DETROIT — The 14U Elite Pickens team of the Carolina One Volleyball Club known as “Fire” won four of their last five matches at the 2018 USAV Girls Junior National Championship in Detroit, Mich., June 25-28.

After a slow start on Monday, Fire played excellent volleyball against powerful teams, battled hard in very close contests and represented our area very well.

“I felt we should have been 4-1 in pool play, but we didn’t have it together and didn’t play our usual game, eliminating us from contention,” head coach Peggy Anthony said.

Fire lost to Maryland Juniors 15-25, 21-25; East Coast (Drexel, Pa.) 27-25, 19-25, 11-15; Rockwood Thunder (Eureka, Mo.) 16-25, 23-25, and to the No. 1-seeded team, the East Valley Juniors (Tempe, Ariz.)16-25, 12-25, but defeated North Juniors (St. Paul, Minn.) 25-18, 25-12.

“After our team meeting on Wednesday, we refocused, settled down, got our unity and confidence back, and played awesome,” Anthony said. “I am extremely proud of the fight and heart they showed from then on. They were

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