Rockledge is 0-10 against Merritt Island since August of 2018 but things could change on Wednesday. The Raiders will take on the Mustangs at 5:30 p.m. The two teams are strolling into their matchups after big wins in their previous games.
Rockledge is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Tuesday. They put the hurt on Eau Gallie with a sharp 3-0 victory. The win continues a trend for the Raiders in their matchups with the Commodores: they've now won four in a row.
One reason for the win was Rockledge's just kept getting better, winning each set by more points than the last. The match finished with set scores of 25-19, 25-17, 25-10.
Arianna Jackson
| 10/14/25 vs Eau Gallie | 18 |
| 10/09/25 @ West Shore | 15 |
| 10/07/25 vs Cocoa | 13 |
| 10/06/25 vs Bayside | 33 |
| 10/04/25 @ Lyman | 13 |
Rockledge can attribute much of their success to Arianna Jackson, who had 18 digs and three aces. Jackson has been hot, having posted 13 or more digs the last five times she's played.
They weren't the only good servers: Rockledge was lethal from the service line and finished the match with 11 aces. They are 10-5 when they serve at least ten aces.
Meanwhile, Merritt Island got the win against Mount Dora on Wednesday by a conclusive 3-0.
Merritt Island never let Mount Dora on the board, but things got pretty close in the second set. The final score came out to 25-21, 25-23, 25-13.
Rockledge better keep an eye on Sarah Niazi. She was instrumental in Merritt Island's win, getting 24 digs and two aces. That's the most digs Niazi has posted since back in August. Another player making a difference was Amber Ives, who had 21 assists and three aces.
Rockledge's record is now 11-15. As for Merritt Island, their record now sits at 23-2.
Here's a few offensive stats to keep an eye on ahead of Wednesday's match: Rockledge has really dialed in their serving this season, having averaged 11.3 aces per game. However, it's not like Merritt Island struggles in that department as they've been averaging 8.8 aces. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Rockledge suffered a grim 3-0 defeat to Merritt Island in their previous matchup back in October of 2024. Can the Raiders avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
