Lady Flyers Take Two, Including Region 10 Opener
Playing its 16th and 17th matches in the last 30 days, and only the fourth and fifth at home, the Sandhills Community College volleyball team swept both Patrick Henry CC and Louisburg College in a tri-match at The Hangar on Saturday.
In an 11 a.m. start, the Lady Flyers defeated Patrick Henry CC 25-23, 25-18 and 25-13 in their Region 10 conference opener. After Louisburg swept Patrick Henry in the second match of the day, Coach Alicia Riggan's squad defeated the Division II Hurricanes 25-16, 25-23 and 25-12 to improve to 9-8 on the season.
Patrick Henry fell to 1-3 in the conference and 1-6 overall. Louisburg dropped to 7-6.
"It was really exciting to see the girls come together," Riggan said afterward. "I felt we flowed, there was energy, everyone was doing their part and they were having fun.
"Every game we've played hasn't worked out in our favor, but every game has taught us something to prepare for the next game."
The Lady Flyers seek their fourth victory in a row when they travel to Sanford for a 6 p.m. Region 10 match on Tuesday against a Central Carolina CC team that is off to a 3-0 start in the conference and 4-5 overall.
Before a nice crowd, the Lady Flyers trailed for most of the first set against the Patriots. They caught up at 18-18 on a kill by outside hitter Dajsha Fields who also provided the set-winner. The home team won the next two sets by comfortable margins.
Fields led the team with 13 kills followed by middle hitter Keke Lawrence with 11 to go with three solo blocks. Lannah Huneycutt and Alexis Hinson contributed 22 and 16 assists respectively. The leaders in digs were L'Asia Jackson with 17, Huneycutt with 15 and Alyssa Maragelis with 14.
"I've been struggling this season so coach and I had a heart-to-heart," said Fields, an all-conference player at Fairmont High School. "It helped give me the confidence to do what I need to do."
Louisburg put on a heavy-hitting display in its win over Patrick Henry, but never really got it going in the final match of the day against the Lady Flyers.
Quality first passes from the back by Jackson, Maragelis and Abby Quick helped the Lady Flyers' setters put the hitters in a position to put the ball down or disrupt the Hurricanes' attack throughout.
They took the lead for good in the first set at 14-12 on back-to-back kills by JaLasia Ray. A pair of service aces by Quick expanded the margin before Huneycutt set up Lawrence for the final point.
The home team allowed a 19-10 advantage in the second set to almost evaporate before a kill by Fields made it 2-0, leading to a one-sided final set and the victory.
Ray and Fields were the leaders in kills with seven each followed by Madison Brower with six as the team posted a kill percentage of .267 that is its highest of the season.
Huneycutt and Hinson were the leaders in assists with 17 and 12 respectively. Jackson's 15 digs led in that category.
Afterward, sophomores Jackson and Lawrence talked about how they feel this team is evolving as it works its way through a difficult schedule against upper division foes in all but two of its matches so far.
"I feel like today was one of our biggest games, considering it was our first conference game," Jackson said. "I feel like all of the things we've been working on in practice are starting to come together."
According to Lawrence, the team regularly talks about its dedication to the team concept at practices and in its huddles during matches.
"We started a little rocky at the beginning, but its gotten better," she said. "Everybody is working hard and not playing for ourselves, but playing for one another. That is our big goal now."
C. Bergmann
