Photo by Erik Perel
On a nightly basis, the Cedar Ridge volleyball team is setting milestones and dominating opponents to a level rarely seen.
On Tuesday night, the Red Wolves handed Carrboro its first sweep in conference play in seven years.
Along the way, senior Claire Hargett took another step towards becoming just the second player in school history with 1,000 kills.
Hargett finished with ten kills as the Red Wolves improved to 10-0 with a 3-0 win over the Jaguars on scores of 25-8, 25-15, 25-20.
Carrboro, which came into the season with a 81-game conference winning streak, was swept in a league match for the first time since August 30, 2018, when they fell to the North Carolina School of Science and Math in Durham.
Carrboro (5-7) arrived into the season with six consecutive conference championships. It’s a cruel reality that in the new world of the Big 7 Conference, the Jaguars may already be out of the title race with a 2-3 league record, three games behind Cedar Ridge for first place with trips to Seaforth and Orange and a home rematch with Cedar Ridge still ahead.
Cedar Ridge senior Sydnee Tapper, who surpassed 1,000 career digs last week, served during an incredible 18-0 run in the first set what put the Red Wolves ahead 20-2. Tapper had three aces in the span, which ended with an another ace from senior Kayla Stoll.
That was a sign of things to come as Stoll served four consecutive aces to close out the second set. After Carrboro junior Sydney Frakes scored on a block to put the Jaguars ahead 9-7, the Red Wolves reeled off five straight points with senior Ellamarie Perel putting together consecutive kills, followed by an ace from Mia Mary. Back-to-back blocks from Stoll and Marty gave Cedar Ridge a 17-12 lead, leading to Stoll’s aces closing it out.
Cedar Ridge (10-0, 4-0 in the Big 7 Conference) jumped out to a 12-6 lead in the third set behind consecutive aces from Hargettt, who is now at 983 career kills. Carrboro closed to within 17-16, but the Jaguars were plagued by seven service errors in the third set. Red Wolf freshman Dani Solomon got the last of her seven kills to set up match point. Cedar Ridge won after the Jaguars were called for a net violation.
Orange 3, Durham School of the Arts 0:
Senior Katie Silcott finished with seven aces as Orange won its first conference contest against Durham School of the Arts since October 6, 2008 at Sykes Gymnasium on Tuesday night.
Senior Addison Guentensberger finished with ten digs as the Lady Panthers (5-5, 3-1 in the Big 7 Conference) won its third straight match. Junior Sawyer White, who had a triple-double in a win at Carrboro last week, finished with nine kills and four assists. Senior Aubrey Jordan finished with eight kills. Silcott had 13 assists, seven aces and four kills.
Orange started the match on a 9-3 run with Jordan scoring a kill. Silcott, Jordan and junior Kaleeya Fearrington all had kills during a 7-1 Orange run to go ahead 16-6. Aubry Hodges had a block to set up set point.
Silcott had six aces during a 12-0 start to the second set, which Orange won 25-7. Jordan had the final two kills, both assisted by Silcott, to finish out the frame.
Orange won the third set 25-14. Senior Gianna Negron had an ace during a 7-4 Orange run to open the final frame. Guentensberger had consecutive aces during a 7-0 Lady Panther run, which increased the Orange lead to 16-9. Jordan added two aces, as well.
Orange closed out the match with six consecutive points. Negron added three more aces, followed by a kill by Jordan. An attack by the Bulldogs went wide on match point.
Orange will travel to Oxford to face J.F. Webb on Thursday night. The Lady Panthers will return home to face Seaforth on Tuesday.
