FAYETTEVILLE — Serving proved to be the key to the Richmond junior varsity volleyball team’s third-straight win on Thursday.
Freshman Jenna Gardner took control of the second set from the serving line, helping the Lady Raiders close out a two-set sweep of Seventy-First High School.
Gardner’s work at the line, coupled with key aces from sophomore Quston Leviner in the opening frame, pushed Richmond to victory by set scores of 25-16 and 25-6.
The Lady Raiders’ win put them back at the .500 mark after starting the season winless through three games. Richmond has since defeated Sandhills Athletic Conference opponents Hoke County, Lumberton and the Lady Falcons to even out its record.
“It is awesome to see these girls come together to win,” head coach Melissa Dennis said. “They have shown a lot of progress being aggressive and finding the floor these last three games. We had a lot of smart plays that kept the other teams on their toes.
“I was really proud of all the girls tonight. They really worked so well together and I am able to step back and let them communicate with each other.”
A 7-1 run to open the first set saw kills from freshmen Emma Altman and Katie Way and Leviner. Altman added an ace to help set the gamet’s tempo.
Richmond had some trouble early with its serve-receive, letting Seventy-First rattle off a 9-0 run that saw the home team put up six aces. Following the stretch, the Lady Falcons held an 11-8 lead.
After tying it at 11 points, an ace from Gardner gave Richmond a lead it wouldn’t surrender. Leviner came to the serving line a few plays later and led Richmond on a 6-0 run with three aces.
Seventy-First couldn’t overcome a handful of errors and a 6-3 roll by Richmond closed the set. Sophomore Joy Styles notched a kill to set up the set point.
“She had a great serve,” Dennis explained of Seventy-First’s server. “She was consistent with her aggressiveness, but after her first serves, we knew what to expect and were able to adjust and adapt.”
The two teams played a tight start to the second set, trading points to a 6-6 tie. A serving error by Seventy-First sent Gardner to the line, which saw her end the match on a 19-0 run. During that span, Gardner served seven aces.
Also contributing to the match-winning streak was Leviner who had two kills. Freshman middle hitter Makailah Jackson stuffed a shot attempt at the net for a block. Three of the last four points scored came on aces from Gardner.
“Keeping a positive mindset really helped when I came up to serve,” Gardner said. “And since we were winning by so much, we had a lot of momentum which kept all of us in a good mood.
“Now that we’re getting more wins, we’re trying to keep it up by playing to our full potential every game. I think as long as we keep up the momentum and cheer each other on we will stay motivated.”
Dennis was impressed with Gardner’s composure at the serving line and said it was a big part of securing the win.
“I always tell the girls that missing your serve is handing the other team an unearned point,” Dennis stated. “What Jenna did tonight is not easy. She had 19 serves with two timeout interruptions. She kept her focus on what she was able to control.”
The JV Lady Raiders (3-3, 3-3 SAC) will gear up for a meeting with conference foe Scotland High School on Tuesday. Playing at home, first serve is set for 5 p.m.
