Ardrey Kell took a three-set defeat the last time they faced off against Weddington, but this time they managed to keep it close and that made all the difference. Ardrey Kell had just enough and edged out Weddington 3-2 on Thursday. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Knights have posted since April 30, 2024.
Ardrey Kell was staring down a 2-1 deficit headed into the fourth set, but they rallied to take the next two for the win. The final score came out to 28-30, 25-18, 20-25, 25-14, 15-13.
Luke Branscom paced Ardrey Kell's offense, picking up 17 kills. Branscom got some help from Jackson Blauer and his 37 assists. Finally, Blauer was also a dominant defender, finishing with a team-high three blocks.
Weddington's loss came despite strong showings from Nithilan Velavan and Owen Conklin. Velavan had 43 assists and five digs, while Conklin had 13 digs. Velavan is crushing it when it comes to assists: he's posted at least 14 every time he's taken the court this season.

Knights
03/20/25 vs Weddington | 3-2 |
03/18/25 vs Myers Park | 3-0 |
03/11/25 vs Palisades | 3-0 |
05/02/24 vs East Lincoln | 3-0 |
04/25/24 vs South Mecklenburg | 3-0 |
Ardrey Kell's win was their fifth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 6-0. As for Weddington, they suffered their first road loss, dropping their record down to 3-2.
We've got plenty of inter-conference action coming up soon. Ardrey Kell is set to square off against their familiar foe South Mecklenburg at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Meanwhile, Weddington will face off against rival Marvin Ridge at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps