Camden County Digs Deep in Four-Set Win Over Rival Perquimans, Moves One Win Away From Regular-Season Conference Championship

Written by Christian Bateman

Hertford, N.C. — Playing with purpose and determination, the Camden County Bruins continued their remarkable season Tuesday night, battling through a highly competitive rivalry matchup with Perquimans to earn a four-set victory.

The Bruins have carried the fight of Reese Meiggs and her family with them throughout the season, using her battle against cancer as a source of motivation and inspiration. Tuesday night was another example of Camden County leaning on that same fight as the Bruins battled through adversity against their Albemarle 2A Athletic Conference rival.

The atmosphere inside the gym felt more like a regional championship match than a regular-season contest, with both teams fighting for every point.

Camden County ultimately secured the victory, winning 25-23, 25-13, 22-25, 25-9.

The win pushed the Bruins to 21-1 overall and 6-0 in conference play, keeping Camden County firmly in control of the Albemarle 2A Athletic Conference standings. The Bruins are now just one victory away from securing the regular-season conference championship.

Camden County will face the Manteo Redskins later this week in a matchup that could have major implications for the conference race. Manteo enters the matchup two games behind Camden County in the standings.

“It really helps us and boosts us,” Camden County outside hitter Reese Underhill said following the victory. “We just need to keep playing hard together, and it will keep working out. It’s going to take us playing together and doing what we do best to win a state championship.”

Underhill helped set the tone from the opening point, recording a kill at the net to spark Camden County's early attack.

The Bruins and Pirates traded momentum throughout the opening set, with neither team able to pull away. Camden County eventually created enough separation late to secure the 25-23 victory. Bailey Miller played a major role in the late push, using her combination of power and accuracy to find openings in the Perquimans defense.

Camden County came out firing in the second set, jumping to an 11-3 lead and immediately putting pressure on the Pirates. The Bruins maintained control from there, taking the set 25-13 and moving within one set of victory.

The third set brought a different challenge.

Perquimans responded with renewed energy as both teams exchanged leads and battled for momentum. Players on both sides made diving defensive plays, fought for difficult digs and generated offense from the back row.

At the net, Aubrey Ashley provided Perquimans with a powerful offensive presence, while the Pirates' front-row defense repeatedly challenged Camden County's attack.

Perquimans ultimately held off the Bruins and claimed the third set 25-22, forcing a fourth.

Rather than allowing the momentum shift to derail them, Camden County responded emphatically.

The Bruins dominated the fourth set from the start, closing out the match with a 25-9 victory and securing another important conference win.

The victory adds another chapter to the rivalry between Camden County and Perquimans. Since the 2020 season, the Bruins are now 5-9 against the Pirates.

But Tuesday night's victory was about more than the rivalry or the conference standings.

It was another opportunity for Camden County to fight together, stay connected and continue playing for something bigger than themselves.

Now, with the regular-season conference championship within reach, the Bruins have their eyes on an even bigger goal: making a deep postseason run and putting themselves in position to compete for a state championship.