This was the week that was: This is the first time all year that Cedar Ridge volleyball starts the week outside of first place in the Big 8 Conference. After losses to East Chapel Hill and Chapel Hill, the Red Wolves enter Tuesday’s match against Orange still battling for an automatic spot in the playoffs.
For those unfamiliar with how the current playoff structure works in North Carolina, the teams that finish in the top two of their conference automatically make the playoffs. The remaining teams are determined by MaxPreps rankings. As of Sunday night, Cedar Ridge and East Chapel Hill are tied for 2nd with 7-2 conference marks. Orange is 6-3, which makes Tuesday’s match between the Red Wolves and the Lady Panthers all the more important. A second place finish guarantees a home state playoff match for whoever captures it.
However, Orange and Cedar Ridge are shoo-ins for the state playoffs. Cedar Ridge’s MaxPreps ranking is #15. East Chapel Hill is #18. Orange is #24. Neither Cedar Ridge or Orange are on the bubble to make the playoffs, but they sure would love to host a match in the state playoffs. That’s much more questionable in the final two weeks of the regular season.
However, the Cedar Ridge and Orange men’s soccer teams are on the bubble. Cedar Ridge has a critical match against Northwood on Monday night. The Red Wolves swept Southern Durham and Vance County last week. Orange defeated Southern Durham but fell to Northern Durham. Cedar Ridge’s MaxPreps ranking is #65, while Orange is #71.
In women’s tennis, Orange and Cedar Ridge will compete in the Big 8 Conference Tournament on the Lindsay Linker Tennis Courts at East Chapel Hill on Wednesday afternoon. Orange guaranteed itself a winning season on Thursday by beating Roxboro Community School, it’s first winning campaign in at least eight years.
Here’s the Magnificent 7 from an interesting Week 7. As always, two of the following athletes will be named the Orange Panther of the Week and the Cedar Ridge Red Wolf of the Week sometime in the days ahead.
The Magnificent 7:
Reese Weaver: Scored the opening goal in Wednesday’s 2-0 win over Southern Durham at Spartan Stadium. On Monday night, Weaver scored two goals as the Red Wolves defeated Vance County 6-1 in Henderson. Weaver, a senior, now has eight goals this season.
Zoe Wade: After her teammate Anne Morrell was honored last week when the Red Wolves women’s cross country team won the Greensboro Invitational, Wade is inducted into the Hall of Awesome this week after coming in 10th at the Wendy’s Invitational at McAlpine Park. Wade crossed the finish line at 20:31.50. Morrell finished 7th as the Red Wolves won its second open race in two weeks. Cedar Ridge finish 1st out of 25 teams.
Brianna Cellini: Won her singles and doubles match as Cedar Ridge defeated Vance County in Henderson 9-0. It was Cellini’s final dual match as a member of the Red Wolves. In her career, Cellini helped the Red Wolves win the 2016 Big 8 Championship. Now, she will focus on the Big 8 Tournament on Wednesday in an attempt to qualify for regionals.
Cameron Lanier: Finished with eleven kills, a block, an ace and a dig in the Cedar Ridge volleyball team’s 3-2 win over Vance County on Monday. On Wednesday, she had the final two kills in Cedar Ridge’s sweep of N.C. School of Science and Math. Cedar Ridge is 14-3 headed into Monday’s road trip to Bartlett Yancey.
Sydney Allison: The Orange women’s tennis team won its final home match of the season against J.F. Webb on Wednesday. Allison was selected by head coach Justin Webb as the player of the match. She won her match at #2 singles 8-6. Later on in doubles, Allison teamed with Gaylaw Eh to win 8-1. On Friday, Allison teamed with Elsa Landeros to win at #3 doubles as the Lady Panthers clinched a winning season.
Tyler Werden: Werden scored the game-winning goal in the first period of extra time as the Orange men’s soccer team defeated Southern Durham 3-1 on Monday night. On September 27, Werden scored two goals in a loss to Carrboro. He also scored in a loss to Northern Durham on Thursday.
Avery Miller: The sophomore stepped up with seniors Emma Clements and Elizabeth Vosburg out of the lineup against East Chapel Hill last Tuesday. Miller had eleven kills in a tight 3-1 loss to the Wildcats. On Thursday in Orange’s 3-0 win over Vance County, Miller led Orange with eleven kills. She also had eight digs and an ace as Orange improve to 11-6.