Sea Devils Outlast Richard Bland in Five-Set Battle
Wilmington, NC - For the second time this week, Cape Fear Community College needed all five sets to secure a win, and once again, the Sea Devils delivered. Cape Fear defeated Richard Bland College 3–2 in front of a home crowd at the Schwartz Center, improving to 8–1; 1-0 on the young season.
The Sea Devils opened with a 25–21 win in the first set, but Richard Bland answered by taking sets two and three. Facing elimination, Cape Fear steadied in the fourth behind strong serving and improved efficiency at the net, pulling away late for a 25–20 victory. In the decisive fifth, the Sea Devils never flinched, closing out the match 15–11 to cap off the comeback.
Rose Eklund once again led the attack with 17 kills and 18 digs, while Emma Anderson matched her with 17 kills and added seven digs. Addi Olson was highly efficient, hitting .545 with seven kills and four aces, while Nevaeh Ortiz contributed eight kills and three blocks. Setter Liberty Ipsen controlled the offense with 30 assists, four aces, and 10 digs. Defensively, libero Quinn Meiser collected 18 digs, and Sophia Luoni added 14 more with two service aces.
As a team, Cape Fear finished with 62 kills, 60 assists, 82 digs, and 13 aces, leaning on depth and balanced contributions to outlast a tough Richard Bland squad.
Head Coach Colby Rosser's Take:
"Incredibly proud of the fight we showed to get a win over an outstanding team. It was an entire team effort, and I'm excited to see us continue to grow."
The victory pushes Cape Fear to 8–1 overall and 1-0 in conference play. The Sea Devils return to action Tuesday, as they travel to Sanford, NC, for a tilt with Central Carolina Community College.
