The best start in Cedar Ridge volleyball history came to an end against a deep, tall, experienced group from Jordan High.
The Falcons defeated the Red Wolves 3-1 at Falcon Gymnasium on Monday night. The Red Wolves (6-1) lost the final set 25-15. Cedar Ridge remained close in the final set, trailing 10-9 before Jordan went on a 9-2 run. Jordan junior Maegan Williams had three kills in that span. Senior Morgan Hyman ended the match with a kill that hugged the outside line to improve the Falcons to 5-3 on the season.
Jordan also defeated Orange in the Peak City Classic at Apex Friendship High School on August 24.
It’s the start of a strenuous week for the Red Wolves. After facing a Jordan team that has six seniors on its 13-player roster on Monday, the Red Wolves will host three-time defending Big 8 Champion Chapel Hill on Tuesday night at Cedar Ridge. Chapel Hill, who defeated Jordan 3-1 on August 20, started its Big 8 season with a 3-0 victory over Vance County on Monday night.
On Thursday night, Cedar Ridge will face crosstown rival Orange at Panther Gymnasium. The Lady Panthers have defeated Cedar Ridge five straight times. The game will pair teammates from the Chapel Hill Area Volleyball Club against each other. Last spring, the CHAVC finished 2nd in the Big South Qualifier in Atlanta, Georgia. They earned an invitation to the USA Volleyball Girls National Championships in Indianapolis, which took place in June.
Cedar Ridge freshmen Cameron Lloyd, Julie Altieri, and Cameron Lanier were members of the CHAVC, along with current Orange freshman Erin Jordan-Cornell. Lloyd and Jordan-Cornell were also teammates at Stanford Middle School, but will be on opposite sides of the net on Thursday.
Orange will start its Big 8 Conference campaign on Tuesday night, making the long trip north to play Vance County. The Vipers joined the Big 8 Conference during the summer after Hillside moved back up to 4A.
Men’s Soccer: The Cedar Ridge men’s soccer team took a hard luck loss against Bartlett Yancey 3-2 on Monday night in Yanceyville. The Red Wolves fought back from a 2-0 deficit at halftime and evened the game, but the Buccaneers scored the game-winning goal late.
Senior midfielder Brandon Garcia scored for the sixth consecutive game by scoring the opener for the Red Wolves in the 2nd half. Cedar Ridge evened the game when Reese Weaver scored off an assist from Nick Frank.
Garcia now has six goals and three assists through six games this season. Weaver has four goals, while Frank has two goals and two assists.
Cedar Ridge is 2-3-1. The Red Wolves will open Big 8 Conference play against Northwood on Wednesday night at Red Wolves Stadium. Remarkably, this will be the home opener for Cedar Ridge three weeks into the season. They were supposed to play Bartlett Yancey last week, but the game was postponed.
The Orange men’s soccer team will play only once this week. They travel to East Chapel Hill on Wednesday night. It will also be their Big 8 Conference opener. The Panthers are 3-2 after falling to Riverside in Durham on Friday night.