Orange Volleyball

The first Orange Panther of the Week for the 2021-2022 academic year in senior outside hitter Ella Van Tiem. On August 16, the Lady Panthers captured its season opener by beating Jordan 3-2 on scores of 25-18, 17-25, 25-20, 22-25, 15-13. Van Tiem had 15 kills, six blocks and 15 digs. It was an impressive win for Orange considering they were without two of its top players. Van Tiem returned to the court on Wednesday night as Orange defeated Southern Alamance 3-1 on Wednesday night in Graham. Then in its Central Carolina Conference opener on Thursday night, Orange rolled past Walter Williams 3-0 in Hillsborough. That sets up a huge matchup on Tuesday when Orange squares off against undefeated Cedar Ridge on Tuesday night at Red Wolves Gymnasium. Last season, Van Tiem played in five matches. With Lottie Scully in the lineup, Van Tiem had a different role with Orange. In the opening three matches of 2021, Van Tiem has proved to be a reliable finisher as Orange is off to a 3-0 start, 1-0 in league play. In addition to Cedar Ridge on Tuesday, Orange will also host Person next week.

When you’re a program that’s built a winning pedigree for the past two years, there’s nothing like the word “new.”

As in “new threats on offense” and “new players who can finish.”

That’s what Cedar Ridge Coach Fiona Cunningham is trying to establish as the Red Wolves prepare for the new Central Carolina Conference.

The newest Red Wolf factored big against her old team in the season opener.

Junior Melissa Benkowitz, an East Chapel Hill transfer, had ten kills and three assists in her first official game for the Red Wolves as Cedar Ridge swept East Chapel Hill 3-0 on Tuesday afternoon at Wildcats Gymnasium. After Cedar Ridge wrapped up the second set, Cunningham rested starters Cameron Lloyd and Cameron Lanier, while junior setter Julie Altieri also had reduced time. That left Benkowitz as the main outside hitter, and she had four kills and two aces in the final set. Benkowitz finished the second set with a kill off an assist from Altieri, followed by an ace to give Cedar Ridge the frame 25-15.

Junior Anaya Carter had a kill off an assist from Altieri on match point to put the third set away for the Red Wolves 25-21.

“It was a team effort today,” Cunningham said. “Every single player got on the court and every single player scored a point or contributed in multiple ways.”

Lloyd finished with six kills.

“Mel was a liber at East Chapel Hill,” Cunningham said. “Over the past year, she grew into some height during club ball and they started using her as an outside hitter. She plays beach (volleyball) and when she plays beach, she hits outside. So we’ve been giving her some time to swing on the pin and see how it works.”

Cedar Ridge (1-0) will return home to face Riverside on Thursday. Then comes a much-anticipated trip to Greenville to face D.H. Conley, the defending 3A State Champions. The Vikings defeated the Red Wolves in the second round of the 3A State Playoffs in January 3-1. Cedar Ridge captured the first set, one of only three sets the Vikings lost in the postseason. They swept Cox Mill in the State Championship match.

ORANGE 3, JORDAN 2

Playing without 2020 Big 8 Player of the Year Lottie Scully and junior All-Conference middle hitter Erin Jordan-Cornell, Orange still found a way to win its season-opener against Jordan in Durham 3-2 on Monday night. The Lady Panthers prevailed on scores of 25-18, 17-25, 25-20, 22-25 and 15-13.

In the absence of Scully, Ella Van Time had 15 kills, six blocks and 15 digs as the Lady Panthers captured its season opener for the fourth time in five years. Junior Allie Wilkerson added eleven kills, one ace, and 15 digs.

Junior Caitlin Carden established herself as the team’s premier setter, registering a whopping 40 assists, along with 16 digs and two aces. Senior Avery Miller, starting her third varsity season, had seven kills and ten digs.

Orange will travel to East Chapel Hill on Friday afternoon at 5.

WOMEN’S TENNIS: ORANGE 3, CARRBORO 1…SUSPENDED

The Orange women’s tennis team started its season against Carrboro at Panther Tennis Courts on Monday afternoon, but the match was suspended because of rain. At the time the match was halted, Orange led 3-1.

