Staff report

SALISBURY — Five Rowan teams made the volleyball state playoffs.

The NCHSAA released pairings on Thursday for Saturday’s first-round playoff games.

East Rowan, a 29 seed, and Salisbury, a 28 seed, were close to the bubble, but both made the 32-team brackets, as expected.

South Rowan, an 11 seed, and West Rowan, a 14 seed, earned first-round home games in the 3A West bracket.

Carson’s RPI ranking rose steadily down the stretch, and the Cougars (15-11) got a 19 seed.

That 19 seed puts the Cougars in Mount Ulla on Saturday at 2 p.m. for a third meeting with West Rowan. While West (17-7) won both regular-season meetings with the Cougars, neither match was 3-0. West won 3-1 in China Grove and 3-2 in Mount Ulla.

West will look to bounce back from a 25-14, 25-18, 17-25 and 25-13 setback against Lake Norman Charter in Wednesday’s South Piedmont Conference Tournament championship game.

West came out flat for that one after an emotional semifinal win against South Rowan late Tuesday night.

Carson, the fourth-place team in the SPC, lost a five-set scrap to Lake Norman Charter in the tournament semifinals.

After finishing fifth in the SPC, East Rowan (11-12) faces a long trip to the mountains to Franklin (22-2). Franklin was the top team in a strong volleyball conference that includes West Henderson and North Henderson.

Salisbury (14-10) goes to Mayodan to play fifth-seeded McMichael (26-6), a conference champion. That’s a trip almost to the Virginia state line for the Hornets.

The Hornets will look to rebound from a Central Carolina Conference Tournament semifinal loss to Lexington. Salisbury lost despite 26 kills by Ava Morris.

SPC co-champ South Rowan (20-6) hosts 22nd-seeded South Point (12-10) from Belmont at 1 p.m. South Point finished fourth in its conference.

Both teams are red and black Raiders

With Carson playing West Rowan at least one Rowan team is certain to make it to Tuesday’s second round.

Carson is in the playoffs for the 14th time and has an all-time record of 24-13 in playoff matches.

West also is in for the 14th time. The Falcons are 15-13 all-time.

South is in the playoffs for the 13th time and is 8-12 all-time.

East is in the playoffs for the 21st time and is 8-20 all-time.

Salisbury is in for the 13th time and has a record of 3-12 in the playoffs.

No Rowan team ever has won a state championship, although Carson made it to the title match twice.

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CCC regular-season and tournament champ West Davidson is seeded eighth in the 2A West bracket and will host No. 25 Hendersonville.

Lexington, seeded 27th, goes to No. 6 West Stanly.

South Davidson is in the 1A playoffs but is No. 32 and goes to No. 1 Polk County.

Lake Norman Charter is the No. 6 seed in the 3A West bracket and hosts No. 27 Ledford.

Lake Norman, Cox Mill and South Iredell are home in the first round in the 4A West bracket. Davie, Mooresville and Hickory Ridge made the bracket as road teams.

Davie plays at South Iredell in the 16 vs. 17 game.