Make it Nine in a Row For Lady Flyers
Trailing early in the second set on Monday against a Guilford Tech team they had swept 11 days earlier, Sandhills Community College coach Alicia Riggan called a time out.
"I wasn't sure the girls realized that you tend to play down to your competition," she said afterward. "The intensity has to be the same as when we're playing a team like Davidson. A game like this is an opportunity to be refreshing your skills.
"We saw a lot more intensity in the third set than we did in the first two."
The Lady Flyers (11-4) ran off the next nine points after the timeout. Then Erica Groff (7) and Chandler Adams (2) combined to serve nine aces in the one-sided third set to complete a 25-14, 25-15 and 25-8 victory. Division II Guilford Tech dropped to 1-9 with the loss.
Chandler Adams with eight, and Paige Garner with seven, led the winners in kills. Leah Salzwedel was credited with 24 assists and Groff contributed 22 digs. Groff also served for 22 points without a service error.
Another good crowd at Heins Gymnasium watched the Flyers win their ninth match in a row. The competition should be much tougher on Thursday at 6 p.m. when they entertain another Division II team in a USC-Lancaster squad that has a record of 5-6 while playing a difficult schedule.
The Flyers received some nice contributions Monday from a couple of freshmen that are beginning to find their way in the college game during the second set comeback.
Outside hitter Derriya Robertson made three passes across the court to the right side, almost in a row, and Chandler Adams converted two of them into kills. McKenna Parson served for five of the last six points in the set.
"I think confidence is something all of the freshmen have to gain," Riggan said. "Derriya is so athletic and she's very coachable."
The product of Lejeune High School recently attended an open gym there and came to a pleasant conclusion as a result of the experience.
"It was so much slower and I thought, 'wow, I've changed a lot from then until now'," she said. "I really feel like I've made great progress since I got here. I really like the faster pace."
Flyer notes – On the mend from an ankle sprain, sophomore setter Cheyenne Brown saw brief action as a server during Saturday's two matches at Danville Area CC. Also at Danville, freshman middle hitter Morgan McCarthy made a big impression on one of the game officials following one of her kills. "The referee came up to me and said that she needs to get the game ball because that's the hardest hit I've ever seen," Riggan recalled. "Morgan and Paige have really stepped up." Watching the action against Guilford Tech were members of the West Montgomery High School Lady Warriors squad that is off to a 7-0 start in conference play and an overall record of 11-4.
C.Bergmann