NEWTON, N.C. — It’s a party. It’s a party. It’s a big block party.
This sentiment rang true on Wednesday evening as the Fred T. Foard Lady Tigers’ varsity volleyball team exacted a level of revenge against its new Western Foothills 3A Conference adversary North Iredell.
It took a plethora of total blocks by the front line of defense — approximately 20 on the night — for the Lady Tigers to get the mission completed.
Having lost to North Iredell on Aug. 30, 3-1, the Lady Tigers came out with only one goal in mind inside of Jerry Copas Gym at Fred T. Foard High School, and that was to put away the only squad to defeat them so far.
As for the Lady Raiders (10-1, 5-1 WFAC), who had only lost one set this season coming at the hands of Foard, it was attempting to continue its unbeaten run. Also up for grabs was first place implications in the conference.
However, the Lady Tigers (11-1, 6-1 WFAC) were able to narrowly take this one despite the 3-0 sweep on the stat sheet. The set scores were 25-23, 25-19 and 26-24.
“Coming in, [we were] a little bitter,” said Foard head coach Meredith Lombardi. “Nobody likes a loss. Since the North Iredell game, to be honest, we’ve used these other games and practices to adjust some things, and adapt to different circumstances. We really have focused on blocking, and I think tonight we got the touches that we needed to so we could play some defense.
“Our front line really stepped up there. I think that just really got us going. It was a great atmosphere in here [with] the student sections by both sides, and we knew coming in that North…they’re a great program…You got a good show I think right there of some of the top two teams in the state.”
It was neck-and-neck early on in the opening set, but Foard was able to muster a 5-1 lead thanks to the blocking game by senior middle blocker Martina Foster. She acquired a pair of blocks during this stretch.
Nevertheless, the Lady Raiders would climb back into this set as it scored six of the next 10 points, trailing 9-7. A few Foard errors, as well as a kill each from junior outside hitters Madeline Sigmon and Skylar Bolin, made this one a tight contest. Also in the mix was junior outside hitter Emma Norris as she collected an ace on her serve.
Norris unofficially finished with seven kills, an ace and pair of blocks. Meanwhile, Bolin also garnered seven kills, along with two aces. Sigmon chimed in with seven kills, as well as three blocks.
“No. 8 [Emma Norris] and No. 11 [Skylar Bolin], they’re great players,” said Lombardi. “They know how to move the ball around. They’re smart players, so I told the girls, ‘we just need to get a touch, and then if you get a block on someone that takes away anyone’s momentum.’ For us, too. If we get blocked, I mean there goes your momentum.
“So, we did a really good job blocking the middles, and my right sides setting a solid block. [My] outsides set a good block, too. You can just tell that it makes the defense so much more comfortable playing behind something that’s so solid like that. I give total credit to my front line for doing their job as blockers and letting us play defense and the setters running the offense.”
North Iredell continued to carry its momentum as it scored five of the next 10 points in the opening set, trailing 14-12. During this run, the Lady Raiders got a kill apiece from Norris and freshman middle blocker/right side Kayden Flowers, along with an ace from Bolin.
The Lady Tigers began to respond, scoring six of the next 10 points with junior middle blocker Averie Dale kicking things off on the run via a kill assisted by senior setter Haley Johnston. Johnston finished with a team-high 17 assists and eight digs.
North Iredell junior middle blocker Emily Campbell and Bolin countered with kills of their own followed by a kill from Foard junior outside hitter Laney Craig. Craig finished with seven kills and four digs.
This was followed by consecutive blocks from Dale, who also corralled a team-high eight kills and eight digs. Sophomore outside hitter/right side Taylor Ramseur got into the fold on the ensuing play with a block of her own. She finished with five blocks on the night.
At the end of this run, the Lady Tigers clung onto a 20-16 lead.
Just when it felt like the Lady Tigers could take this one the rest of the way, North Iredell struck back and scored four consecutive points to tie the set at 20-all. This was thanks to a pair of Foard errors, as well a kill each from Bolin and Norris.
