12/09/16 — GIRLS' VOLLEYBALL: CBA's Faulkner named ECC 3A/4A volleyball POY

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GIRLS' VOLLEYBALL: CBA's Faulkner named ECC 3A/4A volleyball POY

By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on December 9, 2016 9:57 AM

rcoggins@newsargus.com

PIKEVILLE -- Riddle me this.

What do a clothesline, trampoline and concrete steps leading to the backdoor have in common?

If you answered 'things you find in a person's yard,' you are right.

Then again, those objects hold a different meaning for Arlanda Faulkner.

And it all started in the seventh grade when she asked her mom, Tangela, to teach her how to play volleyball.

"We looked at everything we had in the backyard," laughed Arlanda. "I learned how to serve over my trampoline. My clothesline is about the height of the net and I was very little at the time. My mom just threw the ball up, I just took an approach and started swinging.

"That is definitely where I got my start."

She lived her favorite quote each day -- what you do in the dark will put you in the light. The countless hours of fine-tuning her game in the backyard as sunlight faded into twilight, then darkness, finally paid off for Faulkner.

The Charles B. Aycock junior earned the 2016 Eastern Carolina 3-A/4-A Conference player-of-the-year award.

"Oh my gosh," Faulkner said. "I did not know that I was going to get that at all, but I was extremely excited. I was very blessed to say the least. I think the coaching style since my mom is the head coach has definitely helped and the team behind me improved my game."

Faulkner set two single-season school records for total kills (416) and hitting percentage (.424) this fall. She currently owns two school career records for total kills (629) and hitting percentage (.348) during the program's rally-scoring era.

Aycock started the year 11-0 before losing to eventual ECC champ and east runner-up D.H. Conley. Faulkner and her teammates finished 18-8 overall and advanced to the third round of the N.C. High School Athletic Association Class 3-A playoffs for the first time in more than a decade.

The 18 victories were the most since 2011 when the Golden Falcons logged a 16-win campaign and reached the second round of the postseason.

"We had a phenomenal season with a wonderful group of girls," Faulkner said. "We all worked together on and off the court, worked together in the classroom...supported each other. Hannah (Carter) set the school record for assists.

"She is a phenomenal setter and I definitely could not have done it without the defensive pass off the back row."

Although she's her daughter's worst critic, Tangela said it was a well-deserved reward for battling against talented players in a highly-competitive conference.

"I've seen her do a lot of stuff behind the scenes...the extra running, the extra drills, the extra swings," the coach said. "She could not have done it without the entire team (which) says a lot about the team as a whole."

Faulkner also announced she officially signed a national letter-of-intent with Taylor University, an NAIA school in Indiana, in November. The 5-foot-7 outside hitter isn't sure what role she will play for the Trojans, but will continue to gain valuable experience with her travel squad -- the Carolina Shockwave.

"I didn't want to deal with that pressure my senior year," said Faulkner, who has received offers from numerous Division I and II schools since her sophomore year.

Oh, but the pressure is there.

Faulkner is in the light now.