Grace Pell grabbed a win for Orange at #2 singles after her opponent had to retire due to injury. At #5 singles, sophomore Erin Sollars earned her first victory at the varsity level. Freshman Shannon Solars won at #6 singles, also her first win for Orange.

Orange women’s tennis coach Justin Webb hopes to continue the match at a later time. The Lady Panthers will return to action against Southern Alamance on Thursday in Hillsborough.

Our Retro Orange Panther of the Week is Orange rising senior Avery Miller. Last year, the Orange volleyball team defeated defending 3A State Champion Chapel Hill 3-1 inside of an empty Orange High Gymnasium. Ordinarily, the gym would have been raucous after the Lady Panthers gained a long-awaited win over the Tigers, who had dominated the Panthers since the two teams became conference rivals again. Miller, playing the first game of her junior season, had five kills, four aces, five blocks and a team-high 29 serve receptions. Miller, the daughter of Orange High graduates Bobby and Jennifer Miller, had eight kills the following weeks in a 3-1 win over Northern Durham at Poe Gymtorium. She matched the eight kills in a 3-1 loss to Cedar Ridge. Like many volleyball players across the area, Miller has spent weekends during the spring playing across the region with her summer travel team. As soon as travel season ends, Miller will return to action to prepare for the upcoming season, which will start in August as Orange prepares for new league opponents in the Central Conference.

Kayla Hodges: On Thursday afternoon, the Elon women’s soccer team surprised top-seeded Hofstra 1-0 in the semifinals of the Colonial Athletic Association Tournament in Towson, MD. Hodges, who was named the Colonial Athletic Association Defensive Player of the Week earlier this season, started for the Phoenix on defense. Claire Broderdop scored the game’s only goal in the 78th minute. It’s the first time that Elon ever defeated Hofstra. The Phoenix is now 5-3 and will face UNC Wilmington for the Colonial Athletic Association championship on Sunday afternoon.

Taylin Jean: The Division II Limestone women’s soccer team came to an end with a 1-0 loss to Queen’s University in the semifinals of the South Atlantic Conference Tournament last Thursday. Jean, a goalkeeper, didn’t play against the Royals. She earned the victory in net during Limestone’s final win of the season, a 2-1 win over Lincoln Memorial on April 5.

Jordan Rogers: The Division III William Peace women’s soccer team had its season end against Mary Baldwin on March 26. This season, Rogers started in all eight games for the Pacers. She played 443 minutes. Peace finished 3-5 overall, 2-4 in the USA South Athletic Conference.

Bailey Lucas: The Meredith volleyball team’s season came to an end on Wednesday in the semifinals of the USA Southeast Division Tournament. Averett defeated the Avenging Angels 3-1 on scores of 26-24, 21-25, 25-23, 25-20 inside the Grant Center in Danville, VA. Lucas ended her junior season by starting the final game of the season. She compiled 16 assists, 15 digs and one kill. Lucas led the team with 314 assists this year. She was fourth in the squad with 108 digs. Meredith ends the year 9-5.

Mia Davidson: The Mississippi State softball team won both of its midweek games this week. The Bulldogs defeated Samford 8-5 in Birmingham, AL on Tuesday. Davidson went 1-for-4 with an RBI single in the 7th inning. On Wednesday, Mississippi State edged Southern Miss 3-2 in eight innings at Nusz Park in Starkville, MS. Davidson went 1-for-3 with a single in the 1st inning, and eventually scored.

Montana Davidson: Montana hit an RBI single in the fourth inning for Mississippi State against Samford. In the third inning, Montana scored in the third inning off an RBI single by Fa Leilua. She finished 1-for-2 with an RBI against Samford. Against Southern Miss, Montana went 0-for-2 with a walk. Mississippi State is 22-16 and will travel to Missouri this weekend searching for its first Southeastern Conference win of the season.

