ROXBORO–There are high school gyms. And then there’s Person.
The fan base isn’t simply parents, students and junior varsity players. It’s Roxboro residents who have been raised through the hometown newspaper (yes, they still have one) and radio station (got that, too) to love Rocket sports.
The Rockets don’t even need to have a championship-caliber program in order for the stands to be packed on any given night, but it sure helps. After years of being lost in the shuffle in the Central Conference behind Orange and Cedar Ridge, the Rockets have are championship caliber volleyball program once again in the Mid-Carolina Conference.
It made the anticipation for Person’s showdown with Cedar Ridge on Monday night all the more appealing. The Red Wolves and the Rockets may not be conference rivals anymore, but they are both undefeated in their respective new leagues with seeding implications for the upcoming 5A State Playoffs raising the stakes.
Teachers and officials watching overhead had a hard time finding an empty seat along the lone grandstand as the roar of the fans reached deafening levels following each Person point. By the end of the night, a familiar though unlikely presence for Cedar Ridge sent the Rockets fans home quietly after its first home loss of the year.
Senior Emory Williams delivered two aces in the match’s final points to keep Cedar Ridge undefeated, beating Person 3-1 on scores of 17-25, 25-17, 27-25 and 25-19.
Cedar Ridge freshman Dani Solomon, who grew up playing inside Rockets Gymnasium with Discovery Charter School, finished with 21 kills. Red Wolf libero Sydnee Tapper had 28 digs as the Red Wolves improved on the best start in school history at 16-0.
Person’s Peyton Hogan, in her first year with the Rockets after previously playing at Roxboro Community School, finished with 14 kills and 23 digs.
“It was very intense,” said Cedar Ridge coach Khoury May. “It got loud in here.”
Person’s (15-3) 12-match winning streak came to an end. All three of the Rockets losses have come against Hillsborough teams.
The Rockets came into the match having won 36 consecutive sets, and extended that in the opening frame. Hogan had five kills while senior Kaiden Hawkins assisted on all of them. Senior Macey Bowes delivered three blocks as the Rockets pulled away with a 9-1 run to take a 13-7 lead. An ace by Tyler Massey put the Rockets ahead 17-9. Lilly Atkins, who has stepped in as an outside hitter following an injury to senior Abby Sharlow, delivered the 24th point off an assist by libero Alex Fuller.
“I think we were more in ourselves and we weren’t playing the way we know how to play early,” May said. “In the second set, we made a mental change and that what’s helped us win.”
Part of the reason why Person’s gym can get loud is because it has a lower roof, which created problems for both teams on balls that bounce off players hands following digs, often ricocheting off the white rafters. Cedar Ridge adapted to the circumstances in the second set, along with the addition of Emory Williams as a server. Williams delivered two aces during a span of ten consecutive Cedar Ridge points that pushed the Red Wolves ahead 19-7. Solomon had seven kills in the second set. A late string of aces by Person senior Logan Hurdle put a dent into Cedar Ridge’s lead, but Claire Hargett delivered a kill on set point to even the match 25-17.
“We needed to shake something up,” May said. “I felt like our serving wasn’t going the way that I wanted. Emory has a great serve and I had full confidence that she was going to come out here and deliver. She did amazing.”
Person took a 17-13 lead in the third set following a 9-1 run that included two aces from Kylee Hayden. Hogan had seven kills in the third set. Person had three sets points leading 24-21, but Cedar Ridge senior Ellamarie Perel came up with a huge kill on an assist from Mia Marty. Solomon slammed down a spike, leading to a Person timeout. A return by Person’s Tyler Massey went long, sending the match to overtime. The Red Wolves fought off a fourth set point after another crucial kill by Perel to make it 25-25. Addilyn Jackson turned back an attack by Hogan to give Cedar Ridge a 26-24 lead. Tapper set up an attack by Jackson along the right pole that Person’s couldn’t return, giving the Red Wolves a crucial set 27-25.
Person jumped out to a 6-1 lead in the fourth set, which led to a Cedar Ridge timeout. During the break, a longtime Person fan walked down the stairs and waved the Person Rocket flag to entice the home crowd. At that point, Cedar Ridge reeled off nine of the next ten points and didn’t trail again. In that span, Tapper had two aces while Hargett registered two kills.
A block by Bowes cut Person’s deficit to 16-15, but the Red Wolves went on a 4-1 run with Solomon scoring to make it 20-16. Williams finished off the match with consecutive aces, the final one landing in the back right corner as the Red Wolves earned a win in the most hostile atmosphere they’ve faced this year.
