LAURINBURG — Abby Quick was all smiles after Scotland’s 3-1 win over Richmond’s volleyball team on Thursday.
She had every reason to be happy.
The Lady Scots’ senior libero had just helped the Lady Scots grab their fifth straight win while defeating their rivals for the first time since 2015.
“We haven’t beat them since I’ve been here,” Quick said. “The momentum was good. The student section was good. It felt great.”
Richmond had won nine straight matches against the Scots.
After claiming a 2-0 lead, Scotland had to recover from a 25-13 loss in the third frame. The Scots had faced an identical predicament during a 3-1 win over Pinecrest last week.
“It was like deja vu,” Scotland coach Mallory Wheeler said. “I told them going into game three, let’s not have a repeat of Pinecrest game three, where they came out and annihilated us.
“Well, it happened. So going into game four, I said we have to find a way to respond. You still have the upper hand, but you gave them a little bit of hope that they can beat you. You’ve got to step on it from point one, and finish this game. Put the pressure on. Don’t give them any hope.”
The Lady Scots put that message into action and took a 5-1 lead early in the fourth set. Scotland built that lead to 18-9 before Richmond stole the momentum by rattling off nine unanswered points.
Scotland responded quickly, using a Kate Carter kill and a Kamdyn Morgan ace to take a 20-18 lead. The Lady Scots then scored three straight points after a kill by Richmond’s Jakerra Covington, and Scotland held a 23-19 lead. Both teams scored twice after that, but it was Carleigh Carter’s kill that gave Scotland a 25-21 win.
Both teams had comebacks throughout the first two sets. Richmond scored six straight points to tie the score at 24 in the first set, but a Kate Carter kill and a call against the Raiders helped the Lady Scots grab a 26-24 win. Scotland fell behind 17-11 in the second set, but the Lady Scots went on an 8-1 run to take the lead. Several kills by Kadence Sheppard helped fuel that rally.
It wasn’t the first time the Scots have pulled off such a comeback.
“At the beginning of the season, that was one of our biggest weaknesses,” Wheeler said. “We’d get ourselves in holes that we couldn’t fight out of. We’d just shut down. That’s something I’ve emphasized in every game and every practice — don’t look at the scoreboard. No matter how many points you lose, get that first ball. Try to limit the runs. If you get down, fight back one point at a time. Work for it.”
Final tally
Scotland wins 3-1 (26-24, 25-23, 13-25, 25-21)
Records: Scotland 8-5, 6-1 SAC; Richmond 10-2, 4-2 SAC
