Olivia Ward has been through a lot in her four years at Cedar Ridge. Last week, she accomplished qualifying for the 3A State Singles Championship for the firs time and how she did it was remarkable. After winning over a player from Terry Sanford in the opening round, Ward faced Orange’s Jera Hargrove with a spot in the state championship on the line. Ward won a grueling match 7-5, 4-6, 6-1 in a dual that lasted over two-and-a-half hours. Last October, Ward qualified for the 3A State Championships in doubles with Alana Lutz as her teammate. In 2016, Ward was a part of Cedar Ridge’s Big 8 Conference Championship team. Along the way, Ward underwent major thoracic surgery at Duke Hospital. She still has to go through rehabilitation drills to this day. Now, Ward is set to compete for the state championship. She has also committed to Methodist University in Fayetteville to continue her tennis career.