ROCKINGHAM — A total of five Richmond Senior High School volleyball players were named to the 2019 All-Sandhills Athletic Conference team.
Head coach Ashleigh Larsen took to Twitter early Friday morning to announce that seniors Jadyn Johnson, Carley Lambeth and Layne Maultsby, along with juniors Georgia Grace Anderson and Jakerra Covington were all chosen to represent the Lady Raiders this season.
The picks for Lambeth and Maultsby were their second career selections, having both been named as juniors last season. Anderson, Covington and Johnson all received her first respective all-conference nod.
Pinecrest High School, the last remaining SAC team in the state playoffs, lost to Myers Park High School in the third round Thursday, prompting the release of the All-Conference team. The Lady Raiders’ five selections were the second most of any team in the conference.
The eclectic mix of Lady Raiders, five of the 23 total players chosen, to this year’s roster, highlight three of the conference’s top hitters in Anderson (MH), Covington (MH) and Johnson (OH). Maultby’s work at libero saw another productive year out of the back row, while Lambeth worked the floor as one of the most consistent setters in the SAC.
“It’s a great accomplishment for our program to have five girls named to the team,” Larsen said. “This shows a testament to their hard work on the court and their desire to continue to fight and get better night in and night out.
“All of the girls were big contributors this year on different parts of the court,” she added. “Each of them played their role to the best of their ability, and I couldn’t ask for more than that. Georgia Grace and Jakerra made a nice team in the middle of finding the floor and blocking, and Jadyn really became one of our best hitters on the outside.
“Carley and Layne both play really tough positions on the floor as our setter and libero,” Larsen closed. “A lot is required of them to do their job correctly, and without either of their efforts, we wouldn’t have the offensive chances.”
She added she’s “so proud” of each of their efforts, and especially the three seniors’ work put in over the past couple of seasons.
Earning the SAC’s “Player of the Year” was Pinecrest’s Lauren Shepherd, and Scotland’s Mallory Wheeler took home the “Coach of the Year” honor.
Richmond finished the season with a 19-7 overall record, including a 9-5 mark against SAC opponents. That saw the Lady Raiders take the No. 3 seed into the conference tournament, making it to the championship game. Larsen’s team also made it to the NCHSAA 4A state playoffs for the sixth consecutive season, the last two under her tutelage.
Georgia Grace Anderson
Junior Middle Hitter
Anderson just wrapped up her second varsity season with her first all-conference selection. As half of the wall in the middle of Richmond’s frontcourt, Anderson tallied a conference-best .431 kill percentage. In 88 sets played, she also recorded the second most kills (261) in the SAC.
She hit double-digit kills 14 times this season, the most on the team, and had a team-high 16 kills three times (Jack Britt, Lumberton and Reagan).
“It feels so good to be an all-conference selection,” Anderson said. “This was my goal ever since I made varsity last year. Knowing my hard work has paid off feels great.
“Jakerra and I have been playing together since middle school, so I feel like we know each other pretty well,” she added of her work in the middle with Covington. We are always helping each other and always cheering each other on.”
Jakerra Covington
Junior Middle Hitter
Covington made the jump up from junior varsity this season and made an impact for Richmond. She became a dual-threat at the net in both hitting and blocks, tallying 197 kills (8th in SAC) and 69 blocks (also 8th in SAC).
Her two best nights at the net defensively came when she recorded six blocks against Lee County and Lumberton. Covington’s 13 kills against Southern Lee on Sept. 11 were a season-high.
“I’m so honored to be named all-conference, which was one of my goals this year,” Covington shared. “I tried to play hard every game so that would reflect with other coaches to see my playing abilities.
“The best part about this year’s team was that we learned how to communicate and put the negative things behind us,” she added. “We played for one another. As a senior I hope to get better and want our team to win conference.”
Jadyn Johnson
Senior Outside Hitter
A three-year varsity player, Johnson ended her career with her first career selection. As one of the wings to Anderson and Covington, Johnson was ninth in the SAC in kills with 170 spikes. She was an asset from the serving line too, serving up 41 aces and collected 212 total digs to help out the defense.
Seven times Johnson would eclipse the 10 or more kill mark, with her season high coming twice against Purnell Swett and Southern Lee (14 kills). Her 21 digs against Lumberton in the later part of the regular season helped propel Richmond to a much-needed win.
“It’s very exciting to close out my career like this and it made me realize all my hard work this season paid off,” Johnson shared. “It was up to the seniors to step up and play to the best of our ability every game because we were the team leaders.
“The last three years have meant a lot to me,” she continued. “The bond I’ve built with my teammates means so much to me. Playing volleyball under Larsen will always be one of the things I’ll miss most about high school. This year I learned how to be a better teammate and leader on and off the court.”
Carley Lambeth
Senior Setter, 2nd selection
Lambeth’s role as the team’s setter played a pivotal role in making sure the hitters could put up the numbers they did, and her play during her swan song season helped her earn her second career recognition. In 89 sets played, Lambeth racked up an SAC best 695 assists, which was 61 more than Jack Britt’s Burniece Perofeta.
Her 43 aces also put Lambeth in the top 13 in the SAC. In 11 games she cleared 30 or more assists, tallying 40 or more four times. Her season high was 45 assists against Lumberton that helped lock up the No. 3 seed in the standings. Against Pinecrest on Oct. 1, she recorded her 1,000th career assist.
“Ending my career is bittersweet, but getting selected all-conference made it that much more special,” Lambeth expressed. “I’ve worked hard for four years and love to see it pay off. As a setter I couldn’t do anything without my teammates, and they were able to get me good passes all season.
“Having five players named from our team is fantastic,” she added. “Larsen has done a phenomenal job with the program the past two years. She always believes in each player and she makes the sport enjoyable. I’ll miss playing for her more than anything in the world.”
Layne Maultsby,
Senior Libero, 2nd selection
Last, but not least, Maultsby closed her four-year varsity career with another All-SAC nod, her second in the past two seasons. The rock of the defense the past four years, Maultsby’s efforts in the back row both athletically and leadership wise didn’t go unnoticed this season. Her 370 digs were fourth in the SAC and she also led the Lady Raiders with 44 aces in 89 sets played.
Averaging 4.2 digs per set, which was tied for third in the SAC, Maultsby had 15 or more digs in 14 matches. She surpassed the 20 dig clip five times, and her season-high 30 digs against Scotland in the SAC tournament helped sweep Richmond’s rival. She closed her career just shy of 1,200 digs.
“It feels really good to know that my play in the back has allowed me to accomplish earning my second career selection,” Maultsby said. “Earning it back-to-back years really helped me end my career on a good note.
“My favorite memory this season was when baby Mayleigh was born,” she smiled of the birth of Larsen’s daughter. “But beating Scotland on senior night was also really cool because that was one of the best atmospheres I’ve ever played in.”
ROSports will publish a volleyball season recap next week.
