ROCKINGHAM – In what was a long week on the court for the Richmond Senior High School volleyball team, it came to an end Saturday with a win against Purnell Swett High School.
Continuing Sandhills Athletic Conference play, the Lady Raiders ended a three-game losing streak by sweeping the Lady Rams in straight sets. Richmond had lost its previous three games earlier in the week, the program’s longest stretch of losses in three years.
Set scores were 25-13, 25-8 and 25-20. It was also Richmond’s fifth win in straight sets this season, and the second time the Lady Raiders bruised their way past Purnell Swett.
“It was a good win and it was nice to get back in the win column,” head coach Ashleigh Larsen said. “The girls came out and it was good play all around — we were able to capitalize on their mistakes. Our offense and defense were on fire, so the girls got their confidence back up.
“When we went there (earlier in the season), Purnell Swett gave us a run for money, and they played Pinecrest on Friday,” she continued of the lopsided win. “I know my girls were tired, too, but they came out swinging and let loose when they got a big lead. I want them to do that in more games.”
Saturday’s win capped off a four-match week for Larsen’s team, and the Lady Raiders are roughly 75 percent through their regular season schedule. With an overall record of 8-7, Richmond is 5-4 in SAC play, and is battling with Scotland High School for the third-place spot in the conference standings.
The match was never really close, as the Lady Raiders controlled the match from the opening serve. One player Larsen noted who had a solid performance was junior outside hitter Jadyn Johnson, who led the team with six aces on the afternoon. At one point in the second set, Larsen explained that Johnson went on a serving tear, as she racked up over 10 points in one rally.
Larsen also used the big lead as an opportunity to get all eligible players on the court, as six different Lady Raiders recorded kills, with nine of them also collecting digs. Senior outside hitter Savannah Lampley, who leads the team with 141 kills, and is third in the conference, racked up a match-high 13 kills and added 12 digs. Larsen noted her reigning All-SAC selection “had a big game hitting at the net.”
The Lady Raiders tallied 32 team kills, as Johnson complimented her six aces with seven kills and nine digs. Sophomore middle hitter Georgia Grace Anderson added seven kills and had two blocks.
Richmond’s defense helped set up the attacking opportunities, as the team dug the ball 63 times against the Lady Rams. Junior libero Layne Maultsby, who ranks third in the SAC with 169 digs, led the way Saturday with 17. Junior setter Carley Lambeth matched Lampley’s total of 12, and dished out 29 assists.
With the new week, the Lady Raiders will play three more matches, all against SAC opponents. They’ll host Scotland on Monday, before traveling to Hoke County High School Tuesday and finishing the week at home against Lumberton High School on Thursday. All matches are scheduled for a 6 p.m. start.
“We haven’t seen Scotland at all this year, and all three games are important,” Larsen concluded. “Right now, Scotland is seeded third in the conference, and we’ll play them again next week. We need to finish the week strong, and we know no one is going to give us a win.”
