Photo by Jacques Morin
Hope Heverly was right on Senior Night.
Even after losing outside hitter Ava Wilkerson at mid-season due to a medical procedure, Heverly said her Orange volleyball team had yet to play its best game of the season after beating J.F. Webb on October 7. Two nights later, the Lady Panthers proceeded to play its best match of the year in a dominant win over Seaforth in Pittsboro.
On Tuesday night, Orange showed they’re prepared to face 2nd-seeded Southern Nash in the next round of the 5A State Playoffs.
In likely her final home match, Aubrey Jordan finished with 14 kills and seven digs as the Lady Panther swept Southeast Alamance 3-0 on scores of 25-15, 25-19 and 25-18 in Hillsborough in the opening round of the 5A State Playoffs. Another senior, Katie Silcott, came away with seven kills, 19 assists and four digs.
Orange is seeded seventh in the 5A East Region.
Orange’s senior class of Jordan, Silcott, Wilkerson, Addison Guentensberger, Mariah Poole, Milleka Purcell, and Gianna Negron now have won ten state playoff matches since 2022.
Guentensberger, a libero, had ten digs for Orange (12-11).
Orange advances to the round of 16 in the 5A State Playoffs. The Lady Panthers will travel to Southern Nash on Thursday night. The Firebirds, seeded #2 in the East Region, swept Dixon in Bailey on Tuesday.
It was the second time the Lady Panthers defeated the Stallions this season. In the season-opener on August 12, Orange defeated Southeast Alamance 3-1 in Haw River.
Jordan had six kills in the opening set, which was tied 7-7 before the Lady Panthers went on a 6-1 run triggered by three kills by Silcott. Orange scored seven straight points to extend its lead to 22-12 with Silcott delivering two aces. Aubry Hodges slammed down set point off an assist from Silcott.
Orange didn’t trail in the second set. Lady Panther junior Sawyer White, who finished with nine kills and 18 assists, had six kills in the second frame. She ignited a 5-1 Orange run with consecutive kills to put Orange ahead 15-10. Hodges and Jordan had consecutive kills to end the second set.
The Stallions built its only substantial lead of the match in the third set behind kills from senior Zakiah Peterson, who finished with seven kills and three blocks. Southeast had an 8-6 lead before Orange scored four straight points to take the lead for good. Orange ended the match on a 6-1 run. Fittingly, Jordan scored match point. In her final kill at Orange Gymnasium. Jordan took a pass from White and tucked it into the back left corner.
Senior Emily Troy led the Stallions with ten kills in her final match.
Southeast Alamance ends the year 16-9.
Cedar Ridge 3, South Granville 0:
The top-seed in the East Region had no problem with South Granville at Red Wolves Gymnasium in the second round of the 5A State Playoffs.
Junior Addilyn Jackson and freshman Dani Solomon each had six kills as the Red Wolves advanced to the Round of 16 on scores of 25-9, 25-16, 25-8. Cedar Ridge (23-1) advanced to face Western Alamance on Thursday night in Hillsborough.
Cedar Ridge charged out to a 6-1 lead behind aces from Solomon and Mia Marty. On the night, Marty finished with 26 assists, three digs and five kills.
Senior libero Sydnee Tapper finished with 17 digs. Jackson had four kills in the opening set. Jackson and Claire Hargett had kills to finish out the first set.
The second set was the most competitive of the night. South Granville’s Kaytlyn Dickerson had three kills, followed by another from Maddie Clement to cut the Red Wolf lead to 14-12. Cedar Ridge rolled off eight straight points, which included a block from senior Ellamarie Perel and a kill by Marty to put the Red Wolves ahead 22-13. Solomon scored on a kill set up by Marty to put the Red Wolves ahead by two sets.
South Granville scored the first three points of the third set, its only lead of the match. The Red Wolves scored eight of the next ten points. Hargett, Perel, Kayla Stoll, Marty and Solomon each had two kills in the third set. Tapper ended the match with consecutive aces.
South Granville ends the season 8-17.
Cedar Ridge has won nine state playoff matches since 2022.