The Lady Tigers then pushed in front by two only to tie once more at 22-all after straight kills from Bolin and junior libero Tilley Collins. Foard was fortunate enough to have North Iredell commit a few errors, including a service error by junior setter Ailena Mykins, to win the set, 25-23.
In the second set, Foard began to settle in and find its groove although North Iredell carried the early 2-1 lead. Foster scored the first point of the set via a kill only for Norris and Bolin to counter with a kill and an ace, respectively.
The Lady Tigers then scored eight of the next 10 points, taking a 9-4 lead. During this scoring effort, Foard earned a pair of kills from Craig with one assisted by senior right side Trinity Tramel, a kill from Tramel, as well as a kill and a block from Dale.
Foard continued its trend upward as it amassed five of the next 10 points largely in part to the Lady Raiders’ errors. It did, however, get another kill from Dale while North Iredell got a kill via Campbell, Foard still leading 14-9.
The Lady Raider rallied in to obtain eight of the next 11 points. A few Lady Tiger errors, a kill apiece from Norris and Flowers, in addition to a block by Sigmon, led North Iredell to tie things at 17-all.
Nevertheless, Foard answered the call in order to outlast the visitors in this set, 25-19. The Lady Tigers got scoring help from Craig and Dale. Craig earned one of her kills in the run while Dale collected a pair of kills and a block on the front line. Closing out the set was Foard junior defensive specialist Natigan Crutchfield as she obtained the ace on serve.
The third and ultimately final set was a doozy as it remained up in the air throughout. The aforementioned ‘block party’ set up by the front line of the Lady Tigers was especially true in this set.Foster and Dale controlled the flow of the defense.
The duo also had extended help from senior libero/defensive specialist Lyndsie Warren and outside hitter/defensive specialist Maya Beatty. Warren finished with a team-best 12 digs while Beatty chimed in with six digs and six kills. Senior setter Sarah Lingle also contributed with nine assists and five digs.
North Iredell once again took the early lead in the third set as Norris and Sigmon earned a kill and a block, respectively, leading 2-0.
Both teams then began to play a tit-for-tat style of game as the two tied thrice on the next 12 points. During that stretch, Foster accrued a block while Beatty earned one of her kills. Tied at 7-all, Foard was able to get a little cushion as it mustered seven of the next 10 points, leading 14-10.
This run included four straight points from the Lady Tigers including a kill each from Beatty and Ramseur, along with a block and a kill from Foster. Foster finished six kills and a team-best seven blocks. In terms of North Iredell, it got scoring help from Mykins via an ace and Norris via a kill.
Foard continued its pace to score four of the next 10 points via kills from Foster and Craig. Sigmon collected a pair of kills for North Iredell while Campbell and sophomore outside hitter Eliza Jenkins chipped in with a kill apiece, trailing narrowly, 18-16.
The Lady Raiders continued to close the gap even as the Lady Tigers had three chances to close the set out. North Iredell kept fighting and clawed its way to a tie at 24-all.
This forced the Lady Tigers to dig deep and Dale proved superior up front as she obtained a crucial block in the middle to lead, 25-24. On the next play, North Iredell had a costly error which led to Foard’s 26-24 victory much to the acclaim of those in attendance.
It was also a special win for Lombardi as she garnered her first career win against North Iredell head coach Dave Markland. Markland was a longtime head coach for the Bears and coached her while she played at Lenoir-Rhyne University from 2009-2012.
“That’s always fun,” said Lombardi about going up against Markland. “I told the girls, ‘you know I played for him.’ I have a great relationship with Coach Markland. I love him and his family. It’s fun getting to be on that side of things. Of course it’s bittersweet getting to beat him like that, but I know they’re going to come after us again. He’s going to make the adjustments. He’s a great coach. We’re going to have to make adjustments, too.
“We’re going to enjoy this win. They deserved that, but we still got a season to play. West Iredell, then T.C. [Roberson] coming to us on Saturday, and I don’t think they’ve lost. We still got a lot of work we want to work on, but this feels good to get this win under our belt for sure.”
Foard remains at home for its next conference match against West Iredell tonight, and then again against T.C. Roberson (9-0) on Saturday at 2 p.m.
