Cedar Ridge 3, North Carolina School of Science & Math 0: Just 24 hours removed from its first five set match in years, Cedar Ridge bounced back with its first road win of the season in Durham on Thursday night.
Claire Hargett finished with eleven kills and 16 digs while junior Kayla Stoll added seven kills and four blocks as the Red Wolves (2-1) defeated the North Carolina School of Science and Math inside Unicorns Gymnasium. Cedar Ridge’s serving provided eight aces as the Red Wolves won its final game before its Central Conference opener at Person on Tuesday.
Tied 4-4 in the opening set, Cedar Ridge went on a 9-2 run to take a lead it would not relinquish. Hargett started the spurt with a mighty swing for her first kill, followed by a block of the Unicorns’ Megan Cherry. NCSSM’s Cornelia Okonkwo scored from the middle of the floor to cut the Cedar Ridge lead to 9-6, but Hargett and Mia Marty scored off attacks, followed by an ace from Marty. Stoll’s ended the set with her second block of the frame as Cedar Ridge won 25-14.
In the second set, NCSSM led 12-10 after the Red Wolves were called for a double hit. Cedar Ridge erased its deficit with a 5-1 run, starting when the Unicorns were called for a lift. Stoll delivered an ace to give the Red Wolves a 13-12 lead. With the score even at 15-15, Marty scored off a feed from Ellie Miller, starting a 6-2 Red Wolf run. Stoll added her third block while Ellamarie Perel notched her second kill of the set. Marty delivered an ace on set point.
Stoll had two kills as Cedar Ridge jumped out to a 6-1 lead to begin the third set. Junior Emory Williams delivered an ace while Hargett had consecutive kills off assists from Marty. The Unicorns would get as close as 15-12, but Cedar Ridge scored the final ten points of the match. Stoll slammed down match point as the Red Wolves won 25-12.
East Chapel Hill 3, Cedar Ridge 2: The first five set match for Cedar Ridge since 2019 saw the East Chapel Hill Wildcats close out the fourth set on a 11-1 run to even the match, then dominate the fifth set for its first road win of the year.
Hargett finished with 14 kills and ten digs as the Red Wolves suffered its first loss of the season. Perel had nine kills.
East Chapel Hill fought off two set points in the opening frame to win it in overtime. Hargett delivered a spike to put the Red Wolves ahead 24-22. East’s Lucy Murphy and Margaret Jewell had consecutive kills to tie the match. Stoll scored to five Cedar Ridge a 25-24 lead, but a return by the Red Wolves went into the net. Jewell delivered an ace to give the Wildcats the set 28-26.
Cedar Ridge won the second set despite falling behind 4-0 early and trailing as much as 8-2. Five different Red Wolves notched kills, including three each from Hargett and Perel. Williams, who changed to libero in the second set, served an ace to start a 7-0 Red Wolf spree, capped by a kill from Stoll to put Cedar Ridge ahed 24-21. A serve by the Wildcats’ Ruth Ann Soccerorso went long, leveling the match at 1-1.
Cedar Ridge won the third set 25-23, a frame that had eight ties and three lead changes. Cedar Ridge took control with the score at 15-15 when Calla Lundberg tipped one over off a feed from Marty, followed by an ace from Stoll. Charlotte Lowry added a kill to put the Red Wolves ahead 18-15. The set was even at 23-23 when the Red Wolves won a long rally that included Perel making three digs. The point ended with Stoll scoring off a block. Stoll scored off an unassisted kill to give Cedar Ridge the set 25-23.
The fourth set was even 15-15 when the Wildcats went on a 10-1 run, led by consecutive aces from Murphy. Giselle Barrett and Austin Harris has back-to-back kills to start momentum that Cedar Ridge couldn’t stop again.
East continued rolling in the fifth set, scoring the first six points. An ace from Soccorso led to Cedar Ridge head coach Latacha De Oliveira calling timeout. That did little to help as East built an 11-3 lead behind an attack from Murphy from Avery Ellis. Austin Harris scored match point as East captured the set 15-7.
The last time Cedar Ridge played a five-set match, it was against Orange on October 8, 2019 inside Red Wolves Gymnasium.