Following a fifth-place finish at the East Chapel Hill Wildcat Invitational, the Orange volleyball team won in its first-ever trip to Seaforth.
Senior Ella Wimsatt tied her season-high with 19 kills while sophomore Katie Silcott racked up 37 assists as Orange defeated the Hawks 3-1 on scores of 25-16, 20-25, 25-18 and 25-11.
Wimsatt added 20 digs while sophomore Ava Wilkerson had nine kills and three blocks. The Panthers broke open the first set with a 10-2 run while senior Sadye Porter was serving. Wimsatt had three consecutive kills to put Orange ahead 11-5, leading to a Hawks timeout. Wimsatt had kills on two of Orange’s last three points to wrap up the set 25-16.
After dropping the second set, Orange opened the third with seven straight points, a spree that included three kills by sophomore Aubrey Jordan. Wilkerson took a pass from freshman Sawyer White and dunked it down to put the Lady Panthers ahead 20-12. Jordan finished off the set with a kill off a set from White.
Orange started the fourth set with an 8-3 run, which included aces from Porter and Wilkerson. The Lady Panthers built a 14-6 lead after a 6-1 run that included an ace by Wimsatt and a kill by Jordan. Orange scored the final eight points of the match. Fittingly, it ended with Wimsatt scoring one final kill on match point off an assist from Silcott.
In the East Chapel Hill Tournament, Orange started with a sweep of East Chapel Hill on Friday night. On Saturday morning, Southwest Randolph, the 2021 2A State Champions, swept Orange. Later in the day, Grimsley swept Orange. In the fifth place match, the Panthers defeated Southern Alamance 3-0. The Patriots and the Panthers are now in the Central Carolina Conference.
Orange will return to East Chapel Hill on Wednesday to face the Wildcats.
Cedar Ridge 3, East Chapel Hill 1:
The Cedar Ridge volleyball team has now won 30 consecutive home games after beating former conference rival East Chapel Hill in four sets on Monday night.
Senior Graylinn Serge finished with 15 kills while Rachel Alverson finished with 36 assists. Sophomore Claire Hargett came way with eleven kills as the Red Wolves squared its record to 2-2.
The two teams went back-and-forth in the opening set before the Red Wolves took control with a 13-5 run. Senior libero Caroline Park served while Hargett racked up two kills in the run. An ace by Park led to an Wildcat timeout. Serge delivered an ace to wrap up the opening set.
The second set was even 8-8, but Cedar Ridge went on a 7-2 run. Senior Addie Reid slammed home a kill that left Alverson covering her hands with her mouth in awe to put the Red Wolves ahead 17-12. The Red Wolves scored four straight points behind two kills from Serge to go ahead 21-15. A return by the Wildcats went long on set point to put the Red Wolves up by two sets.
After the Wildcats captured the third set 25-18, the Red Wolves dominated the fourth and final frame. Serge delivered another ace in the midst of a 5-0 Red Wolves run to begin the frame. East never seriously threatened in the final set. Hargett had four kills in the fourth set, while senior Cecilia Kenan had two aces. Hargett slammed down match point on an assist from Alverson.
Last week, Cedar Ridge took the defending 4A State Champions, Millbrook, to five sets in Raleigh. The Red Wolves led 2-sets-to-one after beating the Wildcats 25-20 in the third. Millbrook stormed back to win the fourth 25-12 and captured the final frame 15-9.
On Saturday, Chapel Hill defeated Cedar Ridge 3-0 at Tigers Auxiliary Gymnasium. It was the first time that the Tigers defeated the Red Wolves since 2019, when they were rivals in the Big 8 Conference. Cedar Ridge had won three straight over the Tigers.
Cedar Ridge will travel to Carrboro on Wednesday before starting conference play against Person next Tuesday in Hillsborough.