Lady Flyers Grab Win Nos. 24 and 25 - Take on J & W in Final Home Match
The Sandhills Community College volleyball team heads into Tuesday's final home match of the season against Johnson and Wales of Charlotte (6 p.m.) boasting the most wins in the 10-year history of the program.
The Lady Flyers improved to 25-4 with a doubleheader sweep over winless USC-Salkehatchie at Heins Gymnasium on Saturday. They took advantage of the Indians' inability to return serve by racking up 22 service aces in the first match and 24 more in the second.
Coach Alicia Riggan's squad won the morning and afternoon matches by the identical scores of 25-8, 25-5 and 25-6. Abby Wallace was credited with 28 assists and eight aces, and middle hitter Paige Garner contributed 14 kills in just 19 attacks, in the opener. Chelsea Green with seven, and Kaitlyn Lisenby with six, led the team in kills in the second.
Tuesday's match, against a team that ended the Flyers' 13-game winning streak to start the season about one month ago in Charlotte, provides one of the most attractive home dates of the season.
Johnson and Wales is a four-year college that is a member of the United States Collegiate Athletic Association. The Wildcat's, 12-11, are currently ranked No. 8 in the USCAA national poll and their record includes a 3-1 mark against NCAA Division II teams. They are one of only two teams the Flyers have played that they haven't beaten (they split a pair of matches with Louisburg and Pitt CC).
When they met in Charlotte, the Flyers won the first set 25-15 before going on to lose the match in five.
"I think we kind of relaxed," Riggan said, looking back at the tough loss. "They've got strong hitters, and they are very aggressive on the back line, so we will have to be smart about our decisions on where to put the ball and where we hit.
"We had a lot of communication problems and service errors in that game. We have to come out with a lot of energy, knowing every point will count."
The Flyers also have a chance to finish the season with a perfect record of 12-0 at the Hangar.
"It's exciting to play at home with the great crowds we've had and the energy in this gym," the coach said.
Flyer Notes – Wallace is third in NJCAA Division III with 68 service aces. Garner is ninth with a hitting percentage of .389. Student assistant coach Cheyenne Brown was an all-region setter on the 2015 squad that held the previous record of 24 wins. Led by Coach Lee Lewis, members of the Stanly Elite Volleyball Club demonstrated their drills between matches on Saturday. Lewis is the former volleyball coach at West Stanly High School that produced Courtney Grant of the 2015 Flyers and Chelsea Green of the current squad. The Region X Tournament will be held at Central Carolina CC on Friday and Saturday.
C.Bergmann