ROSEBORO — The Mintz Christian Academy girls volleyball team ended their storybook 2025 season exactly the way they started it — dominant, focused, locked in, and completely together.
With their decisive 3-0 victory over Liberty Christian in the Metrolina Athletic Conference Tournament Championship, the Lions not only closed the year with a tournament title but also cemented themselves as regular-season champions. They finished 26-1 overall, taking home both pieces of hardware that represent the very best the MAC had to offer.
On championship Saturday, Mintz rolled through the field until they reached Christ the Cornerstone Academy of Laurinburg, the toughest opponent in the bracket. According to Mintz head coach Dan Heinz, that semifinal was the telling checkpoint that proved the Lions were built to finish.
“We breezed our way through the beginning, and then we came up against Christ the Cornerstone out of Laurinburg. They are a strong, well-coached team. We dominated the first set. They came back strong in the second set and we won it 25-22, and then we went ahead and won the third set convincingly,” Heinz stressed.
The coach said the key to finishing and not slipping into cruise control late in postseason play was keeping their level consistent every time they stepped on the court.
“They do well not dropping to the level of their opponents, and that is something we emphasize over and over again; we have to play our level of volleyball regardless of who we play,” Heinz attested. “So I was very pleased with the fact that they maintained discipline and control, and it also gives me an opportunity to play some younger girls and get them some court time.”
That future development piece is already being constructed.
“What I like to see is when we put girls in positions where I think they may be able to help us next year, and then evaluate how they are playing in those positions, then develop an offseason plan for them to be able to improve,” Heinz explained.
Two of the biggest pieces of MCA’s future are sophomores Sheriana McLamb and Chloe Faircloth. Both started all season long.
“I have got two outside hitters in Sheriana and Chloe, both of whom were our tenth-graders and have started for us all season, and both of them immediately after the tournament came up and said ‘coach I want to be better next year than I was this year,’ so we have already started developing an offseason plan for them including strength training and plyometrics to increase their verticals and really fine-tuning their hitting motions,” said Heinz. “Those two are going to be strong for us next year, along with, obviously, McKenzie Street, who will run our defense for sure.”
Also coming next year with a huge role ahead is sophomore Kaily Robinson who, Heinz said, would play “a strong role” for the Lions.
And the future pipeline does not stop there. MCA has youth talent already stepping into meaningful varsity contributions.
“I have one eighth-grader who was sent midseason in Jordyn Jackson. She will either be a middle or an outside hitter,” he said.
One of the greatest advantages MCA carries into each year is that nearly every varsity athlete stays active year-round.
“All of my varsity girls are LAVA players,” Heinz said. “They really have all season to keep going.”
Heinz also made sure to honor senior Sadie Parrish, who did not make the Ohio trip earlier this season but has been foundational for years.
“She is also a senior. Sadie has played for us for all four years. She is a very strong volleyball player. In the past, she has been a libero, and this year we used her as a setter,” Heinz pointed out.
Heinz also noted the significance of junior Ariel King and sophomore Ava Wainscott.
“Ariel is a junior, and she’s going to be important as well next year,” he said. “Ava is going to be an important player for us next year. Ava came in as a defensive specialist this year and did a great job, probably the most improved player of the year for us.”
When you combine the depth of senior leadership, a middle core of developing stars, and a young base of rising athletes who have already seen meaningful postseason court minutes, it becomes very clear why Mintz is built for sustained success, not just one magical season.
Mintz Christian Academy volleyball now holds both the 2025 MAC Regular Season Championship and the 2025 MAC Tournament titles, cementing their place at the top of the conference.