In golf parlance, Cedar Ridge volleyball will make the turn after Tuesday night.
The bad news is, unlike last year, they aren’t threatening to run away with the Big 7 Conference. The good news is they’re still the top threat to first place Seaforth.
On September 3, the Red Wolves returned to the site of its lone regular season loss from last season. Carrboro, under new head coach Linda Lang, brought back six rotation players from last year, which could pose a problem.
But Cedar Ridge had a problem solver. Dani Solomon.
The sophomore outside attacker had 26 kills as the Red Wolves defeated the Jaguars 3-1 on scores of 18-25, 25-20, 25-20 and 25-15 at Jaguars Gymnasium.
Senior Addilyn Jackson finished with 13 kills while sophomore libero Nora Stoll registered 25 digs and six assists. Setter Kaitlyn Dixon recorded 32 assists and seven digs.
Sarah Vandersea, who had six kills in the upset of Cedar Ridge last year, paced the Jaguars with 14 kills. Junior Brooke Williams had nine kills with eight digs. Junior Camille Rucker finished with 30 assists.
Cedar Ridge was already down a set and trailed 19-17 in the second after Maya Greenberg sent a free ball that landed harmlessly in the heart of the Red Wolf end. After a Red Wolf timeout, Cedar Ridge reeled off five in a row with senior Calla Lundberg serving. Solomon delivered three straight kills, two assisted by Dixon, to put the Red Wolves ahead 20-19. Lundberg delivered an ace. The Red Wolves scored the final three points of the set, ending with an ace from Solomon, who finished with nine kills in the second set alone.
Cedar Ridge didn’t trail again for the rest of the match.
Solomon had three kills as the Red Wolves jumped out to a 5-2 lead in the third set. After an ace from Carrboro’s Camille Rucker, the Jaguars reduced its deficit to 8-7. Another ace from the Jaguars’ Hayley Royal evened the set 10-10, but the Red Wolves scored four straight, ending with a block from freshman Florence Mwanza. Jackson delivered an ace to put the Red Wolves ahead 16-13. Stoll served up an ace to trigger four straight Red Wolf points, ending with another kill from Solomon. In the longest rally of the match, Lundberg came through with three digs, which paved the way for a spike from Solomon to send the Red Wolves to a 22-16 lead. Jackson delivered set point on a kill.
Cedar Ridge opened the fourth set with four straight points, starting with a kill from Jackson followed by an ace from Dixon. Avery Owens ended the night with a block on match point.
Last week, the Red Wolves defeated South Granville and Durham School of the Arts to improve to 11-2 overall on the season. Against the Bulldogs last Tuesday in Hillsborough, Owens finished with ten kills. Lundberg had eight kills as the Red Wolves won on scores of 25-14, 25-11, 25-11. Dixon finished with a triple-double racking up eleven aces, eleven digs and 13 assists. Sophomore Reese Smith finished with eight digs.
On Thursday, Cedar Ridge swept South Granville on scores of 25-14, 25-20, 25-14. Solomon led the Red Wolves with 12 kills while Jackson finished with ten kills. The Red Wolves brought back two setters with Dixon registering 19 assists. Solana Gutierrez finished with ten assists . Stoll had 14 digs.
Cedar Ridge will face Orange tonight (Tuesday) at Red Wolves Gymnasium in the renewal of a crosstown rivalry. Last year, the Red Wolves swept the Lady Panthers en route to the Big 7 Conference championship. On Thursday, Seaforth defeated Orange 3-0 in Pittsboro. Later this week, the Red Wolves will face Seaforth in a match that could determine the Big 7 Conference regular season championship. Seaforth is 6-0 in league play going into Tuesday’s match against Carrboro in Pittsboro.
