AHOSKIE – Spike!

Registering 13 kills over a three-set match, Ridgecroft School dispatched Tarheel Independent Conference rival Lawrence Academy in volleyball action here Tuesday for their first league win and third victory against no losses.

Erin Cooke led the way with 3 service aces and 5 kills to go with a pair of tips. Teammates Katie Blowe and Nicole El-Khoury had 4 aces and two kills apiece.

The Lady Rams won by scores of 25-18, 25-22, and 25-20.  At one point in the first game they served for seven straight points.

“Great way to open up our first conference game,” said Ridgecroft coach Susan Oliver. “The girls played well together and their serving was great.”

How’s that for confidence?

With the score in the first set knotted at 3-3 Ridgecroft ran off three straight points for a 6-3 lead, highlighted by a kill from Hayley Rivera – one of two she had for the match.

With the score 7-4 and Cooke serving, the middle hitter scored two service aces despite some great digs from the Lady Warriors to keep the ball in play.

Lawrence got within five at 11-6 before Ridgecroft reeled off five in a row for a ten-point, 16-6, lead.

The pesky Lady Warriors (2-3, 0-1,TIC) wouldn’t yield and at 19-12, Ridgecroft, Lawrence scored to get the serve and got the margin down to three as they scored four in a row to make it 19-16.

A kill from Cooke returned the serve to the Rams and they scored five in a row to get within game-point at 24-16.   Despite two more Warrior points, Ridgecroft scored the game winner on a return by their opponent out of bounds.

Coach Lee Hoffman’s Warriors were feistier in the second game, only falling by three points; but Ridgecroft claimed the ‘hat-trick’ with a five-point win in the third and deciding set.

Emily Grace finished with four aces while Brooke Colson had three. Mary-joe Harrell had one ace and a pair of kills.

Ridgecroft (3-0, 1-0, TIC) hosted Gates County in a non-conference match on Wednesday before they return to TIC play at Pungo next Tuesday.

Ridgecroft took the junior varsity match, 2-1, for the jayvee squad’s first win of the new year.  “Great start with a conference win,” said coach Oliver.