Cedar Ridge volleyball was due for good fortune in a five-set match.
Its first loss of the season came against East Chapel Hill, where they fell at home in five sets. The Red Wolves started this month by sweeping crosstown rival Orange, the defending 3A Eastern Regional champions at Panthers Gymnasium. The following night, Cedar Ridge faced Carrboro, the team that Orange defeated to win that Regional title.
Cedar Ridge led two-sets-to-nothing before Carrboro roared back to win in five sets, taking the fifth 15-7.
On Thursday night, the stakes were greater. Cedar Ridge faced a Person team that they had swept in its conference opener last month. But the Rockets arrived to Hillsborough healthier, wiser and determined to end its nine-match losing streak to the Red Wolves.
Cedar Ridge didn’t have momentum to start the fifth set. Person scored the opening three points, but it’s not how you start. It’s how you finish. Cedar Ridge’s Ellamarie Perel and Claire Hargett not only paved the way for a successful finish on Thursday night, but they greatly helped their long-term future.
Hargett finished with four kills in the final set as Cedar Ridge went on a 7-1 run in the final frame to pull out a 3-2 victory over Person. Cedar Ridge now leads Orange and Western Alamance by two games for first place in the Central Conference with a 7-0 league mark. The Red Wolves are 10-3 overall.
Also on Thursday night, Western Alamance defeated Orange 3-2 at Warriors Gymnasium. The Warriors and the Panthers are now tied for second place with a 5-2 league mark. Cedar Ridge hosts Orange next Thursday.
Person freshman Kylee Hayden had consecutive kills to open the fifth set, followed by another strike from Macey Bowes. Perel, who finished with 14 kills, ended the dry spell with a kill along the far post set up by junior Mia Marty. After a strike by Perel went long to vault Person ahead 4-1, the Red Wolves reeled off four straight points. Kayla Stoll scored a huge block. In the longest rally of the final set, Cedar Ridge libero Sydnee Tapper had a huge dig that led to Person sending an attack into the net. Marty put the Red Wolves ahead with an ace.
Hargett, who came away with 18 kills and 26 digs, put together two straight kills, one of which went off the face of Person’s libero to give Cedar Ridge an 8-5 lead. Person’s Kaylie Parker sent a light tap over the net off an assist from Kaiden Hawkins to cut the Rockets’ deficit to 8-76, but Calla Lundberg and Hargett had kills to start a 6-0 Red Wolf run. Tapper added on an ace. A kill by Perel put the Red Wolves ahead 14-7, but Person wasn’t done yet. Parker scored three straight kills, followed by an ace from Abby Sharlow. Hargett scored on match point off a feed from Marty.
Person’s last win over Cedar Ridge came on September 28, 2016 in Hillsborough.
Cedar Ridge won the opening set 25-20. Hargett had four kills. Marty had an ace on set point. Marty finished the set with ten assists, five digs and two aces. Person dominated the second set 25-11.
Cedar Ridge took control of the third set with six consecutive points to take a 12-5 lead. Hargett had consecutive aces during the run. Perel scored set point to give Cedar Ridge the frame at 25-19.
The Red Wolves led for much of the fourth set and appeared ready to put the match away when Marty scored on a block to give Cedar Ridge a 20-14 lead. But Person went on a 7-1 run to take a 22-21 lead, keyed by an ace from Sharlow. Junior Lilly Atkins scored Person’s final three points of the fourth, including set point.