ROCKINGHAM — The majority of Monday’s volleyball match between Richmond and Montgomery Central high schools rarely saw either team take a lead larger than five or six points.
With classes in session for the first time this school year, the Lady Raiders found ways to break away when they needed to and earn a 3-1 win.
Completing the regular-season non-conference sweep of the Lady Timberwolves, Richmond won behind set scores of 25-20, 23-25, 25-20 and 25-20.
The back-and-forth affair was fueled by a pair of sophomores for Richmond in middle hitter Riley McDonald and outside hitter Kaylan Parsons.
The pair helped boost the offense around a strong wall of defense for Montgomery Central, led by middle hitter Madison Henderson. Junior outside hitter J’Nasia Neal also had a productive match from the outside position.
An ace by senior setter Ava Edmondson in the first set cut an early deficit to a point. McDonald recorded a block and an ace on consecutive volleys to make it a 7-6 lead.
Junior middle hitter Leiana Brooks added a point off a block, which was followed by a kill and an ace on back-to-back series by Neal. Two kills from the back row from sophomore libero Kenley Smith, along with another McDonald kill kept Richmond up 18-15.
Two shots to the hardwood by McDonald and Neal put the Lady Raiders ahead 20-17, forcing a timeout. Later, tied at 20 points, a 5-0 run ended it for Richmond.
Brooks had a block and a kill during that stretch and sophomore defensive specialist Kalynn McCormick dished up a set-ending ace, the first of her two in the match.
In the second set, Richmond jumped ahead 8-1. Parsons started it with a kill from the left side, which sent Smith to the service line. Smith rattled off seven consecutive points, including three aces, the final two of which forced a timeout by Montgomery Central.
Holding a lead for the majority of the set, Richmond failed to take a two-set advantage by letting the Lady Timberwolves close on a 6-1 run.
Tied at a game apiece, the Lady Raiders refocused to take the next two and end the match.
Down early in the third set, a McDonald kill sparked a 9-2 Lady Raider run. Part of that scoring streak featured a Brooks kill and a Smith ace, which flipped the script and put Richmond ahead 14-9, resulting in another timeout.
Parsons, who caught fire from the outside in the second, continued to find holes in the defense in the third. She powered two kills to the floor to maintain a small lead.
McDonald and Neal cemented the third set win by combining to record five of Richmond’s final eight points. Neal fired off three kills, including the set-winning point, and McDonald had two aces.
The Lady Timberwolves (2-4) wouldn’t go away quietly in the fourth, however, erasing several points from Parsons, McDonald and McCormick to stay close. Montgomery Central rallied with a 6-0 run to knot the score 13-13.
Trading points, McDonald and sophomore right side hitter Madisen Jackson stuffed a shot at the net for a block. That point was followed by a smooth serve by Edmondson for an ace, putting Richmond ahead for good 17-16.
Again, Neal and McDonald shared the final few points for Richmond. McCormick finalized the victory with another ace from the service line.
Improving to 4-2 this season, the Lady Raiders will officially open Sandhills Athletic Conference action Tuesday. Richmond will travel to Southern Lee High School (3-1) and first serve is slated for 6 p.m.
The Lady Cavaliers’ lone loss came to Montgomery Central in their most recent match last week.
JV volleyball team earns sweep
Getting to a game above the .500 mark, the Richmond junior varsity volleyball team also swept its season series with Montgomery Central Monday.
Similar to their meeting last week, the JV Lady Raiders notched a 2-0 victory. Set scores went in Richmond’s favor 25-14 and 25-15.
“We had a really good practice on Friday and I think we were able to bring that enthusiasm to today’s game,” head coach Melissa Dennis shared.
“We had some great serves which gave us a lot of momentum and our defense was probably the best we have had all season.”
The JV Lady Raiders (3-2) are on the road Tuesday at Southern Lee. The match will start at 5 p.m.
The Richmond Observer will publish a photo gallery of Richmond’s win soon.
Sports editor’s note: No official stats were available at the time of publication.