Brandon Andrews: The former Cedar Ridge pitcher made his debut for Jacksonville State last month. In one-thirds of an inning, Andrews gave up three runs off two hits as the Gamecocks lost to Kennesaw State 12-10 at Stillwell Stadium in Kennesaw, GA on March 24. After two seasons and 37 relief appearances at Nicholls State, Andrews transferred to Jacksonville State last summer. He redshirted last season with Nicholls State. Jacksonville State is 16-15, 7-5 in the Ohio Valley Conference. The Gamecocks will travel to Eastern Kentucky this weekend.

Kate Burgess: Burgess, a former center for the Orange women’s basketball team and cross country runner, is now a member of the UNC rowing team. On March 27, UNC’s 1V4+ quad earned its first win of the season over UCF at Virginia’s South Fork River Reservoir in Charlottesville, VA. Burgess was in the 2V4 race, joined by freshman coxswain Isabelle McGimsey, along with Gigi Maroney, Nicole Van Liew and Claire Melgard. They finished the race in 8:10.9. UCF’s team finished in 8:05.7.

Jaylin Jones: The Division III Pfeiffer men’s lacrosse team defeated Greensboro College 18-8 at Lefko Field in Misenheimer on Wednesday. Jones, who played football and lacrosse at Orange, had two ground balls for the Falcons. Pfeiffer improved to 8-1 overall, 6-0 in the USA South Athletic Conference. Pfeiffer will face Methodist in Fayetteville on Saturday.

Brittany Daley: The former Cedar Ridge soccer star started for the Greensboro College Pride against Pfeiffer on Saturday. The Pride defeated the Falcons 2-0 at Pride Field to win the USA South East Division Championship. Daley played the full 90 minutes as Greensboro ended its abbreviated spring season with a win. Daley started all eight games that Greensboro played this spring. She played the maximum 740 minutes as the Pride finished 6-1-1. Ordinarily, Greensboro would be preparing to play for the NCAA Division III Tournament, but the event was canceled this year. Daley will start her senior season with the Pride this fall when play hopefully returns to normal.

Kayla Hodges: The Elon Phoenix women’s soccer team defeated William & Mary 2-0 at the Dillard Complex in Williamsburg, VA on Saturday. With the win, Elon clinched a spot in the Colonial Athletic Association postseason tournament. Hodges started her seventh game of the season. The Phoenix is 4-3 overall, 3-1 in the CAA. Elon will face Hofstra, on Thursday in Towson, MD in the semifinals of the CAA Tournament.

Landon Riley: The Liberty baseball team completed a three-game sweep of Lipscomb at Worthington Field in Lynchburg, VA over the weekend. Riley appeared in two games and was used as a setup man instead of the closer role that had been customary so far this year. On Friday in the Flames 4-1 win, Riley faced one batter, who grounded into a double play. On Sunday in the Flames 5-4 win, Riley threw the eighth inning and allowed one hit. He retired the other three batters he faced. Liberty currently leads the Atlantic Sun Conference with a 7-1 record, one game ahead of Kennesaw State for first place.

Phillip Berger: The winningest pitcher in Cedar Ridge history earned his third win of the season for Division III William Peace on Friday. The Pacers defeated Mary Baldwin 14-2 in five innings in the second game of a doubleheader in Stauton, VA. Berger threw four innings. He struck out six and allowed two runs off four hits. Berger is 3-2 with a 3.83 ERA for the Pacers this season. The Pacers improved to 13-12.

Mia Davidson: After its weekend series against Tennessee was canceled, the Mississippi State softball team arranged a doubleheader against #1 Oklahoma and Louisiana Tech in Ruston, LA on Saturday. Against La. Tech, Davidson went 0-for-3. Mississippi State won 2-0 behind a no-hitter by pitcher Annie Willis. Against the Sooners, Davidson went 0-for-1 with a walk. Oklahoma won 9-0 in five innings.

Montana Davidson: Montana started at third base against Louisiana Tech and went 0-for-2 with a sacrifice bunt. Against Oklahoma, Montana went 0-for-1. Mississippi State is 20-16 and will travel to Samford on Tuesday.

