Lady Flyers Winning Streak Snapped by the Lancers
Tied at a set apiece against USC Lancaster at The Hangar Tuesday evening, the Sandhills Community College volleyball team let a set-point advantage slip away four times in the third set and went on to suffer a 25-21, 20-25, 27-29 and 20-25 defeat.
The loss snapped the 12th ranked in Division III Lady Flyers' six-match winning streak. They take a record of 12-9 into Thursday's 6 p.m. non-conference match at Louisburg College. Division II USC Lancaster improved to 13-7 with its second win of the season over the Lady Flyers.
"We have to figure it out," Coach Alicia Riggan said afterward. "We're like a roller coaster. We're up one set, down the next set and have game-point in the third set four times. We're not focused the way we need to be."
The Lady Flyers were sharp in a closely contested first set with kills by Lannah Huneycutt, Alexis Hinson and Madison Brower accounting for three of the final five points. The Lancers led from start to finish in the second, setting up the pivotal third.
The home team trailed only briefly on the way to a 17-12 advantage. Later, leading 21-20, kills by Hinson and Olivia Barlowe made it 23-20. A kill by KeKe Lawrence, off a Huneycutt assist, set up the first set-point at 24-21.
The two teams traded points from there until a serve by one of the Lancers clipped the net and fell on the floor on the other side to give the visitors the 29-27 win and the 2-1 advantage.
Trailing 20-15 in the fourth, two kills by Lawrence helped close the gap to 22-20. Moments later, another "net ace" produced the final point for the Lancers.
"We're in our home gym in front of a big crowd," Riggan said. "You've got the momentum, you've got the energy and it's like a balloon where all the energy seeped out. When we dropped that third set we went into the fourth set flat as all get out."
"We've got to step up, we've got to want to win. That takes drive and that takes 13 people. When we play as a team we play really well. When we play individually, we're like that roller coaster."
Lawrence was credited with nine kills and five block solos. The assist leaders were Huneycutt with 18 and Hinson with 12. The leaders in digs were L'Asia Jackson with 29, Huneycutt with 13 and Barlowe with 11. Jackson and Abby Quick were each credited with two service aces.
The Lady Flyers swept Division II Louisburg at The Hangar 10 days ago. On Saturday they entertain Rockingham CC at 11 a.m. and Southwest Virginia CC at 3 p.m. as part of a Region 10 tri-match.
C. Bergmann