Volleyball Game Preview: North Johnston Panthers vs. East Duplin Panthers

North Johnston are taking a road trip to challenge East Duplin at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Both come into the match bolstered by wins in their previous matches.

North Johnston is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Saturday. They won by a set and slipped past Lexington Senior 3-2. The win was a breath of fresh air for the Panthers as it put an end to their four-match losing streak.

North Johnston took Lexington Senior into a fifth set where they got it done with a eight-point win. Once all was said and done, the final score wound up at 23-25, 25-17, 25-17, 23-25, 15-7.

Meanwhile, East Duplin hadn't done well against South Lenoir recently (they were 2-7 in their previous nine matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Tuesday. The Panthers blew past the Blue Devils 3-0. The victory continues a trend for the Panthers in their matchups with the Blue Devils: they've now won three in a row.

East Duplin walked away with the win (and looked especially good in the second set). The final score came out to 25-20, 25-13, 25-19.

East Duplin's win came from a few key players North Johnston will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Lilliana Houston, who had three digs, three blocks, and two aces. That's the most blocks she has posted since back in September. Another player making a difference was Sophia Jones, who had five digs and three blocks.

North Johnston's record now sits at 12-10. As for East Duplin, their record is now 20-2.