Jalen Hurdle: On Saturday, the Patrick Henry Community College softball team split a doubleheader with Spartanburg Methodist. Hurdle threw a three-hit shutout in the second game as the Patriots won 11-0. Hurdle struck out three over five innings and allowed only one walk. She also went 1-for-3 with an RBI single. It was the second pitching win of Hurdle’s career. The Pioneers won the first game 11-6. Hurdle finished 2-for-4 with an RBI. Patrick Henry is now 10-14 overall, 4-4 in Region X of the National Junior College Athletic Association.

Marvin Jones: The North Carolina Central track & field team competed in the Aggie Invitational at North Carolina A&T University in Greensboro on Saturday. Jones earned a fourth place finish in the high jump with a 2.05-meter jump. Hoova Taylor of Virginia State finished first with a jump of 2.10 meters.

Bailey Lucas: The Division III Meredith volleyball team ended the regular season with a doubleheader sweep of Mary Baldwin in the Physical Activity Center in Stauton, VA on Sunday. The Avenging Angels won the first match 3-1 on scores of 25-17, 17-25, 25-18 and 27-25. Lucas came off the bench in the first match and finished with 20 assists and seven digs. Meredith swept the final match on scores of 25-13, 25-21 and 25-11. Lucas had three kills, 15 assists and four digs. The Avenging Angels end the regular season 9-4 overall, 6-2 in the USA South Athletic Conference. Meredith now enters the USA South East Division Championship as the #3 seed. They will travel to face second-seeded Averett on Wednesday.

Taylin Jean: The former Cedar Ridge goalkeeper returned to action for Division II Limestone on Monday night. The Saints defeated Lincoln Memorial University 2-1 in Harrogate, TN. Jean earned the win after she played 98 minutes. It was her first win of the season. On April 1, Jean came on as a substitute for starter Katie Maher in a 1-0 loss to Queen’s University at Saints Field. Limestone is 5-2 overall, 4-2 in the South Atlantic Conference.

Brittany Daley: The Division III Greensboro College women’s soccer team defeated North Carolina Wesleyan 3-2 in the USA South Athletic Conference East Division Finals on Saturday. Daley played in her 41st career game for the Pride. Greensboro will face Pfeiffer for the USA South East Division Championship on Saturday.

Kayla Hodges: The Elon women’s soccer team defeated the College of Charleston 1-0 at Patriot’s Point Stadium in Mt. Pleasant, SC on Sunday. Hodges was one of six Elon players to play the entire match. The Phoenix is now 3-3 overall, 2-1 in the Colonial Athletic Conference. Elon will travel to William & Mary on Saturday.

Landon Riley: The Liberty baseball team defeated Wake Forest 8-4 on Wednesday at Worthington Field in Lynchburg, VA. Riley finished out the game with a scoreless ninth inning. He surrendered one hit and one walk. Liberty is now 4-1 against ACC teams. This was Riley 10th appearance in 2020. He still has not surrendered a run. In eleven innings, Riley has given up five hits and five walks with 12 strikeouts. Opponents are hitting .135 against him. The Flames are 18-8, 5-1 in the Atlantic Sun Conference. They will host Lipscomb for a three-game weekend series starting Friday.

Cooper Porter: The Pensacola State Junior College baseball team defeated Gulf Coast State College 4-3 on Wednesday night. Porter started in right field and finished 1-for-4 with a run scored. On Tuesday, Pensacola State defeated Gulf Coast 3-1 in Panama City, FL. Porter went 2-for-3 with a walk. In the last six games in which he’s played, Porter has had a base hit. (He sat out last weekend’s series against Northwest Florida State College) In 12 games, Porter has increased his average to .290. Pensacola State is 18-14, 8-3 in the Panhandle Conference.

Mia Davidson: The Mississippi State softball team rallied to defeat Central Arkansas 4-3 at Nusz Park in Starkville, MS on Wednesday. Davidson passed Will Clark in MSU baseball and softball history with her 62nd career home run in the fifth inning. Davidson needs only three more home runs to enter the SEC all-time top five. Davidson finished 2-for-4 with a double, putting her at 197 career hits. On Monday, Southeastern Louisiana defeated Mississippi State 6-4 in Hammond, LA. Davidson finished 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI against the Golden Lions.

