LASKER – In a first round match of the Tarheel Independent Conference (TIC) Volleyball Tournament a pair of area rivals squared off here Tuesday as number-six seed, Ridgecroft School, faced Northeast Academy, seeded third.

The contest went five sets before a winner was declared and it was the Lady Eagles advancing on to the semi-finals as 3-2 winners by final scores of 25-22, 25-18, 20-25, 17-25, and 15-11.

Northeast faced The Albemarle School in the first semi-final, while Lawrence Academy met top-seed, Pungo Christian Academy.  The semis were not completed by press time.

The TIC championship for a spot in the NC Independent Schools Athletic Association state playoffs will be played today (Thursday) at 6:30 at NEA gym.

Haley Mayle led the Lady Eagles with five aces, three kills and three digs, while teammate Chelsea Rose accounted for five kills, three aces, two digs, and a pair of tips, one assist and one block.  Alexis Soper led the team in assists with 13.

The Lady Eagles got out front early in the Tuesday quarter-final thanks to the serving of Holly Byrum who helped them build an 18-12 lead.

The Lady Rams’ Tracy Hughes scored a kill to get Ridgecroft within three at 23-20, but Northeast would go on to win the first set by that same number, 25-22.

The Lady Eagles led the whole second set, rushing out to a 20-15 lead and posting a seven-point win, 25-18 to take a 2-0 lead in the match.

Northeast looked to wrap it up with a sweep as they jumped out to a 6-0 lead in the third set but Ridgecroft fought hard for their playoff lives.  Tying the match at 13-13 the Lady Rams then went on a 7-0 run to take a 20-13 lead and win it by five, 25-20 to cut Northeast’s lead to 2-1.

Ridgecroft then won the fourth set, 25-17, to even the match at two wins apiece and set up the drama of a fifth-set tie-breaker.

The two teams battled back and forth and were tied at 11-11 before Northeast reeled off the final four points in a row and took the set 15-11 and the match, 3-2.

Emily Grace and Kathryn Outlaw led Ridgecroft in their scoring.  Also scoring for NEA were Holly Byrum with nine assists, a pair of digs and an ace. McKayla Davis had eight kills an ace and a tip, Anna Liverman had three kills and Megan Futrell had two digs and an assist.

“What a win,” said jubilant Northeast coach Cap Pfeiffer. “We took that 2-0 lead but had to hold on for the win. Ridgecroft played a great game.”

“The girls played really well,” said Ridgecroft coach Susan Oliver. “They gave it everything they had.  We battled back from being down 0-2 and actually had a chance to win it there at the end.  We had good serving and fought to the end.”

Ridgecroft’s season ended with the loss.  Northeast improved to 15-5 with the win.