RICHMOND HILL — Savannah Christian Prep volleyball earned a statement win Saturday, September 13, beating Richmond Hill 2–1 on the Wildcats’ home floor. The Raiders had lost to the Wildcats earlier this season on August 28, but today they answered with a big road victory.
Richmond Hill came in ranked No. 9 in Class 6A by Score Atlanta and riding an 18-match win streak. The Wildcats (24–2, 5–0 region) grabbed the first set 25–23, but Savannah Christian (18–5, 8–0 region, ranked No. 6 in Class 1A–3A) responded with a 25–14 win in the second set. The Raiders then controlled the third set, 15–8, to close out the match and extend their win streak to 11. However, the Raiders' win streak would end in their last match against East Coweta, as they lost in three sets, 2-1.
Box Score
| Savannah Christian | 23 | 25 | 15 | 2 |
| Richmond Hill | 25 | 14 | 8 | 1 |
Around the Playdate
Saturday’s action at Richmond Hill featured several matches. Richmond Hill defeated Bluffton 2–0 and East Coweta 2–1 before falling to Savannah Christian 2–1. East Coweta also defeated Bluffton 2–0 and split its day, beating Savannah Christian 2–1 but losing to Richmond Hill 2-1. Savannah Christian finished 2–1, with wins over Bluffton 2–0 and Richmond Hill 2–1 before dropping its finale to East Coweta 2–1.
Match Standouts
Savannah Christian
Savannah Christian totaled 25 kills, 23 assists, and 12 aces in the three-set win over Richmond Hill. Junior outside hitter Ella Quinney led the way with 7 kills, 2 digs, and a block, while sophomore Kamila Salinas added 5 kills, 2 assists, and 8 serves. Sophomore setter Carinne Cason finished with 13 assists, and freshman setter/opposite Ella Burgstiner chipped in 5 kills and 11 assists. Sophomore libero Avery Ritzert contributed 3 kills, 5 digs, and 3 aces.
NOTE: Richmond Hill match statistics will be updated once they are posted on MaxPreps.
Coach’s Corner
Julie Jones (Savannah Christian)
Head coach Julie Jones praised her team’s resilience after dropping the opening set.
“No, not that big, but I did expect them to answer. They have a no-quit attitude, and they’re kind of fearless, which I love. And we just keep saying ‘answer.’ You’ve got to put pressure on good teams like that, and they are a good team.”
She added that serving and limiting mistakes were key.
“We had some good serving runs and we erred less than they did, which is what volleyball comes down to.”
When asked about her young team stepping up against a senior-heavy Richmond Hill squad, Jones said:
“They keep amazing me. Really, I keep telling them. I said, I know y’all think I’m a goose saying this, but I sit on the bench and I just enjoy watching y’all. It’s the most I’ve ever sat on a bench. Well, yeah, it’s fun. I just sit back and enjoy. They work their butts off.”
Danielle Ennis (Richmond Hill)
Wildcats head coach Danielle Ennis said her team had chances but struggled to adjust after the first set.
“We were hitting some pretty good shots, but Savannah Christian was defending them well. Instead of changing our placement, we kept sending the ball back to their libero, and they stayed in system. Once you get them out of system, they have some trouble, but we couldn’t get there. Savannah Christian is a rival, a great team, and they really played their hearts out against us this time.”
Ennis also pointed to execution and mental toughness as areas to improve.
“Maybe my girls let their guard down a little bit. We didn’t set our middle enough, we had some shots into the net, and a few mental errors. We’re working on mental toughness. We’ll use this to learn, because we’ve got region play Tuesday night against an undefeated team. We’ve got to fix it quick.”
She highlighted blocking and effort as positives to carry forward.
“Our blocking was really good. The East Coweta match showed how much these girls care about the sport. We’re stacked with experience, and they’re hungry. They want a region championship and a deep playoff run. Even though we dropped this match, their hearts are in it, and they’ll keep digging.”
Who's On Court Next
Savannah Christian improves to 18–5 overall and 8–0 In region play. The Raiders will return home Tuesday for a non-area matchup against Savannah Arts Academy.
Richmond Hill, now 24–2 overall and 5–0 in region play, will stay at home to host key region rivals Lowndes (5–0)and Colquitt County on Tuesday, September 16.
PHOTO CREDIT: Courtesy Prep Sports Report Staff
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