Montana Davidson: Montana started at 3rd base for Mississippi State against Southeastern Louisiana and finished 0-for-3. She also started against Central Arkansas on Wednesday. Mississippi State’s weekend series against Tennessee has already been canceled because of COVID-19 protocols within the Volunteers program.

Jaden Hurdle: The Patrick Henry Community College softball team split a doubleheader against Pitt Community College in Winterville on Tuesday. Pitt captured the nightcap 5-3. In that game, Hurdle hit a solo homer for PHCC. She finished 2-for-3 with a double and the dinger. Hurdle also started in the Patriots’ 3-0 win over the Bruisers in the opener. She went 0-for-4. Hurdle is now hitting .390 with four home runs and 16 RBIs in 20 games. Patrick Henry is 9-13 overall, 4-4 in Region 10 of the National Junior College Athletic Association. This weekend, Patrick Henry will travel to Spartanburg Methodist for a Saturday doubleheader.

Bailey Lucas: The Division III Meredith College volleyball team swept Methodist in a senior day doubleheader at Weatherspoon Gym in Raleigh on Friday. Meredith took the first match 3-2 on scores of 20-25, 25-23, 26-24, 21-25 and 15-8. Lucas started and finished with two kills, 28 assists and seven digs. The Avenging Angels also won the second match 3-1 on scores of 22-25, 32-30, 25-15 and 25-20. In the final match, Lucas started and registered three kills, 24 assists and eight digs. Meredith is 7-4 overall, 4-2 in the USA South Athletic Conference. They wrap up the regular season with a trip to Mary Baldwin for a doubleheader on Sunday. Lucas leads the team with 263 assists. She is fourth on the squad with 82 digs.

Dylan Boyer: The #17 Queen’s University men’s lacrosse team lost to #20 Limestone 11-5 at Saints Field in Gaffney, S.C. on Wednesday night. Boyer, a freshman with the Royals, came in as a reserve and fired one shot. Queens is now 6-4 overall, 6-2 in the South Atlantic Conference.

Joey Berini: The former Orange High shortstop had his first college base hit for #11 East Carolina in its 11-10 win over North Carolina at Clarke-LeClair Field in Greenville on Tuesday night. Berini pinch-hit for Zach Agnos to lead off the 7th inning, when the Tar Heels were ahead 10-6. Berini reached on a single to left field. He advanced to second on a wild pitch with two out, but the inning ended after a flyout to centerfield. The Pirates rallied with five runs in the 8th and 9th innings to improve to 18-5.

Cooper Porter: On Saturday, Porter had the biggest day of his young college career in Pensacola State Junior College’s 15-5 win over Chipola College. Porter went 2-for-3 with 5 RBIs with a home run in the second game of a doubleheader. Chipola won the opening game 10-5. Porter went 1-for-3 in the opener. Last Thursday, Pensacola State defeated Chipola 8-4, where Porter went 1-for-4. Pensacola State Junior College’s baseball team defeated Tallahassee Community College 6-2 on Tuesday. Porter went 1-for-3 for the Pirates. He has increased his batting average to .250 and is now on a four-game hitting streak. Pensacola State is 14-13 overall, 4-2 in the Panhandle Conference.

Bailey Lucas: The Division III Meredith volleyball team split a doubleheader against Greensboro College on Saturday. Inside Hanes Gym in Greensboro, the Avenging Angels won the first match in five sets 25-22, 20-25, 25-21, 18-25, 16-14. Lucas started and finished with 31 assists, three kills and 12 digs. Greensboro won the final match 3-1 on scores of 25-19, 25-17, 25-27 and 25-23. Lucas also started the second match for the Avenging Angels and registered two kills, 19 assists and four digs. Meredith is 5-4 overall, 3-2 in the USA South Athletic Conference. They host Methodist on Saturday in its final two home matches of the regular season.

Grace Andrews: Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute swept a doubleheader from Catawba Valley Community College on Tuesday in Lenoir. Caldwell took the first game 5-1 and captured the nightcap 7-2. Playing shortstop for Catawba, Andrews went 2-for-3 with a walk in the opener. In the nightcap, Andrews finished 1-for-4 with a run scored. Andrews, who extended her hitting streak to five games, leads Catawba Valley with a .486 batting average. She also leads the team with 35 hits. Catawba Valley is 15-7. Caldwell Community College now leads Catawba Valley by two games for first place in the Western Division of Region 10 in the National Junior College Athletic Association.

