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Bulls ousted by South Rowan
James Nix / jnix@independenttribune.com
Hickory Ridge's Kristen Smith (4) and Katlyn Brewer try to block a shot from South Rowan's Kayla Morrow during the second round of the 3A West Volleyball Championships in Harrisburg Tuesday night.
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Published: October 21, 2008
HARRISBURG — Tuesday night's NCHSAA 3A second-round match between Hickory Ridge and South Rowan was very much a chess match.
However, the Raiders were the ones with a few more pieces, and they used them to win the final two games and beat the host Ragin' Bulls in four.
South won 26-24, 23-25, 25-16, 25-14 to advance to a third-round meeting with North Piedmont Conference rival North Iredell.
Hickory Ridge, meanwhile, had its strong second season end with an 18-5 record.
"We had a great season," Hickory Ridge coach Patti Chason said. "Nothing to hold our heads down about. We played well, just not good enough.
"Their conference is really strong so even though they're the No. 3 seed, they have the competition that we didn't have to be prepared coming in.
"I definitely give them the credit. They have what it takes."
Specifcally, the Raiders (18-5) had the middle hitting tandem of Taylor May – last year's Rowan County Player of the Year – and Kayla Morrow.
May, especially, dominated at the net early and pushed South to a 19-14 lead in the opening game.
And after Hickory Ridge rallied to tie it a 24-24, Morrow recorded consecutive kills to end it.
"Our middle blockers just couldn't get to the hitter on the other side. I don't think they've seen a girl that quick," Chason said.
Neither team led by more than three in the second game, before the Bulls finished it strong by winning the final four points.
Trailing 23-21, Hickory Ridge got consecutive kills by junior Alex Vliet, a South error and an ace by sophomore Sarah Henderson to even the match.
"Our team never gives up," Chason said. "We've been down before and I know they have the ability to pull it out if they can. That was a good emotional ride for them to get that game."
It looked even better when the Bulls jumped out to a 6-1 lead in the third game.
But that's when South made an adjustment and took control of the match.
During the second game, Hickory Ridge, led by sophomore Kristen Smith, had started to block hits from May and Morrow. So the Raiders countered with tips over the block and sets to the outside.
South took the lead at 11-10 and steadily pulled away before a kill off a bad Hickory Ridge pass put it away.
"They definitely can hit the ball," Chason said. "We started picking them up and they started tipping the ball so we had to adjust to that. Then they were smart enough to go back to hitting again."
The Bulls also had a four-point lead early in the fourth after Henderson ran off four straight points with good serves to make it 10-6.
South responded, though, by going back to the middle. May notched three kills in four points to even it at 10-10. The Raiders went in front at 12-11 and the Bulls started stuggling with both passing and hitting.
South won 12 straight points for a 24-12 advantage. Hickory Ridge fought off two match points with kills by sophomore Megan Yeargin and Henderson, but Morrow's kill ended a long rally and the Bulls' season.
"They played great defense against us and they're a very good serving team also," South coach Jan Dowling said of the Bulls.
"And it all goes back to how they serve determines how we pass, which determines what we can run.
"We started passing better in the third and fourth games and that made the biggest difference."
The Raiders advanced to the third round for the first time in school history.
For Hickory Ridge, Henderson finished the match with 10 kills, 10 assists and 10 digs, while Yeargin recorded career-high 20 digs.
Smith had six kills, four solo blocks and 10 digs, while Vliet tototaled six kills and 10 digs. Haley Hubbard, the team's lone senior, dished out 15 assists and had 22 service points.
The Bulls had 11 sophomores on their roster.
"We set small goals and one of them was to get farther than we did last year and we made it by one match," Chason said.
"Hopefully we'll go another step farther next year."
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