The Ridgeview Panthers will face off against the Menendez Falcons at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday. Ridgeview is coming into the matchup hot, having won their last three games.
On Wednesday, Ridgeview earned a 3-1 win over Orange Park.
Ridgeview had a slow start but a hot finish: after dropping the first set, they turned around to win the next three. The match finished with set scores of 23-25, 25-17, 26-24, 26-24.
Menendez not only won on Thursday, but they posted their biggest win since August 26th (when they won 3-0). They were the clear victors by a 3-0 margin over Westside.
The 3-0 score doesn't show just how dominant Menendez was: they took every set by at least 14 points. Once all was said and done, the final score wound up at 25-8, 25-7, 25-11.
Menendez's win came from a few key players Ridgeview will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Jessie Rot, who had 11 digs. She has been hot, having posted 11 or more digs the last seven times she's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Gabby Brubaker, who had 14 assists.
Menendez was lethal from the service line and finished the match with 16 aces. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now served at least six aces every time they've taken the court this season.
Menendez's victory bumped their record up to 8-5. As for Ridgeview, their win bumped their record up to 13-5.
Ridgeview took their victory against Menendez in their previous matchup back in October of 2023 by a conclusive 3-0 score. Will the Panthers repeat their success, or do the Falcons have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
