FAYETTEVILLE – Prior to the start of the volleyball season, first-year head coach Ashleigh Larsen noted that this year was going to be a developing year as it was no secret she was losing four all-conference starters.
The growing pains have struck the Lady Raiders this week, as Thursday’s road loss to Sandhills Athletic Conference leader Jack Britt High School made it the third loss in as many nights. The mid-season skid is the first three-game losing streak suffered by Richmond since Sept. 22 through Sept. 29, 2015.
The Lady Raiders (7-7, 4-4 SAC) fell in straight sets to the Lady Buccaneers Thursday, 17-25, 22-25 and 19-25. In the teams’ first meeting on Aug. 30, Jack Britt also swept the Lady Raiders in straight sets.
Although her team didn’t come out with a victory, Larsen did see some improvements against the Lady Bucs (12-6, 9-0 SAC) from mistakes earlier in the week.
“I really thought the girls played more aggressively tonight,” she noted. “We missed quite a few serves and had some miscommunications, but they showed more of the aggression that I’ve been looking for.
“We played well in the second set, and started a slow comeback in third,” Larsen added. “But we just couldn’t seal the deal for the win. There were times when we let them get away, and then we’d come back, but I’m proud that the girls kept the (scoring) gap close.”
The Lady Raiders tallied 21 team kills in the three sets played, as senior outside hitter Savannah Lampley crushed home a team-high 11 kills. Larsen noted that Lampley “had a big night swinging in the front, which helped shut (Jack Britt) down.” In addition to her kills, Lampley also led Richmond with 15 digs.
In what has become an issue of Richmond not being able to maintain leads and close out sets, Larsen took Thursday’s performance as a positive sign when her players managed to “play in some long rallies,” which points that the team is heading in the right direction.
No other Richmond players reached double digits in kills, as sophomore middle hitter Georgia Grace Anderson was second on the team with four kills. Junior outside hitter Jady Johnson added three kills, and junior right side hitter Allexis Swiney returned to the lineup from illness with two kills.
Richmond’s defense has held its own this week despite the three losses, and the team collected 55 digs against the Lady Bucs. Johnson followed up Lampley with 13 digs, as junior libero Layne Maultsby and Swiney each added 10 of their own. While serving is something Larsen wants to see improve, the Lady Raiders recorded four aces, with Maultsby serving two of them.
“Tonight didn’t end the way we wanted it to, but the girls did a great job coming together to contribute,” Larsen said. “This week and these three losses have been a big hit to us, and it’s almost a good thing to see the girls getting aggravated — maybe that will turn things around.
Richmond won’t have much time off before its next match, as it’ll host Purnell Swett High School in a rare Saturday match to make up lost time from Hurricane Florence. Larsen will hold a “light practice” on Friday before turning around and playing the week’s fourth match on Saturday.
The varsity match against the Lady Rams is scheduled for 1 p.m. on Saturday at RSHS.
