Lady Flyers, Cobras, Refuse to Lose

Sandhills Community College Volleyball Coach Alicia Riggan was expecting a tough match on Saturday against a Caldwell Tech squad that won the first two sets before the Lady Flyers rallied to defeat them in five during a tri-match held last month at Southwest Virginia CC.

But no one could have anticipated the two hour and thirty-nine minute match that included a 37-35 fourth set and three of the five being decided by extra points.

"We have to be focused," Riggan said, following the marathon affair against the Cobras at The Hangar after the Lady Flyers again had to come from behind to gain a victory. "We can't start out slow and take teams for granted. We started out trailing 7-0 in our first set and I thought 'what is going on'"?

The Lady Flyers never caught up in the process of dropping the first set 25-21. They were in jeopardy of falling further behind before a service ace by freshman Dajsha Fields, gave them a 30-28 victory in the second.

The visitors prevailed 25-22 in the third set to take a 2-1 lead, setting up a fourth that Riggan called the highest scoring set she has ever been a part of as a high school or college player, or as the head coach at Sandhills for the past 14 years.

Early in set No. 4, a kill by freshman Madison Brower gave the Flyers a 2-1 lead they held until the match was tied up for the first of 19 times at 11-11. Later, with the Cobras leading 23-20, and two points from a 3-1 victory, a kill by Lannah Huneycutt, and a service ace by Abby Quick, helped tie it up at 23-23.

But a moment later, the Lady Flyers trailed 23-24, facing a match point for the first of seven times before the issue would be decided. Kills by Mackenzie Swett, KeKe Lawrence and Dajsha Fields helped keep Lady Flyers' hopes alive.

Later, another service ace by Quick, put the home team in front 33-32, but the match would be tied up three more times before a kill by Lawrence made it 36-35, one point away from the 37-35 victory that tied the match at 2-2.

The Flyers faced a match point again in the tie-breaker set, trailing 14-15, when libero L'Asia Jackson raced all the way back to the far wall of The Hangar to make a blind return of a ball that Brower turned into a kill.

The home team went on to win the set 18-16 and complete a 10-0 conference season.

"We all came together and pulled through in the end, and that was a great feeling," Quick said. "Especially in a match as long as that, and on Sophomore Day.  It definitely means a lot."  

C. Bergmann