Orange Men’s Soccer

This was the week that was: This is the first time all year that Cedar Ridge volleyball starts the week outside of first place in the Big 8 Conference. After losses to East Chapel Hill and Chapel Hill, the Red Wolves enter Tuesday’s match against Orange still battling for an automatic spot in the playoffs.

For those unfamiliar with how the current playoff structure works in North Carolina, the teams that finish in the top two of their conference automatically make the playoffs. The remaining teams are determined by MaxPreps rankings. As of Sunday night, Cedar Ridge and East Chapel Hill are tied for 2nd with 7-2 conference marks. Orange is 6-3, which makes Tuesday’s match between the Red Wolves and the Lady Panthers all the more important. A second place finish guarantees a home state playoff match for whoever captures it.

However, Orange and Cedar Ridge are shoo-ins for the state playoffs. Cedar Ridge’s MaxPreps ranking is #15. East Chapel Hill is #18. Orange is #24. Neither Cedar Ridge or Orange are on the bubble to make the playoffs, but they sure would love to host a match in the state playoffs. That’s much more questionable in the final two weeks of the regular season.

However, the Cedar Ridge and Orange men’s soccer teams are on the bubble. Cedar Ridge has a critical match against Northwood on Monday night. The Red Wolves swept Southern Durham and Vance County last week. Orange defeated Southern Durham but fell to Northern Durham. Cedar Ridge’s MaxPreps ranking is #65, while Orange is #71.

In women’s tennis, Orange and Cedar Ridge will compete in the Big 8 Conference Tournament on the Lindsay Linker Tennis Courts at East Chapel Hill on Wednesday afternoon. Orange guaranteed itself a winning season on Thursday by beating Roxboro Community School, it’s first winning campaign in at least eight years.

Here’s the Magnificent 7 from an interesting Week 7. As always, two of the following athletes will be named the Orange Panther of the Week and the Cedar Ridge Red Wolf of the Week sometime in the days ahead.

The Magnificent 7:

Reese Weaver: Scored the opening goal in Wednesday’s 2-0 win over Southern Durham at Spartan Stadium. On Monday night, Weaver scored two goals as the Red Wolves defeated Vance County 6-1 in Henderson. Weaver, a senior, now has eight goals this season.

Zoe Wade: After her teammate Anne Morrell was honored last week when the Red Wolves women’s cross country team won the Greensboro Invitational, Wade is inducted into the Hall of Awesome this week after coming in 10th at the Wendy’s Invitational at McAlpine Park. Wade crossed the finish line at 20:31.50. Morrell finished 7th as the Red Wolves won its second open race in two weeks. Cedar Ridge finish 1st out of 25 teams.

Brianna Cellini: Won her singles and doubles match as Cedar Ridge defeated Vance County in Henderson 9-0. It was Cellini’s final dual match as a member of the Red Wolves. In her career, Cellini helped the Red Wolves win the 2016 Big 8 Championship. Now, she will focus on the Big 8 Tournament on Wednesday in an attempt to qualify for regionals.

Cameron Lanier: Finished with eleven kills, a block, an ace and a dig in the Cedar Ridge volleyball team’s 3-2 win over Vance County on Monday. On Wednesday, she had the final two kills in Cedar Ridge’s sweep of N.C. School of Science and Math. Cedar Ridge is 14-3 headed into Monday’s road trip to Bartlett Yancey.

Sydney Allison: The Orange women’s tennis team won its final home match of the season against J.F. Webb on Wednesday. Allison was selected by head coach Justin Webb as the player of the match. She won her match at #2 singles 8-6. Later on in doubles, Allison teamed with Gaylaw Eh to win 8-1. On Friday, Allison teamed with Elsa Landeros to win at #3 doubles as the Lady Panthers clinched a winning season.

Tyler Werden: Werden scored the game-winning goal in the first period of extra time as the Orange men’s soccer team defeated Southern Durham 3-1 on Monday night. On September 27, Werden scored two goals in a loss to Carrboro. He also scored in a loss to Northern Durham on Thursday.

Avery Miller: The sophomore stepped up with seniors Emma Clements and Elizabeth Vosburg out of the lineup against East Chapel Hill last Tuesday. Miller had eleven kills in a tight 3-1 loss to the Wildcats. On Thursday in Orange’s 3-0 win over Vance County, Miller led Orange with eleven kills. She also had eight digs and an ace as Orange improve to 11-6.

