Ladybirds’ honeymoon continues with 3-1 win over Hunt

With just three seasoned players available this season, the learning process for the Hunt High varsity volleyball team continued Monday afternoon with a painful 25-18, 25-18, 9-25, 25-22 losing lesson received from the spirited and ambitious Southern Nash squad in the Hunt High gym with refurbished lighting.

Southern Nash, a 3-A member of the 2-A/3-A Big East Conference, stretched its undefeated streak to four matches against the three-time defending champion Warriors of the 3-A Quad County Conference. Hunt (1-2), in the second season of head coach Matt Lemmons, visits 2-A power Farmville Central in a rematch Tuesday.

The Ladybirds fired to a 9-0 start last season, but wound up tying for third place in the Big East and lost in the first round of the NCHSAA 3-A playoffs. Head coach Melanie Mercer nee Hicks, who was married last Saturday, contends her veteran 2024 team can match — and exceed – last year’s beginning.

“I don’t foresee that dropping off this year,” Mercer declared. “I think we are going to be the team to beat and win the conference championship this year.”

Southern Nash flashed championship form the first two sets en route to its first win against Hunt during the nine seasons Lemmons has been associated with the Warriors. Lemmons also reported Hunt lost to a Nash County team for the first time during his tenure.

“The first two sets were textbook,” Mercer reviewed. “The energy was there. The hitting all the way around was just phenomenal. Even players on the bench are good hitters. We have 12 players, and all 12 can hit the ball somewhere good.”

Yet, the Ladybirds needed a dramatic 25-22 victory in the fourth set before celebrating. Remarkably, senior Ava Pate pounded her way to the winning point in each of the three games. Pate was joined by senior Carlee Beckham in powering the Ladybirds with 14 kills each. Southern Nash notched 41 kills.

Hunt, understandably, was encouraged by a third-set performance dominated by senior outside hitter Presley Frazier and junior Greta Speight. The Warriors were threatening to force a decisive fifth set when Speight left the court because of sickness. Speight returned to the bench, but Lemmons elected not to risk sending her back in.

“We were in position to win that fourth set,” Lemmons contended. “You almost wonder what would have happened if Greta hadn’t gone out. We had momentum.”

Senior libero Paige Mathews served Hunt to a 3-0 edge in the fourth set. With Frazier’s power prevalent, the Warriors constructed advantages of 12-7 and 16-9. They clung to a 16-15 margin when Speight exited. However, the Ladybirds eventually overcame the errors and drew even at 16-16 on an ace from senior Anna Dickinson. An ace from all-conference performer Pate put the Ladybirds ahead for keeps at 18-17. The Ladybirds clung to a slim lead. But a look-away flick from sophomore Abigail Marks, a blast from Pate and Pate’s winner, a shot with plenty of pace that Mathews couidn’t handle.

“That was a hard shot,” Mathews said.

It also sealed the Southern Nash win.

“It’s a great feeling,” the excited Pate exclaimed. “Everybody worked super hard; I’m proud of everybody. We try to focus more on the fundamentals; that helps us to be more consistent. We needed to play our best, pull out all the stops and be as aggressive as we could. It worked well. We really laid it all out. I think I was consistent.”

Southern Nash opened the match with a 9-3 spurt, with junior Macy Strickland serving for seven consecutive points. The Ladybirds extended the margin to 19-8 and 24-18 before Hunt managed a mild spurt. Pate’s winner sent Southern Nash up 1-0 in sets.

Frazier, who excelled not only as an outside hitter but as a backline defender, served Hunt to a 7-6 advantage in set No. 2. But the Ladybirds forged an 8-8 tie and were leading 9-8 when Marks served for four consecutive aces. The aces in the 6-0 run proved decisive as Hunt could draw no closer than 16-13.

“Abigail knew it was important for us to get ahead,” Pate noted. “That gave us the momentum.”

The flurry resulted in a 2-0 cushion in sets.

But Hunt displayed its desire to win in the third set. When Hunt jumped to a 6-2 lead and took command with a 11-0 spree, Frazier, getting excellent sets from Speight, sizzled with eight kills. Frazier bombed the Ladybirds with 14 kills in the third set, while Speight served for 16 points that included a key ace.

“I want to see them play like they did in the third set more often,” Lemmons expressed. “That’s what you used to see from Hunt volleyball.”

Added Mathews: “It was not the outcome we wanted, but a glimpse of the third set shows us what we’re capable of. Presley stepped up; she is a hard worker and knows what’s expected of her.

“We have six seniors, but we lost a lot of our seniors. We are rebuilding as a team, but we do have a lot of potential. We have to get the culture together. It’s more of a mindset. A lot of us on the court have a desire to win.”

“In the first and second sets, the passing was way off,” Lemmons reviewed. “We couldn’t get attacks. Southern Nash played very well. But in the third set  it finally clicked. But when Greta goes out, the momentum shifts.  But I am proud of (junior) Savannah (Comstock, Speight’s replacement). She did her job the best she could.”

Of Frazier’s third-set tear, the Ladybirds’ Pate cited excellent sets from her teammates and Frazieer beginning the set positioned on the front row.

Said Mercer: “She just went off; we couldn’t stop her. But I think we made adjustments for the fourth set that helped.”

Senior Kayla Battle, freshman Makenzie Collins and senior Azayiah Kerson emerged key contributors in the fourth set for Hunt. However, the Southern Nash contingent of Dickinson, junior Olivia Ordress, senior Kaylie Love, Beckham, Pate, Strickland, senior Savanna Baines, Marks and sophomore Peyton Cooke ruled.

“We had to put forth our best effort,” Pate commented of the fourth-set challenge. “We had to put on the court what we’ve been taught. This is the best feeling win yet.”

Added Mercer: “This was against Hunt and this was big! And I just think they were hungry.”

Beckam added eight digs for the Ladybirds. Marks led with 33 assists, and libero Strickland notched 17 digs.

Hunt’s Frazier, all-conference last season, dazzled with 28 kills, three blocks, 20 digs and two aces. Collins had six kills and an ace. Speight amassed 20 assists and four aces. Kerson topped the Warriors with five blocks. Mathews spent much of the match face-first on the court and was sensational with 24 digs. She termed the performance among the best of her career.

“Getting those hard hits, I do my best to read them,” Barnes explained. “We knew coming in that they were good competition. (Southern Nash) is a very good passing team.”

Hunt was hampered by 14 service errors that often crippled momentum. And Lemmons concluded: “I just hate we came out flat the first and second sets.”

But for the newlywed Mercer, her volleyball honeymoon continued.

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