Fueled by contributions from several players, the Spartans opened up big leads in both games, then stayed strong in the face of a pair of Ram rallies as they swept Riverdale 25-20, 25-21 at AlWood High School's Walt Minder Gymnasium.
"This was very much a good way to start the season,'' said Ridgewood coach Lisa Miller. "We got the momentum (in both games), and we were able to keep it. Once you lose momentum in volleyball, it's hard to get it back.''
In the first game, the Spartans didn't let the Rams (1-1) gain much in the way of momentum, capitalizing on several Riverdale errors to put together a run of six straight service points and break a 9-9 tie. In the nightcap, the Rams showed much more fight, cutting an early 13-6 deficit down to 23-21 on a Lauren Ickes service ace before Ridgewood closed out the match.
"They started picking up their hustle, and doing the things we wanted,'' Riverdale coach Lisa Black said of her club, which was led by Mallory Gibson's seven kills, Ickes' four blocks and three kills and an eight-assist, five-kill night from Victoria May. "But (Ridgewood) definitely had the momentum getters, and they outhustled us for the most part.''
Sparking the Spartans was the trio of Michelle Williams (eight kills), Stephanie Williams (seven assists, four digs, three kills, three blocks) and Kiersten McKie (nine assists), with sisters Amanda and Ashley Kruger each adding four kills.
"With players from two schools working together, I could see some jitters, but I was very pleased,'' said Miller. "We weren't hitting as well as we had been in practice, but we'll start working toward our next match beginning (today).''