Kevin Wright: The 2018 Cedar Ridge graduate made his season debut for Division III North Carolina Wesleyan on Saturday. Wright, a sophomore safety, made five tackles as the Battling Bishops defeated LaGrange 52-35 in LaGrange, GA. It was Wesleyan’s USA South Conference opener. Wesleyan is 2-2. Next week, they face Greensboro College in its first-ever on campus game in Rocky Mount.

Adam Chnupa: For the second week in a row, Chnupa saw action for FCS Elon University. Chnupa, another 2018 Cedar Ridge graduate, entered as a reserve as the Phoenix lost to New Hampshire 26-10 at Wildcat Stadium in Durham, NH. Elon falls to 2-4, 0-2 in the Colonial Athletic Association. They host Delaware at Rhodes Stadium in Elon next Saturday.

Rodney Brooks: The Division II Livingstone football team lost to Virginia Union 44-0 at Alumni Stadium in Salisbury on Saturday. Brooks recorded a tackle for the Blue Bears, who suffered its first loss of the season. Livingstone is 4-1, 2-1 in the CIAA. They travel to St. Augustine’s next weekend.

Taylin Jean: Jean recorded her third clean sheet of the season as goalkeeper for the Division II Limestone women’s soccer team on Saturday. The Saints defeated Erskine 2-0 at Huggins Field in Due West, SC on Saturday. Jean, a 2018 Cedar Ridge graduate, made two saves for her fourth win of the season. Limestone is 4-4, 3-2 in Conference Carolinas. The Saints travel to Queens University in Charlotte on Wednesday.

Brittany Daley: The Division III Greensboro College women’s soccer team played to a 1-1 tie with Methodist University at Pride Field in Greensboro on Saturday. Daley started her eleventh game of the season at centerback. Greensboro is 8-3-1 overall, 2-0-1 in the USA South Conference. The Pride host Meredith on Wednesday.

Jordan Rogers: Marymount (VA) University defeated Division III William Peace University 3-0 in Arlington, VA on Saturday. Rogers started her eleventh game of the season for the Pacers at wingback. Peace falls to 4-4-1 overall, 1-1 in the USA South Conference.

Lili Henry: The Division III Methodist volleyball team split two matches in a tri-match at Meredith College at Weatherspoon Gymnasium in Raleigh on Saturday. The Monarchs ended the day with a sweep of Mary Baldwin. Against the Fighting Squirrels, Henry registered 22 assists and five digs. In the first match of the day, Meredith swept Methodist 3-0. Henry had 18 assists and eleven digs against the Avenging Angels. Methodist is now 3-11, 2-4 in the USA South Conference.

Bailey Lucas: In the aforementioned tri-match at Meredith, Lucas saw action for the Avenging Angels. Meredith won both of its matches against Mary Baldwin and Methodist. In the opening match against the Fighting Squirrels, Lucas played two sets. She had one kill, 14 assists and three digs. Against Methodist, Lucas played one set and had two assists. With the two sweeps, Meredith is 10-6 overall, 4-1 in the USA South.

Mia Davidson: The Mississippi State softball team started its fall schedule on Friday against East Mississippi Community College in Starkville, MS. Mia Davidson had a two run homer in the second inning, plus a RBI single in the first as the Bulldogs won 7-0. On Saturday, the Bulldogs swept a doubleheader. They defeated Meridian 14-1, a game where Davidson had an RBI double. Mississippi State completed the day with a 17-0 win over Meridian. Davidson had a pinch-hit, RBI double in the fourth. Mississippi State is under a new head coach in Samantha Ricketts.

At the request of Tyler Werden, the trio of Werden, Yioanni Guzman and Jose Beltran will now be known as “The Drippy Team.” That’s after the trio all scored goals as the Orange men’s soccer team defeated Southern Durham 3-1 in extra time on Monday night at Orange Soccer Park. Werden, who scored two goals in Friday’s loss to Carrboro, scored the game-winning goal in the opening 5-minute extra time session. Guzman knocked in a rebound for the final goal with just over one minute remaining in the game. The win improves Orange’s record to 5-7 overall, 2-4 in the Big 8 Conference. Orange will travel to Northern Durham on Wednesday night for a game at Jack Armstrong Stadium. he Panthers have four home games remaining. They host East Chapel Hill next Monday. 

