By Sedrick Bolton III October 6, 2022
COLLEGE PARK With the area volleyball tournament getting underway, Riverdale moves to the second round in their best three-out-of-five set win over North Clayton.
The Lady Raiders entered into a very intense North Clayton crowd, with their fans cheering to the top of their lungs with every Lady Eagle kill or Lady Raider error.
The first set was close a contest, with no team having a clear cut lead. Sophomore Ebony Whyte of North Clayton was everywhere on the floor. From kills, to keeping rallies alive, she communicated loudly with her team to organize small runs.
But Riverdale responded with runs of their own. Senior Jasmine Kirkpatrick met the Lady Eagles a couple of times at the net to record blocks for Riverdale, along with kills. With the 24-23 score in favor of Riverdale, junior Kendall Smith gets an ace to claim the first set.
In the second set Riverdale got out to an early 11-5 lead, with senior Jada Jacobs recording three straight aces in the run. Unforced errors, however, kept North Clayton in the game. But Riverdale took the second set with a kill from freshman Abigail Love, 25-18.
The third set was another close one. Whyte continued being everywhere, even having a kill off a long save from the Lady Eagles' out of bounds. North Clayton led for the majority of the set.
Upon tying the score at 17 a piece, the Lady Raiders went on a run to not only keep the lead but win the final set 25-21.
In their previous matchup, North Clayton defeated Riverdale on in three sets back on September 29. But Riverdale bounced back to beat them in their home territory.
"I let the girls know that we had come in and not just let up on them, not give them any inch," said Riverdale's head coach Julia Patton. "When we gave them an inch last week, they took a mile so they had something to prove this week".
Lady Raiders' captain Aja Grimes played a key part in today's match. Her leadership on the court, and multiple kills, helped Riverdale win.
"It means a lot, being able to lead this team," said Grimes when asked what it means to be captain. "Being vocal, playing hard, just showing by example."
The Lady Raiders will face the winner between Hapeville and Walnut Grove October 8.
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