VolleyballVikingsTakeRaiders

VOLLEYBALL: VIKINGS BEAT RAIDERS
 Volleyball: Vikings beat Raiders

It was senior night for Northern Vance, but it looked more like Southern’s in the early stages of Thursday’s rivalry match at Northern.

The Raiders dominated the first set, winning 25-15 before Vikings coach April Abbott inserted her regular rotation to douse the flames.

Northern took the second set in convincing fashion, 25-7, before winning the next two, 25-17 and 25-13 in the 3-1 win.

The Vikings honored seven seniors before both squads’ regular-season finales: Kaylin Owen, Hannah Thompson, Ciarea Thompson, Becca Esquivel, Katie Wilson, Abby Wilkerson, and Natalie Reavis.

“There are so many different personalities especially when you have seven of them,” said Abbott. “You have the seniors that are just silly and make you laugh all the time, and then you have the ones that are determined. And then you have the ones that are like, ‘okay, what’s next.’”

“They’re a competitive group, they always want to be on the floor. They’ve improved tremendously from Day 1.”

Northern finishes the season 11-10 overall and 4-6 in conference play. The Vikings will travel to a team from the Mid-State conference next Saturday.

“I feel okay,” Abbott said of entering the playoffs. “I don’t feel comfortable but I don’t feel like we’re really overwhelmed either. I’m glad that tonight’s senior night is out of the way and all of their jitters because that was a big issue. I feel okay.”

Southern’s season concluded with just one win — coming in the first match of the season at Warren County — but coach Tracey Turner remains optimistic about the future.

“We learned a lot of new things and I think we finished out as strong as we’ve played all season,” she said. “There’s been a lot of little goals met, a lot of learning for me and the girls. I’m proud of them.”

The second set proved to turn the tide for Northern. After only the seniors played the first set, Abbott got a big lift out of Lauren Abbott and Rebekah Edwards in the second frame.

An Abbott kill gave the Vikings a 12-6 lead. Northern scored 10 straight points to win the game 25-7.

“I was hoping that the energy would carry over from the first set, but it didn’t,” Turner said.

The third set was closer but again the Vikes managed to pull away.

A Kiyanna Kearney kill brought the Raiders within 10-8. Northern stretched its lead to six points, but Southern trimmed it back down to four twice before drawing within three at 18-15.

The Vikings responded by winning the next five points with Abbott at the service stripe. Back-to-back kills from Wilson and Edwards ended the set.

Northern broke open a close fourth set behind the serving of Wilson and Thompson as all of Abbott’s seniors returned to the floor to finish the match.

A Wilson ace made it 13-5 and an Abbott block pushed the lead to 14-5. Thompson served up a trifecta of aces to make it 18-6.

Southern cut the lead to 24-13 on four straight points, but Wilkerson set up Thompson for a final kill to end the match.

“It’s always good to have a cushion and have those players that you know are going to take care of their job,” said Abbott. “Hannah has stepped up in practice and taken it to another notch.”

Leading the Vikings were Thompson (seven kills, 12 digs, four aces), Edwards (four kills, four digs, two aces), Esquivel (21 assists, two kills), Wilson (two blocks, four kills, two aces), Abbott (two blocks, four kills, two aces), Natalie Reavis (14 digs, two kills) and Owen (six kills, seven digs, two aces).

Kearney led the Raiders with eight kills, one assist, 13 digs, two aces, and three blocks.

“She’s really coming into her gift on the volleyball court, she’s very instinctive and she’s something else,” Turner said of the freshman.

Also leading the Raiders were Amber Edwards (four aces, 12 digs, four kills), Brittany Bishop (13 assists, one kill) and Morgan Adcock (14 digs, two kills).

Turner said she has been pleased with the leadership shown by some of the younger players like Edwards, a junior.

“They’re already moving into those senior leadership roles,” she said. “I expect them to be excellent leaders next year.”

The Raiders scored five straight points to take a commanding 14-7 lead in Set 1 behind a kill from Edwards and a block from Kearney.

Northern never got closer than seven points from that point and an ace from Meredith Moore ended the first game.

Abbott attributed the surprising opener to the emotions of senior night.

“They were crying before they even walked into the gym tonight so I know they were a little upset,” she said. “They don’t want it to end, they’re getting better and they want to continue playing.”

Contact the writer at kholtzman@hendersondispatch.com.

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