Taylin Jean: The former Cedar Ridge goalkeeper posted her 3rd shutout of the season for the Limestone women’s soccer team on Wednesday night. Division II Limestone defeated North Greenville 3-0 at Saints Field in Gaffney, SC on Wednesday night. Jean made four saves in her sixth start of the season. She is now 3-3. After not playing last season, Jean also had clean sheets against Chowan and Lander earlier this month. Limestone improved to 2-1 in Conference Carolinas. On Saturday, Limestone will face Barton College in Wilson. 

Jordan Rogers: Division III William Peace University scored a resounding 7-0 win over Sweet Briar in Sweet Briar, VA on Wednesday night. Former Orange star Jordan Rogers made her eighth start of the season as a wingback. Rogers has started every game for the Pacers this year. With Wednesday night‘s win, Peace has already exceeded its win total from 2018. They’re now 3-4-1 overall. They will open play in the USA South Athletic Conference against Mary Baldwin College at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary on Saturday. 

Brittany Daley: On Sunday, Division III Greensboro College fell to Eastern Mennonite 1-0 at EMU Turf Field in Harrisonburg, VA. Daley, a 2018 Cedar Ridge graduate, made her eighth start of the season at centerback. Daley had played 642 minutes for the Pride this season after making 15 starts in her freshman season. Greensboro is 5-3. They host Ferrum College on Thursday night at Pride Field in Greensboro.

Lionel Reid-Shaw: The Division III Dickinson men’s soccer team shutout Neumann University 3-0 on Tuesday night in Aston, PA. The Red Devils are now 4-4. Reid-Shaw started the game at centerback and was credited with one shot off a corner kick. Reid-Shaw has played in all eight of Dickinson’s games this year. The Red Devils return to action in the Centennial Conference on Saturday against McDaniel College.

Bryse Wilson: Though he hasn’t pitched since Game 4 of the Governor’s Cup Semifinal series for the Gwinnett Stripers of the International League, Wilson is still on the 40-man roster for the Atlanta Braves. For the second year in a row, the Braves clinched the National League Eastern Division Championship on Friday, beating San Francisco 6-0 in SunTrust Park. The Braves will wrap up the regular season this weekend with a three-game series against the New York Mets at Citi Field in New York. Last season, Wilson finished the regular season with Atlanta but wasn’t on the 25-man postseason roster.

Rodney Brooks: As mentioned in Sunday’s update, the Division II Livingstone Blue Bears defeated Allen University 21-7 at Alumni Memorial Football Stadium in Salisbury on Saturday. Brooks, who spent last season with Fort Union Military Academy, had a fumble recovery for Livingstone, one of two turnovers forced by the Blue Bears’ defense. Brooks has played in all three games this season. Livingstone is 2-1 and will face Lincoln University in Pennsylvania on Saturday.

Lili Henry: Division III Salem College defeated Methodist University in volleyball 3-1 on Wednesday night at the Riddle Center in Fayetteville. The Spirits defeated the Monarchs on scores of 25-21, 25-21, 24-26 and 25-21. It was the USA South Athletic Conference opener for Methodist. Monarchs junior Lili Henry, who graduated from Cedar Ridge in 2017, finished with 15 assists and one ace. Henry leads the team 167 assists this season. The Monarchs are 1-8 overall and will host Averett University in Fayetteville on Saturday. 

The Cedar Ridge volleyball team is learning on the job what it’s like to be the hunted. Especially for a team that starts three freshmen.

On Tuesday night, the Red Wolves retained its share of first place in the Big 8 Conference with a 3-2 win over Vance County at Red Wolves Gymnasium. The Red Wolves prevailed on scores of 25-14, 16-25, 25-15, 20-25, 15-3. It was the second five set match of the year for Cedar Ridge. Two weeks ago, the Red Wolves stunned Chapel Hill in five set in front of a rowdy crowd in Hillsborough.

With the win, Cedar Ridge is 11-2, 5-1 in the Big 8 Conference. Cedar Ridge will host Southern Durham on Thursday night. With one more win, the Red Wolves will clinch its first winning season since 2016, when they reached the Eastern Regional Championship match.

The Red Wolves remain tied with Chapel Hill and East Chapel Hill for first place in the Big 8. East Chapel Hill, who lost to Orange on Monday, rebounded with a 3-1 victory over Northwood in Pittsboro on Tuesday. Also on Tuesday, Chapel Hill swept Northern Durham 25-11, 25-16, and 25-8. Since losing to Cedar Ridge, the Tigers have won five in a row, dropping just one set in the process.

