.m.  on Monday as the 36-hole 1A-2A golf state championships get under way at Foxfire Resort in  Southern Pines.

Grace Yatawara will mash her first drive at 9:30 a.m., and Shelby Holden will tee off 10 minutes after Yatawara.

The Hornets have been the best 2A team in the state the last nine years and have a shot at making it 10.

Salisbury won 1A-2A-3A state championships in 2005 at Whispering Pines and in 2006 at Keith Hills in Buies Creek and competed well against the 3As from 2007-2010.

The NCHSAA separated the 3A schools from the 1A-2A competition for the 2011 season, and the Hornets won the state title at Longleaf. They repeated at Foxfire in 2012. They defended their crown in 2013 at Longleaf.

This figures to be their toughest fight in a long time.

Three scores count in girls golf — and the Hornets shot 274 to win the Central Regional at a tough Cross Creek course in Mount Airy.

Croatan shot 260 in winning the East Regional.

The top teams from the Western Regional — Hendersonville (295) and Avery (296) could challenge in the state event, along with regional runners-up West Davidson (297) and N.C. School of Science & Math (297).

Only four girls broke 80 in regional play. Two of them are Hornets. Yatawara shot 77 in Mount Airy, while Rusher shot 78, so both figure to be in the hunt for the individual state title.

Croatan’s Leann Domotrovits shot 79 in the Eastern Regional. Avery County’s Paige Church shot 79 in the Western Regional.

Rusher won state championships as a freshman and a sophomore (at Foxfire) and contended as a junior.

All three Hornets will be playing in a three-person group with  girls from Croatan and Hendersonville, so that will add to the drama.

They’ll be playing a beautiful but tough course. Water comes into play on six holes at Red Fox, and the girls will be contending with fairway bunkers and with sand traps guarding elevated greens.

• South Rowan’s Alexandria Bare and Carson’s Micah Furr are competing as individuals in the 3A state championships at Longleaf.

Bare shot 82 in Central Regional qualifying, while Furr shot 91.

Catawba’s men’s hoops

Catawba’s men’s basketball team is playing a schedule that will include exhibition trips to UNC Wilmington (Nov. 8), Radford  (Nov. 23) and George Mason (Dec. 17).

Catawba opens the regular season on Nov. 14-15 as the host for the SAC/Peach Belt Challenge. Catawba and Lenoir-Rhyne will take on Francis Marion and UNC Pembroke at Goodman Gym.

“Our game schedule should be exciting and challenging for our team and fans,” Catawba head coach Rob Perron said. “Obviously,  our student-athletes are excited about getting the opportunity to play three exhibition games versus Division I  teams. The Challenge tournament allows two rivals, LR and Catawba, to merge for a clash with the Peach Belt.”

Catawba also has non-conference tilts against Chowan, Johnson C. Smith and Erskine.

Catawba will jump into SAC play just five days after its opener, hosting Wingate on Nov. 19.

Perron knows the SAC from his coaching days at Pfeiffer and Newberry. “The SAC is a “no -nights-off conference,” he said. “With  three teams making the NCAA tournament last year, the SAC is gaining national respect. The depth of our league is tremendous. LMU is king of the hill until somebody knocks them off, but there are several teams that could make some noise. Our motto is simple when it comes to competing, “Respect all and fear none.”

College volleyball

Catawba lost 25-23 23-25, 25-18 and 25-18 win against  Tusculum at Goodman Gym on Saturday.

Haley Lanier had 12 kills for the Indians.  Erin Morant had nine kills and three blocks.Kaytee Frabotta had 35 assists, six kills, eight digs and three blocks.

College hoops

Seth Martin (West Rowan) scored 28 points in Catawba Valley Community College’s  scrimmage with Montreat on Saturday.

College cross country

Catawba’s cross country teams competed in the Lenoir-Rhyne Invitational on Saturday at  Southside Park in Newton.

The Catawba men placed fifth, while the Catawba women placed sixth.

The Indians were led by juniors Matthew Jordan-Steele and Nathan Hatley. Jordan-Steele finished 14th n 28:15 with Hatley running 25:23 for 15th.

Erica Boles was the highest finishing Catawba  female runner. She was 25th in   21:08.94.

Catawba will compete in the SAC Championships on Nov. 8 at Salisbury Community Park.

College soccer

Sophomore Declan Stimson recorded his first goal of the season to lift the Catawba men’s soccer team to a 1-0 upset of Lincoln Memorial on  Saturday night at Frock Field.

Catawba is 5-9-2 overall and 2-6-2 in the SAC.

• Catawba’s women’s soccer team battled to a 1-all tie with Lincoln Memorial on Saturday night.

The Indians (10-5-1, 5-4-1) trailed 1-0 before  Kiersten Peck scored on a cross by Karen Presnell (Salisbury).

Bethany Davis made six saves.

Catawba is home Tuesday for a Senior Night game against Pfeiffer.