ROCKINGHAM — Three players on the Richmond Senior High School volleyball team were named to the 2023 All-Sandhills Athletic Conference roster.
Following the departure of the SAC’s four teams from the state playoffs, the 18-player roster was released over the weekend.
Representing the Lady Raiders were senior middle hitter Katie Way, junior setter Ava Edmonson and freshman middle hitter Riley McDonald.
It was Way’s second career selection, having also been named following her sophomore season. Edmondson and McDonald received her first respective All-Conference nod.
“I’m happy to have these girls representing our program,” head coach Ashleigh Larsen said. “Katie has worked hard all four years she has been involved and has turned into a great leader and role model. She became reliable on finding the floor when she was set and could always get us on a role with her serves.
“Ava is our go to on every ball. She has to get a second hand on everything sent to her and always does her best to disperse it to our offense with whatever type of pass she receives. She also improved her defense, digging and blocking this season.
“Riley has proven herself during her freshman year with her swings and blocks,” she added. “She has developed a lot this season in her role as middle hitter and blocker. I look forward to seeing what her next three years bring.”
Richmond finished the season with an 11-12 overall record, took fourth place in the SAC standings with an 8-6 mark (including the SAC tournament) and returned to the NCHSAA 4A state playoffs for the second season in a row.
Union Pines High School’s Tyne Ross was named “Player of the Year,” while Brandon Blackburn of Pinecrest High School was tabbed “Coach of the Year.”
Pinecrest had five selections, as did Union Pines with Ross’ individual accolade. The rest of the conference was filled out by Richmond (3), Scotland (2), Hoke County (1), Lee County (1) and Southern Lee (1).
Katie Way, senior middle hitter
Second career selection
Playing her third season at the varsity level, Way was a pivotal player on offense, defense and from the service line. From the middle hitter position, she delivered a lot of attacks while also helping the defense create scoring chances.
Way finished her senior season with 216 kills and averaged 7.4 kills per match from the middle. She recorded 10 performances where she had 10 or more kills, including a career-high 19 kills in a five-set win over Hoke County.
Part of a strong service rotation, Way registered 20 aces this season. Seven different times she had at least two aces in a match and she had a serve percentage of 91%. On defense, Way helped the back row with 71 digs (2.4 per match).
“It feels great knowing I was a big asset to the team and a big part of the success we had,” Way said. “It took a lot of teamwork to get this again. Ava really helped and we just had a team mindset to win.
“Our middle hitting was really good this year,” she added. “We’re involved in every play and have to get side-to-side to close the blocks. It’s really important that we do our jobs and I think Riley and I did well with that.
“My biggest takeaway from playing volleyball at Richmond is to enjoy the little things,” Way closed. “It was good to play with a team that felt like a family.”
Ava Edmondson, junior setter
First career selection
Certain to find her way into almost every play this season, Edmondson served as the team’s setter for her third straight varsity season. Also versatile, she often contributed on defense and spent most of the season as the first server in the rotation.
According to stats provided, Edmondson led the SAC in total assists (653) and assists per match (22.5). She recorded 18 matches where she dished out at least 20 assists and had eight games of 30 or more assists.
Her single-game career-high came against Hoke County during the regular season at home. During the five-set thriller, Edmondson notched 50 assists. This season, she also surpassed the 1,000 set mark in her career.
At the service line, Edmondson added 24 aces and had a serve percentage of 88%. From the back row, she recorded 328 digs, an average of 11.3 digs per match.
“This is a big accomplishment,” Edmondson smiled. “I think it’s a testament of how hard I’ve worked and I think it’s a great honor to be considered one of the best players in the conference by the coaches.
“My hitters had a lot to do with my success. If I didn’t have them I wouldn’t have the number of assists that I do. They played a big part and I really appreciate them.
“I’m excited to work with a strong core of girls coming back next year,” Edmondson shared. “We’ll have good hitters like Riley and a strong back row with players like KG (Smith).”
Riley McDonald, freshman middle hitter
First career selection
Making a splash during her freshman season, McDonald quickly became a go-to hitter on the floor for Richmond. Splitting time with Way at the middle of the net, McDonald provided an explosive attack that allowed her to lead the team in several categories.
As a freshman, McDonald finished second in the SAC in total kills (311) and kill percentage (39%). She trailed only Ross (323 kills, 40.2%). She recorded 17 matches with 10 or more kills and six different times she had over 20 kills.
McDonald’s career-high in kills was set against Hoke County during the teams’ second meeting, as she powered home 29 kills. Also the team’s top blocker, McDonald had 20 blocks this season.
“I worked really hard to achieve this goal,” McDonald explained. “But that doesn’t mean I’m okay with where I am. I was excited when I found out because I didn’t think I’d make it as a freshman.
“What helped me was staying focused a lot on working on my mental game. And Ava is an amazing setter who is funny and feisty. She always placed the ball where I could hit it and gave me a lot of chances.
“I’m going to keep training to get better,” McDonald closed. “I want to work harder on placing the ball better and work to improve my passing.”
Sports editor’s note: Richmond’s stats were provided by Coach Larsen. Other stats used were provided by MaxPreps.com.
