North Adams’ Katelynn Boerger, right, goes up at the net for a kill attempt in the Lady Devils’ three-set victory at Ripley on August 22. (Photo by Mark Carpenter)

North Adams’ Katelynn Boerger, right, goes up at the net for a kill attempt in the Lady Devils’ three-set victory at Ripley on August 22. (Photo by Mark Carpenter)

<p>North Adams’ Aulbrea Meade delivers a serve in the Lady Devils’ conference win at Ripley last week. (Photo by Mark Carpenter) </p>

North Adams’ Aulbrea Meade delivers a serve in the Lady Devils’ conference win at Ripley last week. (Photo by Mark Carpenter)

By Mark Carpenter

People’s Defender

The 2023 season got off to a good start last week for Coach Katie Ragan and the North Adams Lady Devils varsity volleyball squad, as the Lady Devils captured two of their first three matches, including straight set wins over Ripley and Lynchburg in Southern Hills Athletic Conference play.

The Lady Devils opened their season on Tuesday, August 22 with a conference road trip to Ripley to battle the host Lady Jays. Though they looked a little flat at times, the visitors did what they had to do when they had to do it and flew by the Lady Jays in straight sets, 25-14, 25-19, 25-13.

In the opening set, the Lady Devils led 4-0 before Ripley’s Kendra Padgett reeled off seven consecutive service points to help her team take an 8-4 advantage. The home team hung on to their slim lead until a kill and service ace from Katelynn Boerger evened the score at 12 apiece. From that point on, it was all North Adams.

Coach Ragan inserted senior Izzy Grooms to serve and the move paid immediate dividends as Grooms tallied five points, including a pair of aces, to begin a dominant run that saw the Lady Devils take 10 of 11 points and a 22-13 lead. The first set ended in a North Adams win on another Boerger kill to back up the serves of junior Aulbrea Meade, 25-14 Lady Devils.

The two teams played it close as the second set began, with neither side leading by more than two points. After a North Adams service error tied the set at 10 each, the Lady Devils got the next side out and went on a 6-0 run with Meade serving and Boerger controlling the net. Ripley bounced back to get five of the set’s next seven points to make it 18-15. but the visitors got three service points from senior Kirsten Campbell to pull away and eventually finished off the set with a Paige Evans kill and a 25-19 win and a 2-0 match lead.

With their backs to the wall, The Lady Jays took an early 5-1 lead in the third set with sophomore Harlie Polley behind the service line, but North Adams answered with five service points from sophomore Natalie Ragan to take a lead they would never relinquish. With Campbell at the serve, the Lady Devils extended their lead to 12-6 and continued to add on with a pair of Evans serves making it 19-11.

With the score standing at 19-13, North Adams got the serve back on a Ripley error and Meade took full advantage, serving out the set with five straight for a 25-13 third set victory and a sweep of the match.

“It was nice to start the season with a win on the road,” said Coach Ragan. “We have things we need to improve on going forward.”

In the win, Katelynn Boerger led the way with 7 blocks, 6 kills, 5 digs and 2 aces. Paige Evans added 12 digs, 5 kills and an ace, with Aulbrea Meade contributing 6 digs, 5 kills, 4 aces and a block.

In JV action at Ripley, the Lady Devils came out on top, 28-26, 20-25, 25-13.

The Lady Devils were on the road the next evening with a non-conference trip to face the Minford Lady Falcons, that didn’t turn out as well, as they went down in three sets, 25-21, 25-20, 25-17.

At Minford, Boerger again led the way with 9 kills and 6 digs, with Aulbrea Meade adding 6 kills and 12 digs and Natalie Ragan setting for 14 assists.

In action for the third consecutive night, the Lady Devils hosted their first home match on August 24, a conference face off with the Lynchburg-Clay Lady Mustangs. In dominant fashion, the North Adams girls made it two out of three for the week with another straight set win, 25-25-15, 25-11, 25-14.

Boerger had another big night, knocking down 14 kills. Ragan added 10 kills and 23 assists with Meade getting 8 kills and 10 digs.

In the JV match with Lynchburg, Coach Rob Meade’s Lady Devils fell 2-1.

Coach Ragan and her squad were back in action on Monday, August 28 as they traveled to Portsmouth Clay for a non-conference match up, followed up a Tuesday night home match with Clermont Northeastern (non-conference). On Thursday, August 31 the Lady Devils will be back in SHAC action when they host the talented Whiteoak Wildcats.