Lady Broncos fall in five-set battle at home
Kariana Ferrell’s serving was a big reason Boyd was able to push RCA to five sets at home Thursday.
Every night, the Lady Broncos inch ever closer to that elusive first victory.
On opening night, Boyd was swept by Franklin Road Christian. The next night, the Lady Broncos swiped a set from Lancaster Christian. On Thursday, Boyd made its biggest push yet, taking rival Riverside Christian to five sets at J.K. Stanley Gymnasium.
Ultimately, the Lady Knights prevailed, winning 24-26, 25-22, 25-15, 19-25 and 15-5, but Boyd's progression through the opening week was evident.
"They're improving every game," said first-year coach Emily Davis. "I guess they're still getting nerves out. You can see it all over their faces. They get down, but they've got to learn to stop looking at the scoreboard."
Boyd started the night on fire, battling through a back-and-forth opening set before prevailing 26-24. Riverside responded by taking the next two, including a decisive 25-15 third set that felt like a major momentum swing.
By the fourth, things appeared to be slipping away from the Lady Broncos. Then Kariana Ferrell made sure Boyd would get another chance.
With Riverside leading 18-16, Ferrell stepped to the service line and completely flipped the set. The sophomore picked her spots with precision while Boyd reeled off eight straight points, with Ferrell delivering three aces during the run to suddenly give the Lady Broncos a 24-18 advantage.
One point later, Boyd blasted a ball through the Riverside block to finish off a 25-19 victory and force a deciding fifth set.
Davis couldn't have asked for much more from her young squad during the comeback.
"I was very proud of them. I told them that in the locker room," said Davis. "Y'all came back, y'all pushed hard, y'all finished the sets."
Unfortunately, Boyd couldn't carry the momentum into the fifth.
The Lady Broncos fell behind immediately and the early deficit seemed to grow heavier with every point. A team that had just battled its way back into the match suddenly looked tight again as Riverside raced away with a 15-5 victory.
Davis felt her team may have entered the deciding set a little too comfortable after the emotional fourth-set comeback.
"They went out thinking that they kind of had it in the bag, I think. I think they were a little too confident that time, which kind of crushed them once they got behind, too," said Davis. "I told them, 'It's a new set. You've got to start over.'"
The final set may sting, but the night still came with plenty of highlights for a Lady Bronco team searching for players to emerge in new roles.
Freshman Aliyah Searight stole the show during one stretch in the third set, stuffing Riverside on back-to-back blocks. Brit Ralph unloaded on one thunderous spike during Boyd's fourth-set rally, while Madi Noll continued developing into a go-to force around the net.
Elly Schoolfield also helped keep Boyd afloat with her serving, while Ferrell's fourth-set run provided the biggest spark of the night.
For Davis, seeing those individual moments start to pile up may be just as important as getting closer on the scoreboard. Many of her players entered the season learning new positions or taking on larger roles and some are experiencing varsity volleyball for the first time.
"I can see all of them getting more comfortable each game, each practice, everything," said Davis. "They do new things each time and I think it shocks them and it kind of surprises themselves. That's kind of the best part, though, is watching them get so excited over something that I've been telling them they could do this whole time and then they finally do it."
Boyd Middle School squad swept at home
The Boyd Middle School Lady Broncos also fell Thursday, dropping their matchup with Riverside in straight sets, 25-18 and 25-15.
Coach Kenny Chisam knows exactly where his group needs to improve.
"We have things we need to clean up, and we know where we need to improve," said Chisam. "We need to communicate better, cut down on unforced errors, serve more consistently, improve our passing, and stay focused when the momentum starts to shift. We also have to learn to trust each other and play as a team."