Ivy Garner: Garner spent her freshman year at Cedar Ridge, where she was a part of the Red Wolves’ tennis and soccer teams. She transferred to Eno River Academy at the beginning of the 2018 academic year. Garner hasn’t played high school sports since, but has played with the North Carolina Courage’s U-17 team. Garner recently announced her commitment to play at N.C. State.

Kayla Hodges: Wake Forest defeated Elon 3-0 in women’s soccer on Sunday at Spry Stadium in Winston-Salem. Hodges, who was named the Colonial Athletic Association Defensive Player of the Week last week, had one of nine shots fired by the Phoenix. On Thursday, South Carolina defeated the Phoenix 3-0 at Rudd Field. Hodges started as a wingback. The Phoenix are 2-3 overall, 1-1 in the CAA. Elon will travel to the College of Charleston on Saturday.

Brittany Daley: The Division III Greensboro College women’s soccer program shut out Meredith 1-0 on Saturday at Meredith Athletic Field in Raleigh. Former Cedar Ridge center back Brittany Daley helped Pride goalkeeper Lauren Rodriguez secure the shutout as Greensboro improved to 4-1-1 in the USA South Athletic Conference. This was also the regular season finale for Greensboro. The Pride will host one of the USA South Division semifinals on Saturday.

Jordan Rogers: Methodist defeated Division III William Peace women’s soccer team on March 24. Rogers, who graduated from Orange, started at wingback for the Pacers. Peace is 3-5 overall, 2-4 in the USA South Athletic Conference. The Pacers wrap up the regular season against Mary Baldwin University on Friday. If Rogers plays, it will be her 40th game for Peace.

Kayla Hodges: Elon Phoenix junior Kayla Hodges was named Colonial Athletic Association Defensive Player of the Week. Last week, Elon defeated James Madison in overtime 1-0. The Dukes fired 12 shots against Elon, but Hodges and the rest of the backline prevented any of the shots from getting on net. Hodges also had a shot on net in Sunday’s victory at Rudd Field. Elon is 2-1, 1-1 in the CAA. They host South Carolina on Thursday.

Brittany Daley: Division III Greensboro College played to a scoreless tie with Pfeiffer on Saturday at Pride Field in Greensboro. Daley made her 39th career start for the Pride, who are now 3-1-1 in the USA South Athletic Conference.

Bailey Lucas: Lucas posted a double-double in Division III Meredith’s nightcap victory over North Carolina Wesleyan at Weatherspoon Gym in Raleigh on Saturday. Lucas had 24 assists and eleven kills as the Avenging Angels won the second match of a doubleheader 3-0 on scores of 25-14, 25-14 and 25-20. Meredith also captured the opener 3-0 on scores of 25-19, 25-16 and 25-9. In that match, Lucas started once again and registered nine assists and two digs. Meredith improved to 4-3, 3-2 in the USA South. This season, Lucas has started all seven matches for the Avenging Angels. She leads the team with 161 assists and is third on the squad with 51 digs. Meredith travels to Greensboro on Saturday.

Joey Berini: The #8 East Carolina baseball team lost to #24 North Carolina 8-1 on Tuesday night at Boshamer Stadium in Chapel Hill. Berini entered the game in the sixth inning and remained as the shortstop. In his only at-bat, Berini grounded out to second base. The Pirates are now 16-4.

Cooper Porter: Pensacola State defeated Chipola College 8-4 last Thursday. Porter finished 1-for-4 with a run scored. Through nine games with the Pirates, Porter is hitting .167 with one RBI and three stolen bases.

Jaylin Jones: The Division III Pfeiffer University men’s lacrosse team defeated Methodist 18-8 at Lefko Field in Misenheimer on Sunday. It was the Falcons’ fourth straight victory. Jones was credited with a ground ball as Pfeiffer improved to 5-1, 3-0 in the USA South Conference.

