SANFORD — The Lady Raider volleyball team faced five opponents in a jamboree at Lee County High School on Saturday, officially putting the new season on the clock.
Head coach Ashleigh Larsen and the Lady Raiders opened the day against new Sandhills Athletic Conference opponent Lee County, and followed with matches against Chatham Central, Uwharrie Charter, Overhills and Seaforth.
Each scrimmage lasted 50 minutes and Richmond played 10 full sets, two against each opponent. The Lady Raiders finished the day with a 5-5 record, including a sweep against Seaforth to close the jamboree.
Larsen utilized all 12 players in a variety of lineups and different situations, helping prepare the team for its season opener on Monday.
“The girls adjusted really well all day and they saw a different lineup each time they went out on the floor,” Larsen explained. “We rotated around at different spots and it was really good to see that no matter what the situation was, the girls played accordingly.
“Some lineups looked better than others, and what we accomplished today will allow us to have a good mindset going into Monday.”
The Lady Raiders opened with a 1-1 split against Lee County, dropping the first set 17-25, before rallying to win the second 25-21. The two teams began a third set, and Richmond led 14-11 when the time limit was reached.
In their second scrimmage, the Lady Raiders took the first set against Chatham Central 25-23 before falling 22-25 in the second. Richmond’s toughest matchup was against Uwharrie Charter, suffering an 0-2 loss by scores of 14-25 and 17-25.
After an intermission, Richmond split with Overhills 25-22 and 17-25. The Lady Raiders’ sweep of Seaforth ended in scores of 25-7 and 25-21.
Larsen rotated sophomores Emma Altman and Jenna Gardner at setter, a position that’s new to both players. Sophomore libero Allie Rodgers adjusted to the speed of varsity play, and senior outside hitter Allyiah Swiney helped pace the offense with hard hitting from the outside.
Junior Catherine Dennis and sophomore Katie Way, both middle hitters, found their groove at the net by contesting shots and finding open space.
Also picking up significant minutes were seniors Saniah Durham and Kiersten Gibson, juniors Brianna Dodson, Quston Leviner and Joy Styles and sophomore Christi Jacobs.
“Allie made a lot of good plays in the back row,” Larsen explained. “Allyiah had an outstanding day, swinging hard at the net. And a lot of the girls showed aggressiveness, which started with Allyiah and me telling them to do so.
“Catherine has a lot more confidence in herself and the other girls feed off of that,” she continued. “She celebrated big kills today even when they weren’t hers, and I was really happy to see that.”
The Lady Raiders will be the first Richmond program to open its new campaign, traveling to non-conference Uwharrie Charter on Monday. Varsity will begin around 6 p.m. following the junior varsity match.
“I’m thankful for today’s scrimmages and we’re as good as we can be to start the season,” Larsen closed. “We’re excited for Monday.”
Below are photos taken by sports editor Kyle Pillar of Richmond’s scrimmages at Lee County High School on Saturday.
