RICHMOND COUNTY — As the first week of local middle school sports wraps, two volleyball teams continued perfect starts to their respective seasons. Also, the middle school golf season got underway on Tuesday.
Lady Rockets handle Ellerbe
Back on the court for the second time this week, the Rockingham Middle School volleyball team improved to 4-0 on the young season. The Lady Rockets welcomed in Ellerbe Middle School on Wednesday and won both ends of a doubleheader.
The first match saw Teresa Mason’s Lady Rockets win in straight sets 2-0. Set scores were 25-11 and 25-11. To cap the afternoon, Rockingham eased past the Lady Wildcats 25-9, 25-5.
Eighth grader Keyoni Nichols was the leading point scorer for Rockingham, tallying 35 points in the two matches. Seventh grader Jamyia Lindsey added 17 points, while Makailah Jackson (12 points) and JNasia Neal (10 points) both hit double digits in points.
Zoey Herberg and Ella Scott had nine points each, and Sharonda Henderson chipped in five points. Kiersten Davis notched three points, while Melissa Canas, Carolina Gonzalez and Allie Rodgers each finished with a point.
Ellerbe (0-6, 0-4 SEMSAC) had several service winners from Ally Maynor, Mikayla English and Maddie Maree. The Lady Wildcats will host Anson Middle School Blue on Monday at 4 p.m.
Now 4-0 overall and 4-0 against Southeastern Middle School Athletic Conference opponents, Rockingham will travel to in-county rival Hamlet Middle School (4-0, 4-0 SEMSAC) on Monday at 4 p.m.
Hamlet sweeps Cordova
The Hamlet Lady Red Rams also improved their record by two wins, traveling to Cordova Middle on Thursday. Winning in straight sets in both matches, Hamlet and head coach Alex Gardner improved to 4-0 on the early season.
Hamlet won the first match 25-9 and 25-12, before Gardner used a lot of substitutions to win the second match 25-11 and 25-21.
Solid play at the serving line has been a key to Hamlet’s early success, as the team followed up its 41 aces earlier in the week against Ellerbe with 40 more against the Lady Cavaliers. Eighth grader Katie Way led the charge again with a match-high 12 aces, while fellow eighth graders Jenna Gardner and Ryelan Lyerly added nine and eight aces, respectively.
Way had a team-high in kills, striking three during the two matches and Lyerly added one. Paige Goodman also served well, tallying four aces, and Keelan Fisher and Addyson Hollingsworth contributed two aces apiece.
Other stats for Hamlet include Jakayla Steele’s one ace and one kill, Kylee Gibson’s one kill and Peyton Lowery and Kensie Lyerly’s solo aces. No stats were provided for Cordova.
Hamlet will throw down with Rockingham in a battle of unbeatens at home on Monday starting at 4 p.m.
Golfers compete in season opener at Twin Valley
Tuesday saw golfers from across the SEMSAC meet at Twin Valley Golf Club in Wadesboro for the first match of the season. Playing nine holes of golf, Rockingham’s Trace Wallace shot a 45 (+9), which was a tournament best.
Fellow Rocket golfer Matthew Cockman was right behind Wallace with a score of 47 (+11). Rockingham finished the day with scores from Damon Bryant (55), Landon Summerlin (57) and Tess Bryant (58).
Ellerbe was also in action at Twin Valley, seeing four golfers compete. Leading the Wildcats was Camden Williams (55, +19), and was followed by Ryder Craven (68), Jordan McCormick (70) and James Pack (72).
No stats were provided for Cordova or Hamlet middle schools. The second golf match of the fall will be held at Scotch Meadows Country Club in Laurinburg starting at 3 p.m.
Teresa Mason, Alex Gardner, Amanda Gainey and Allen Adeimy contributed to this article. To submit local middle school scores, email sports editor Kyle Pillar at kpillar@richmondobserver.com.