Olivia Ward: Ward captured a victory at #3 doubles for the Division III Methodist women’s tennis team on Saturday. Ward, a former All-Big 8 Conference player at Cedar Ridge, teamed with Natalie Collins to defeat Emily Wrenn and Ruth Lechner 8-0 of Sweet Briar in #3 doubles. Sweet Briar wound up winning the match 5-4. It was Ward’s first victory in the college ranks. Earlier in the day, Ward lost in #3 singles to Kate Katany 6-4, 6-3. Methodist is 4-9 overall, 1-0 in the USA South Conference.

Connor Crabtree: Though he hasn’t played since early December, Connor Crabtree will be watching when the University of Richmond competes in the National Invitational Tournament quarterfinals. The Spiders will face Mississippi State on Thursday night. Unfortunately, Crabtree was sidelined for the season with a broken foot before Christmas. In his first season with the Spiders, Crabtree played in four games. On December 22, he scored eight points as the Spiders lost to Hofstra 76-71. Crabtree played a season-high 21 minutes. He also played seven minutes against Loyola-Chicago, whom the Spiders defeated 75-73 on December 18. The Ramblers will face Oregon State on Saturday in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament.

A start-and-stop volleyball season is back on hold in Hillsborough.

The Cedar Ridge and Orange High volleyball teams have paused their seasons for two weeks. The two teams were told of the move on Monday morning by their respective coaching staffs.

The delay occurred after it was discovered a player on the Northwood Chargers volleyball team had tested positive for COVID-19. Likewise, Northwood’s season is also on hold for two weeks.

Cedar Ridge traveled to Northwood on Thursday, and Orange played the Chargers the following night in Pittsboro.

The 14-day period starts when the two teams played Northwood. Cedar Ridge would be eligible to return to action December 24. Orange is eligible on December 25.

Orange’s game at East Chapel Hill, scheduled for Monday night, was postponed hours before it was slated to begin. It’s the third time that a matchup between the Wildcats and the Lady Panthers has been delayed since the regular season started on November 19.

Cedar Ridge, who leads the Big 8 Conference with a 7-0 record, was supposed to start a four-game homestead against Orange on Tuesday night. The Red Wolves also had games against Northern Durham (Thursday), Chapel Hill (December 21) and East Chapel Hill (December 22). All of those matches will have to be rescheduled.

Orange had five games slated leading up to Christmas, including three this week. In addition to road games against East Chapel Hill and Cedar Ridge, the Lady Panthers were supposed to host Northwood on Thursday. Next week, Orange was supposed to play Vance County (December 21) and travel to Chapel Hill (December 22).

The shutdown means that Orange and Cedar Ridge not only can’t play games, they also can’t practice. It’s the second time this season that Orange has dealt with a shutdown. Though the regular season started in November, Orange didn’t play its first game until December 1 when they upset defending 3A State Champion Chapel Hill. (There was a forfeit victory over Vance County).

The two-week shutdown will put a crunch on both Orange and Cedar Ridge to finish its 14-game regular seasons. In its amended sports calendar, the North Carolina High School Athletic Association mandates that the regular season must end January 8.

Orange is 4-2, which means they have 14 days to play its final ten games. Cedar Ridge, who is ranked #5 in the state among 3A teams in the latest MaxPreps rankings, already had a match against Orange postponed from December 4 because of COVID concerns. It was rescheduled for January 6.

Teams across the Big 8 Conference have been forced to deal with COVID from the very beginning. Southern Durham High School was forced to cancel games after a positive case. The Spartans already have forfeited games against Cedar Ridge (December 8) and Orange (December 3).

Due to the abbreviated season, only two teams from the Big 8 Conference will make the state playoffs. Currently, Chapel Hill, East Chapel Hill and Orange are tied for 2nd in the loss column. The Tigers are 6-2, while East Chapel Hill is 5-2. The Wildcats defeated the Lady Panthers last Thursday in Hillsborough.

The first round of the state playoffs is scheduled for January 12. This year’s 3A State Tournament will be 32 teams, as opposed to the 64-team field which has been common in recent years across all classifications.