In the Bull City on Tuesday night, Orange rolled past Southern Durham 3-0 for its third win in four matches. The Lady Panthers cruised on scores of 25-4, 25-15 and 25-10.

Sophomore Avery Miller led Orange with eleven kills. It’s the fourth time this year that Miller has finished in double-digits in kills. Her career-high of 13 kills came in the 3-2 loss to Cedar Ridge on September 12.

Senior Kaitlyn Werden had ten aces, three digs and 23 assists. Freshman Erin Jordan-Cornell had six kills.

Orange is now 9-5 overall, 4-2 in the Big 8. After its win over East Chapel Hill on Monday, the Lady Panthers’ MaxPreps ranking went up to #21 among 3A teams. Chapel Hill is #2, Cedar Ridge is #11, East Chapel Hill is #18. Person, who Orange split the season series with, is #12.

Orange will host Northern Durham on Thursday. The Knights defeated Orange three times last season, including in the opening round of the Big 8 Conference Tournament last October.

Men’s Soccer: Orange opened the week with back-to-back matches. Northwood held off Orange 2-1 in Pittsboro, despite the Panthers having many chances that they failed to convert. The Chargers earned a penalty kick with nine minutes remaining, which they converted. Tyler Werden scored the Panthers’ only goal.

On Tuesday night, the defending 3A State Champion Chapel Hill defeated Orange 2-0 in a match that was scoreless at halftime. The Panthers are 4-6, 1-4 in the Big 8 Conference. Orange will travel to Carrboro on Friday.

On Monday, Northern Durham defeated Cedar Ridge 5-0 at Jack Armstrong Stadium in Durham. The Red Wolves are 3-6-1, 1-3 in the Big 8 Conference. Cedar Ridge hosts East Chapel Hill at Red Wolves Stadium on Wednesday night (tonight).

Rodney Brooks: After a year at Fort Union Military Academy, 2018 Orange graduate Rodney Brooks made his four-year college debut for Division II Livingstone last week. Brooks, who plays safety, had a tackle in the Bears’ 27-16 victory over Elizabeth City State University at Alumni Memorial Football Stadium in Salisbury. On Saturday, Livingstone improved to 3-0 with a 21-7 win over Allen University. Brooks was a safety, cornerback and quarterback for the Orange football team who was a member of three Big 8 Conference Champions from 2016-18. He also played right field for the Orange baseball team in 2017, which had a stunning run to the 3rd round of the 3A State Playoffs. Brooks’ high school athletic career ended after he suffered a torn ACL playing quarterback against Riverside in 2017.

Payton Wilson: Though he didn’t start, Wilson served as a reserve linebacker in N.C. State’s 34-23 win over Ball State at Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh on Saturday night. Wilson made four tackles. Wilson, a redshirt freshman, has 16 tackles through four games.

Trent Gill: Against Ball State, Gill had limited punting duties for the Wolfpack since State scored 34 punts. Nonetheless, Gill had three punts for an average of 51 yards per boot. One was downed inside the 20-yard line. Gill also had six kickoffs, five of which went for touchbacks. Saturday’s game was the nonconference finale for N.C. State. They will start ACC play at Florida State next Saturday.

Keshawn Thompson: The FCS Campbell football team defeated Davidson 31-29 at Barker-Lane Stadium in Buies Creek. Thompson, a redshirt sophomore from Orange, assisted on three tackles. Campbell won off a 50-yard field goal from Colin Gary as time expired.

Jack Schmid: Schmid saw action for Division III Wheaton College on Saturday. The Thunder defeated Illinois Wesleyan 24-10 at McCully Stadium in Wheaton, IL. Wheaton is 2-0.

Natalie Chandler: The 2017 Orange graduate is a member of the UNC women’s soccer team. Chandler was named to the 2018-19 ACC Academic Honor Roll. Now a junior, Chandler played in UNC’s 8-0 victory over UNLV in the Duke Nike Classic at Koskinen Stadium in Durham. Chandler helped Orange to the 2nd round of the 3A State Playoffs in 2016 and 2017.

