For the third year in a row, Orange and Cedar Ridge will meet for the Central Conference Tournament championship tonight (Thursday).
The past two years, it was clear that the Red Wolves and the Lady Panthers were the best two teams in the league long before the conference tournament started.
This year, it couldn’t have been any more different.
On opposite sides of Hillsborough Wednesday night, Orange and Cedar Ridge were each extended to five sets by opposition who had taken them to the distance earlier this year.
Cedar Ridge, the tournament’s #1 seed, fought off Person 3-2, its second five-set victory over the Rockets this year in Hillsborough. Just like their previous matchup on September 19, the Red Wolves won the first two sets, only to have Person storm back and draw even. The Red Wolves won the fifth set 15-12.
On the northern end of town, Orange defeated Western Alamance 3-2 on scores of 23-25, 25-18, 24-26, 25-22 and 15-8. On September 22, the Warriors defeated the Panthers 3-2 in Elon.
It was a match won and lost at the net. With Western Alamance leading two-sets-to-one and ahead 13-8 in the fourth, Orange junior Mariah Poole made a crucial block on Warriors outside hitter Haley Clayton. That triggered six consecutive Orange points. Immediately after Poole’s play, sophomore Sawyer White rejected an attack by Reese Walker. Junior Ava Wilkerson delivered three consecutive kills to put Orange back ahead 14-13.
Freshman Aubry Hodges delivered her own block in the midst of another 6-0 Orange run that put them in control of the set. Hodges delivered a kill to increase Orange’s lead to 19-15. Naturally, Katie Silcott wrapped up set point by winning another joust at the net.
Orange never trailed in the fifth set, jumping out ahead after the Warriors were called for a double hit, followed by a kill from junior Aubrey Jordan. Hodges scored another block, the first of four consecutive Orange points. During the spurt, Poole delivered an ace and Wilkerson slammed down a kill to put Orange ahead 7-2.
The Warriors got a kill from Clayton set up by Walker to decrease Orange’s lead to 8-5, but that would be as close as they would get. Wilkerson scored an unassisted kill, while Jordan delivered on back-to-back kills. Poole ended the long night by scoring match point on, you guessed it, a block of Walker.
In the opening set, the lead changed eight times with 12 ties. Walker, a sophomore, had four kills in the opening set. Western’s Kenley Elliott scored to make it 23-22. Walker slammed down set point along the left sideline to give the Warriors the opening set 25-23.
Orange roared out to a 4-0 lead in the second and eventually won it 25-18, the closest thing to a decisive set in the match.
It appeared Orange would control the third set, as well. They jumped out to a 5-0 lead behind three kills from Jordan and another from White. Western Alamance used huge blocks from Taliah Walker and Clayton to trigger a 12-4 run, which put the Warriors ahead 11-8. Orange fought back and took a 24-23 lead after Jordan poked a ball over the net that found the floor. Clayton fought off an Orange set point with a kill, and the Warriors ended the third with the final three points. After Walker spiked down an attack to put the Warriors ahead 25-24, an attack by Jordan went wide on set point. Western Alamance won the set 26-24.
The stakes can’t get much higher on Thursday night at Red Wolf Gymnasium. The winner will take the conference tournament championship after the Red Wolves and the Panthers tied for the regular season title with identical 10-2 records.
On top of that, the winner will claim the top-seed for the 3A State Tournament. Currently, Cedar Ridge has an RPI ranking of #5. If they win on Thursday, they would be seeded fifth in the state tournament. If Orange wins, the Red Wolves will likely get only a #12 seed, which may be good for just one home match in the state playoffs.