<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=0I5D2f_0vkbwsAz00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=0I5D2f_0vkbwsAz00" width="520" height="1139" ><figcaption>A.C. Flora’s Emily Burgess sends a shot past Dreher’s Jasmyn Hurt. Photos by Mike Maddock</figcaption></figure>The A.C. Flora Falcons outlasted the Dreher Blue Devils 3-1 (25-19, 24- 26, 25-20, 25-23) Thursday, September 19 in Region 3-4A volleyball action. “I think that they’ve been in high pressure situations a few times already this season,” A.C. Flora head coach Erin Groves said of her Falcons. “ We are a very young team, but they have that very intense fight, don’t quit mentality. We hung in there and didn’t get flustered.” A.C. Flora jumped to a 4-1 lead in the first set with points coming from Emily Burgess and Ryleigh Powers, but some miscues by the Falcons allowed Dreher to tie the score. A.C. Flora regrouped with a point from Powers to regain the lead for good. Courtney Burgess also scored as the Falcon lead grew to 11-7. Dreher battled back with a point from Anna Price McCormack and some miscues from the Falcons to whittle the deficit to 11-9. However, A.C. Flora responded by scoring 11 of the next 18 points to increase its lead to 22-16. The Blue Devils tried to fight back with scoring from McCormack, Mariela Penso, and Rose Duncan to cut the deficit to 22-19, but A.C. Flora closed the set with points from Rachel Britt and Jillian Brown to win 25-19. The Falcons gained the upper hand early with a 5-2 lead. Abby Brown and Courtney Burgess each scored. Dreher responded with a 6-1 run, including a point from Emily Burgess, to lead 8-6. A.C. Flora answered with a 13-7 run to take a 19-15 lead. Courtney Burgess, Emily Burgess, and Anna Grace Painter each scored.The Blue Devils didn’t go away as points from McCormack, Chloe Scott, and Caroline Painter helped Dreher tie the score at 23-23. Emily Burgess scored to give the Falcons the slight edge, before the Blue Devils scored three straight points, including one from Caroline Painter, to win the second set 26-24. Scoring from Brown and Courtney Burgess gave A.C. Flora a 5-1 lead in the third set. Once again, Dreher battled back with scoring from Penso and Scott to tie the score at 7-7. A point from Courtney Burgess gave the Falcons the lead and was the beginning of a 14-8 run. Powers also scored, as A.C. Flora led 21-15. The Blue Devils mounted one more counterattack with scoring from Scott, McCormack, and Addison Andrews to come within 21-19. However, the Falcons scored four of the final five points to win the third set 25-20. Powers and Emily Burgess each contributed. “These are big time girls,” Groves said. “They are going to be amazing. They are amazing right now, but we have a squad of 29 in total. Only five of them are upperclassmen. Everyone else are freshmen or sophomores. We just ride the wave of our youth. Sometimes it’s beautiful. Sometimes we get a little flustered, but inevitably there is a fight that they have within them that always pokes its head out the majority of the time. I’m very proud.” The fourth set saw 11 ties and four lead changes. A point from A.C. Flora’s Kennedy Bagley provided the last lead change. Kirsten Pendergrass added a point as the Falcons’ lead grew to 21-18. Dreher continued to fight as Isabel Smith scored to tie the set at 21-21. Once again, though, the Falcons shut the door with points from Emily and Courtney Burgess to win the set 25-23 and the match 3-1. “It’s really important,” Groves said of beating Dreher. “Right now we are No. 1 in the region, but we have two extremely tough matches next week. We are going to Camden and South Pointe. We went to five sets the first time we played both teams. Having a little adversity tonight and really having to work for this win is a great set up for the type of intensity and fight we are going to need next week.” </div></body>

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A.C. Flora slips past Dreher

The A.C. Flora Falcons outlasted the Dreher Blue Devils 3-1 (25-19, 24- 26, 25-20, 25-23) Thursday, September 19 in Region 3-4A volleyball action. “I think that they’ve been in high pressure situations a few times already this season,” A.C. Flora head coach Erin Groves said of her Falcons. “ We are a very young team, but they have that very intense fight, don’t quit mentality. We hung in there and didn’t get flustered.”