Kayla Hodges: The Elon women’s soccer team split two matches last week. The Phoenix defeated Hampton 8-0 at HU Soccer Complex in Hampton, VA on Sunday. Hodges started at wingback and was credited with a shot on goal. On Thursday, UNC Greensboro defeated the Phoenix 4-3 at UNCG Soccer Stadium in Greensboro. Again, Hodges started and had a shot on goal. Elon is 6-2-1. They will host UNC Wilmington in its Colonial Athletic Association opener on Thursday at Rudd Field in Elon.

Taylin Jean: The 2018 Cedar Ridge graduate posted her first clean sheet as Division II Limestone defeated Lander University at Saints Field in Gaffney, SC on Wednesday. Jean made five saves to post the shutout. On Saturday, Belmont Abbey defeated Limestone 4-0 at Alumni Field in Belmont, NC. It was the first time Limestone lost a Conference Carolinas match in over three years. Jean made seven saves in the loss. The Saints are 2-3, 0-1 in Conference Carolinas.

Jordan Rogers: William Peace University defeated Brevard College 1-0 at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary. The Pacers improved to 2-3-1. Rogers, a sophomore who graduated from Orange in 2018, started at wingback. On Tuesday, the Pacers played to a scoreless tie against Randolph College at Wildcat Stadium in Lynchburg, VA. Rogers, who has moved to the defensive backline, also started. Rogers has started all six of the Pacers matches this season.

Lionel Reid-Shaw: The Division III Dickinson men’s soccer team defeated Swarthmore 4-0 in its Centennial Conference opener in Swarthmore, PA on Saturday. The Red Devils ended a four-game losing streak. Reid-Shaw, a senior, started at centerback. It was his sixth game of the season. Dickinson is 3-4.

Lilli Henry: The 2017 Cedar Ridge graduate helped the Methodist volleyball team win its first match of the season on Saturday. The Monarchs defeated Regent University 3-0 at the Riddle Center in Fayetteville. Henry finished with 17 assists, four aces, three digs and one kill. On Tuesday, Roanoke College defeated Methodist 3-2 in Salem, VA. Against the Maroons, Henry had 22 assists and eleven digs. The Monarchs are now 1-8.

Bailey Lucas: On Friday, the Division III Meredith College volleyball team defeated Roanoke College 3-2 at the Cregger Center in Salem, VA. Lucas played one set for the Avenging Angels. Meredith is 6-5.

Local high school soccer coaches are not only teachers of the game. Many are also fans.

Chapel Hill’s Jason Curtis, as well as his legendary mentor Ron Benson, wear the colors of Liverpool of England’s Premier League. For Curtis and Benson, times are good. The Tigers won the 3A State Championship last November. Last spring, Liverpool claimed its first UEFA Champions League title/European Cup in 15 years when they defeated English rival Tottenham 2-0.

It would be an embellishment to call Cedar Ridge Coach Chris Walker a fan of Sunderland. Doing so would seem to be a pathway of suffering and perhaps long-term therapy.

Sunderland was a member of the Premier League as recently as 2016. Now, they’ve suffered consecutive years of relegation (when a team finishes in the bottom three spots in the Premier League, they get sent down to the English Championship, essentially AAA baseball) Now, Sunderland is in League One (AA baseball)

But Walker certainly can relate to Sunderland. He’s coached a team in the shadow of giants like Chapel Hill, East Chapel Hill an Carrboro. More often than not, he’s taking undermanned teams against schools that often have 60-70 players trying out in early August.

Nights like Wednesday night are when it’s most rewarding.

Facing crosstown rival Orange, the Red Wolves trailed 3-1 with 17:00 remaining. That’s when freshman Nicholas Frank scored two goals in a span of 43 seconds to even the game.

Cedar Ridge (3-5-1, 1-2 in the Big 8) would go on to win in penalty kicks 4-3 to beat Orange at Red Wolves Stadium for the first time since 2015.

Even more remarkably, Cedar Ridge pulled off the comeback despite leading scorer Brandon Garcia getting injured in the final 20 minutes. Garcia, who had a seven-game scoring streak to open the season, left the game and din’t return until the 2nd overtime period.

Fittingly, Frank laced the game-winning penalty into the middle right side of the net. Cedar Ridge junior goalkeeper Ty Corbin made the save on Orange’s final attempt to start a wild celebration among the Cedar Ridge players.

Orange (4-4, 1-2) had a chance to score in the opening 5-minute overtime session, but Elliott Sikes’ wormburner from 18 yards clipped the outside left post.

