Cleveland Rams outlast Hunt in second round of 3A volleyball playoffs
Cleveland’s volleyball team got its offense going just in time on Tuesday in the second round of the N.C. High School Athletic Association 3A volleyball playoffs.
The Rams picked up the pace in the fourth and fifth sets, rallying from a 2-1 deficit to defeat Wilson’s Hunt High 3-2 and advance to a third-round meeting with conference rival Triton.
Cleveland (22-3), the 11th seed in the 3A East, won the first set 25-19 but found itself on the verge of elimination after sixth-seeded Hunt (18-7) won the next two sets 25-18 and 25-21.
“We’re an awesome team when we are passing good but when we are not passing good on serve-receive we have a hard time,” Cleveland coach Shelley Johnston said. “It’s really hard for teams to stop us if we can run our offense.”
With Alexis Ivey, Mallory Macon and Taylor Thomas leading the way at the net, the Rams got it going in the fourth set to win 25-17 and took the decisive fifth set 15-8 after being down 5-2 to start the set.
“I am so proud of them,” Johnston said. “That is a lot of pressure for them to pass on the back row. For them to step it up after missing so many passes (in the second and third sets), the hitters were able to run the offense.”
That spelled trouble for Hunt, which got a great net game from Eboni Abdus-Samad but could not match the Rams’ offensive firepower.
“The tide didn’t turn when we needed it turn,” Hunt coach Whitney Way said. “We knew from the beginning that it was going to be a battle. They are a great volleyball team. … We needed some kids to step up at times when they didn’t step up.”
Turning point
Down 5-2 in the fifth set, Cleveland got a lightning-quick kill from Ivey. The point seemed to ignite the Rams, who went on a 6-0 run to take an 8-5 lead.
“Her momentum is huge on our team,” Johnston said. “Every single person can be down on our team and Alexis can get a kill and it just changes the whole game.”
They said it
“They showed a lot of heart,” Johnston said. “They are finally getting it and understand that if you can play with heart you can win ball games that maybe you shouldn’t have won, even though we should have won this one.”
Three who mattered
Cleveland’s Alexis Ivey: The emotional heart and soul of the Rams, the talented senior hitter had a team-high 17 kills and seemed to have a knack for making the big shot when her team most needed it.
Cleveland’s Mallory Macon: The Rams senior (14 kills) and sophomore Taylor Thomas (12 kills) gave the Rams a 3-pronged attack at the net that was too much for the Warriors.
Hunt’s Eboni Abdus-Samad: The Warriors senior had a match-high 18 kills to lead Hunt. No other Hunt play notched double figures in kills.
This story was originally published October 27, 2015 at 10:17 PM with the headline "Cleveland Rams outlast Hunt in second round of 3A volleyball playoffs."