Region 10 Champion Lady Flyers Advance to District Tournament
The Sandhills Community College volleyball team put a punctuation mark on its supremacy in Division III, Region 10 by defeating Central Carolina CC 25-21, 24-26, 25-17 and 25-20 in the championship match of the conference tournament at The Hangar on Saturday afternoon.
Outside hitter Lexi Allen led a strong team effort by the Lady Flyers in the title match with a double-double that included 20 kills and 20 digs.
"Lexi is a powerhouse," Coach Alicia Riggan said afterward. "It doesn't matter where she is on the court, she wants the ball. It doesn't matter if she makes a mistake, she wants the ball the next time. And she gives it to you every single day."
Also posting big numbers were libero Shelby Hull with 22 digs and setter Camryn Lowe with 23 assists. Middle blocker Keke Lawrence, who is No. 3 in Division III in solo blocks, was credited with nine kills and four solos, and was later honored as the Region 10 Player of the Year.
Earlier in the day, the Lady Flyers swept Rockingham CC 25-11, 25-14 and 25-9 in one of the semi-final contests. Including the tournament, they won all 10 of their NJCAA Division III Region 10 contests this season and improved to 20-5 overall.
The Lady Flyers are expected to leave for Butler, PA on Friday for the Mid-Atlantic A-B District Tournament hosted by Butler County CC on Saturday. The winner and runner-up will advance to the national tournament in Rochester, MN on November 11-13.
"I feel from the beginning of the season to where we are now is like a completely different team," Riggan said. "It's a long season and you get to where everything hurts and you're tired out. It comes down to this one day to play and who is ready to play.
"Again, we checked another block. I told the girls that we're not done. They're competitors and they want to win."
In addition to Lawrence, Allen, Lowe and defensive specialist L'Asia Jackson were named to the all-region first team. Setter Kaitlyn Locklear was named to the second team. Riggan was named Region 10 Coach of the Year.
"I'm excited about all of the girls that made all-region and I wish we could have given it to all 13 of them," she said of a squad that also includes sophomores Mya Mallard and Abby Quick, and freshmen Savanna Lowery, Maddie Harris, J'Lasia Ray, Kayla Sadowski and Mackenzie Swett.
Led by Allen with 10 kills, and Lawrence and Harris with eight each, the Flyers converted 40 of 68 attacks in the sweep over Rockingham. Facilitating the efficiency were setters Lowe and Locklear with 17 and 16 assists.
No doubt inspired by having extended the Flyers to five sets at a match in Sanford on October 7, Central Carolina swept Southwest Virginia CC in Saturday's second semi-final for its sixth victory in a row.
Looking for their first win in program history against the Flyers, the Cougars dropped the first set, but overcame a 24-22 deficit in the second by scoring four points in a row to tie the match at 1-1.
Allen recorded seven kills as the Flyers took a step toward regaining control of the match in the third set. Leading 2-1 in the decisive fourth, Lowe was on the service line for 10 points a row.
The run began with a kill by Harris. It included a service ace and two dumps for kills by Lowe, and a pair of solo blocks by Lawrence. With Quick serving, the final two points of the match came on kills by Lawrence and Allen.
"Well, we wanted it more than they did," Allen said. "That's just how it was. We wanted to go to districts and we all came in with that purpose and got things done."
Back in Division III after competing in Division II least season, the district tournament field for the Flyers includes two teams ranked in the top five in Division III.
"No. 2 Owens and No. 5 Butler and us," Riggan said. "That's exactly what I hoped for. Ranking doesn't mean anything. It comes down to one day and who plays better."
Quotable quotes -
Lawrence: "I've never been in first place in anything and I feel like our team pulled together and got a win we worked hard for. With all the hard practices we've gone through and everything this was just amazing".
Allen, commenting on Central Carolina standout Pogisa Thompson who was credited with 29 kills and 18 digs in a recent match: "She's wearing my number so I just had to prove who was the best No. 8."
Lowe, who received All-Region 10 recognition in all three of her seasons with the Lady Flyers: "It's just a great feeling. The excitement and the feeling of the determination and unity between the girls is indescribable."
C. Bergmann