“I told our guys at halftime we had to go back to our game plan,” said Walker, his voice hoarse from an intense night off coaching. “I pulled Nick in the first half because he told me ‘Coach, I’m not getting the ball.’ And I asked him what he was going to do? I told him he had to do more to get the ball.”

And he did. On consecutive possessions in the 2nd half, Frank received the ball after 20-yard runs. His first goal came from 20 yards away after Orange’s goalkeeper came out of net as Frank collected a gorgeous balll from Reese Weaver.

Less than a minute later, Frank received another pass to even the game.

Orange led penalties 3-2 after three rounds, but Corbin made saves on the last two attempts.

Garcia, Weaver, Erickson Thole and Frank scored penalties for Cedar Ridge.

In the first-ever soccer game between the two schools, Orange defeated Vance County 10-1 at Orange Soccer Field on Monday night. Senior Cooper Anderson scored a goal for the Panthers. His classmate, Rohan Kasthuri, added an assist as the Panthers improve to 4-3 overall, 1-1 in the Big 8 Conference. It was the first goal of the season for Anderson. Kasthuri has a team-high six assists. Two years ago, Anderson and Kasthuri were sophomores as Orange defeated Jacksonville in the 3A State Playoffs. Now, with the Cedar Ridge game coming up Wednesday, the Panthers want to return to the state playoffs. Last season, Cedar Ridge and Orange split the season series, with each squad claiming road victories over the other. Orange travels to Cedar Ridge Wednesday night at 6:45. 

Bryse Wilson: As the Atlanta Braves are on the verge of a 2nd consecutive National League East Division Championship, Wilson was recalled to the Major Leagues on Friday. It’s Wilson’s sixth stint in Atlanta this year. The 21-year-old has a 7.20 ERA in 20 Major League innings this season. Wilson was named the Pitcher of the Year by the Gwinnett Stripers of the AAA International League last week. He helped the Stripers to the International League Southern Division championship. Wilson finished 10-7 with a 3.42 ERA this season in Gwinnett. After July 21, Wilson won six consecutive games to push Gwinnett past Durham in the International League standings. On Saturday, Atlanta clinched a playoff birth with a 10-1 win over the Washington Nationals at SunTrust Park. Entering Sunday, the Braves’ magic number to win the division is four. Wilson completed the 2018 regular season on the Atlanta roster after starting the season with the Florida Fire Frogs of the Florida State League.

Payton Wilson: Wilson had three tackles as N.C. State’s football team fell to West Virginia 44-27 at Milan Puskar Stadium in Morgantown, WV on Saturday. Wilson also had his first college rushing attempt, running for nine yards on a fake punt to convert a 4th-and-4th in the final quarter. He didn’t start at linebacker as the Wolfpack dropped to 2-1.

Trent Gill: The former Cedar Ridge Red Wolf had three punts against West Virginia, averaging 49 yards per boot. His longest punt was 61 yards. Gill also had a punt blocked in the fourth quarter, leading to a Mountaineer touchdown. N.C. State will try to bounce back against Ball State at Carter-Finley Stadium next Saturday night.

Kayla Hodges: Hodges scored her first college goal in Elon’s 5-0 win over UNC Asheville at Rudd Field in Elon last Sunday. She headed in a cross sent in by Hannah Doherty to help the Phoenix surpass its win total from last seaon. Hodges had three shots against the Bulldogs. On Thursday, Hodges started at midfield in Elon’s 1-1 tie with Liberty. She fired a shot on net, which was stopped by Flames goalkeeper Melody Jayroe. Elon is 5-1-1 after finishing 3-10-4 in 2018.

Taylin Jean: The former Cedar Ridge goalkeeper not only earned her first college win for Division II Limestone, she also posted her first clean sheet. The Saints defeated Chowan 2-0 at Saints Field in Gaffney, S.C. on Saturday. Chowan only got one shot off in the match. Limestone is now 1-2. Jean has started all three of the Saints’ matches this season.

Brittany Daley: The Division III Greensboro women’s soccer team won its fifth straight game on Saturday, beating Marymount (VA) 5-0 at Pride Field in Greensboro. Daley started at centerback, her sixth start this season. Greensboro is 5-1.

Jordan Rogers: On Tuesday, Division III William Peace defeated Hollins 6-0 at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary. It was the Pacers’ first win of the season. Peace fired a whopping 44 shots. Rogers started at wingback. She has started all three of the Pacers’ matches. Peace is 1-2.

