The first thing to know is that it was ungodly hot inside Orange’s gymnasium.
The heat index on September 12 was 101 degrees. In retrospect, that shouldn’t be a surprise because it was an intense summer that lingered long afterwards to dispel any notion of a fall chill in the air for relief. Three weeks later, Cedar Ridge would face Chapel Hill on October 3–with highs of 100, nine degrees ahead of the previous record.
Even on a standard September day, the first Cedar Ridge-Orange game of the year would have felt like a pressure cooker. The respective student bodies from both schools would make sure of that.
The students walked into Orange’s gym fully understanding what was on the line. This was the biggest Orange-Cedar Ridge game in years, not just because of the cross-country rivalry.
These were two state playoff teams.
Cedar Ridge was 7-1, its best start in recorded history. This was also its third match in four days, having opened the week with a loss to Jordan in Durham. Cedar Ridge was already trying to surpass its win total from 2018, when they finished 7-15.
After Orange dropped its opening three matches, they rebounded with a six-game winning streak, including victories over Person, South Granville, and Vance County in its Big 8 Conference opener.
There was something extra on the line for Cedar Ridge. Orange had beaten them five straight times, dating back to 2016 when Jordan Lloyd led the Lady Panthers to a 3-1 win with eight kills and 25 digs.
The funny thing was the person most responsible for ending Cedar Ridge’s losing streak to Orange was Lloyd’s younger sister.
In Cedar Ridge’s 3-2 win over Orange, Cameron Lloyd had 18 kills, 12 digs and five assists. As was the case throughout the year, Cedar Ridge’s freshmen were paramount to victory. Lloyd’s classmate, Julie Altieri, had 28 assists, seven kills, eight assists, and nine digs.
Cedar Ridge won on scores of 25-23, 22-25, 25-23, 15-25 and 15-7.
In the fifth set, it was freshman Cameron Lloyd who fired the biggest shots, serving four consecutive aces as the Red Wolves bounced ahead 7-2. Lloyd had surpassed 100 kills for the season earlier in the week in the Jordan loss.
Altieri’s ace on match point led to a spirited celebration for the Red Wolves to culminate an exhausting evening for players and fans, alike.
The opening set had eight ties and four lead changes. The second set had 13 ties and four lead changes.
In the first frame, Cedar Ridge scored the final four points with Lloyd serving. She delivered an ace to tie the set 23-23. Senior Emma Downing gave Cedar Ridge the lead with an unassisted kill. The Red Wolves took the opening set when a service return by Orange went wide.
Orange evened the match in the second. A successful block by Erin Jordan-Cornell gave the Lady Panthers a 22-18 lead. Jordan-Cornell finished the set with five kills. Cedar Ridge lost junior setter Layne Foster in the 2nd set because of a left quadricep injury.
Orange appeared set to take the 3rd set, leading 20-15 after a kill by senior Emma Clements off an assist from Ella Van Time. Cedar Ridge finished the frame with a 10-3 run, which included Altieri serving up three straight aces. She also slammed home set point.
Orange sophomore Lottie Scully had 16 kills, 18 blocks, and 20 assists. Avery Miller finished with 13 kills, ten blocks, and 17 digs.