Lionel Reid-Shaw: On Saturday, the Division III Dickinson men’s soccer team lost to Catholic 1-0 in Carlisle, PA. Reid-Shaw entered the game as a reserve. On Wednesday, Reid-Shaw started at midfield as Messiah defeated the Red Devils 3-1 in Grantham, PA. Dickinson has dropped three straight and is 2-3.

Lili Henry: After a trip to Salem, VA was postponed last week because of Hurricane Dorian, the Division III Methodist volleyball team returned to action on Friday in Greenville, S.C. The Monarchs dropped two matches at Bob Jones University. The Monarchs lost 3-0 to Erskine. Henry had 21 assists against the Flying Fleet, along with four digs and one kill. Bob Jones defeated the Monarchs 3-0. Against the Bruins, Henry was credited with one ace, one kill and one assist. The Monarchs are 0-6.

Bailey Lucas: The Division III Meredith Avenging Angels volleyball team finished 1-2 during a tournament at Marymount University in Arlington, VA. On Friday, Meredith defeated Emory & Henry 3-0. On Saturday, Franklin & Marshall topped Meredith 3-1. In the nightcap, Marymount knocked off Meredith 3-1. Lucas played against Marymount and had 12 assists, one kill, two aces and ten digs.

After winning seven, eight and seven matches over the past three years, respectively, the Cedar Ridge volleyball team has started 2019 red hot.

Entering its Big 8 Conference opener against Northwood, the Red Wolves had to face several tests. First of all, they hadn’t defeated the Chargers since 2015, Cedar Ridge’s glory year when they won the Big 8 Championship with a 14-0 record. Since then, Northwood had won six straight matches against the Red Wolves, dropping only three sets out of a possible 18.

Then there was the weather. Hurricane Dorian was a crisis for the Outer Banks, but it was a grey matter in the Triangle. Despite bringing slightly heavy winds and some rain, it was enough to postpone the Northwood-Cedar Ridge from Thursday to Friday.

Once they got started inside Chargers Gymnasium, the Red Wolves had some jitters. They dropped the first set 25-20. But many of the players that have stood out thus far during Cedar Ridge’s 5-0 start are too young to even know about the Red Wolves’ recent struggles, and they didn’t blink despite an early setback.

Cedar Ridge won the final three sets on scores of 25-17, 25-17 and 25-20 to win its Big 8 opener and improve to 6-0.

Freshman Cameron Lloyd led Cedar Ridge with 16 kills and 12 digs. Another freshman, Cameron Lanier, had eleven kills. Julie Altieri continued her strong freshman year with six kills, two aces, six digs, one block and 24 assists.

This week will serve as a litmus test to see how far this young team has come in such a short amount of time. They’ll start with a road trip to 4-A Jordan, who swept Orange last month. Then they face three-time defending Big 8 Champion Chapel Hill. On Thursday, the first matchup against crosstown rival Orange, who has beaten the Red Wolves five straight times.

Men’s Soccer: The Orange men’s soccer team had its two-game winning streak come to an end on Friday night. Riverside defeated the Panthers 4-2 at Linny Wrenn Stadium in Durham. Jose Beltran, who had a hat trick against Eastern Alamance earlier this year, and Rohan Kasthuri scored for the Panthers. Orange will look to bounce back when they start its Big 8 Conference schedule at East Chapel Hill on Tuesday night.

Cedar Ridge Cross Country: The Cedar Ridge men’s and women’s cross country teams continued its season on Friday night at the aptly named Friday Night Lights Cross Country Festival at the Ivey Redmond Sports Complex in Kernersville. It was another strong performance by the Red Wolves’ women’s team, which finished 12th among 26 teams. They also finished 2nd among the Big 8 team that participated, behind only Chapel Hill and ahead of East Chapel Hill (who finished 15th). Anne Morrell was the top Red Wolf runner, finishing 65th with a time of 20:59.28. 215 runners participated. Zoe Wade, a sophomore, came in 68th at 21:06.33. Sophomore Ruby Lapham crossed the finish line 75th at 21:12.95. Junior Ariadna Solis came in 78th at 21:16.87.

The Cedar Ridge men’s team finished 27 among 29 teams. Zachary Garus, a junior, was the top Red Wolf finisher with a time of 18:59.80.