Catawba Ridge head coach Ross Lisee knew his top-seeded Copperheads would get every team’s best effort in the 5A Division 2 playoffs.
Lisee’s team dug deep Thursday night to fend off a spirited comeback against Indian Land High, earning a 3-1 (25-16, 25-18, 24-26, 25-11) second-round win in front of an enthusiastic home crowd.
“Anytime you have a good team, their season’s on the line, they’ll play with their heart,” Lisee said. “I feel like we have a brotherhood, a culture in this program, where they never give up. That’s the mentality we have.”
With the win, the Copperheads will return to the Upper State title game for the third straight year since the team’s inception.
Cole Stukitz (15 digs, 36 attacks) led the team with 15 kills, while Hayden King (21 attacks, 6 blocks) and Will Seekings chipped in 14 and 10 kills each. Ryan Stukitz tallied seven blocks, while Chase Harding contributed 14 digs. Charlie Gallagher (23) and Jaxon Hathaway (21) led the team in serves.
Catawba Ridge, which has eight seniors listed on the roster, will host Eastside next Tuesday, Oct. 28 at Catawba Ridge. Eastside earned a 3-2 comeback win over Riverside in their matchup on Thursday night.
Lisee’s team, now 24-4-2, entered the playoffs as the No. 1 seed following a perfect 12-0 Region 3-5A record, where the Copperheads lost just one set in region play.
Catawba Ridge had swept Indian Land 3-0 in both of their matchups in the regular season. The Copperheads reached the state title game in 2023 and fell to Indian Land in last year’s Upper State title game.
Lisee called his team a “great group of guys who are hungry” to win. So, what’s the potential for Catawba Ridge?
“Hopefully we see on Nov. 1,” Lisee said, referring to the scheduled date of the state championship game.
The Copperheads took the first two sets with relative ease. Stukitz and Gallagher provided strong defense at the net, and a Chase Harding ace pushed Catawba Ridge’s early lead to 17-8 in the first set.
Catawba Ridge led by as many as nine points en route to taking the second set; 6-foot-6 Matthew Settle provided the set point with a big hit near the net that ricocheted off two defenders.
The visiting Warriors (17-10) fought back in the third set, using aces and some strong offense at the net to take a 7-0 lead.
Catawba Ridge fought back from five points down to tie the set at 24-24, but the Warriors just edged the final two points off strong serves, giving Indian Land a window back into the match.
But Catawba Ridge wouldn’t be denied in the fourth. Stukitz had a few important kills to spur the Copperheads to a 13-4 lead, and Lisee’s team didn’t look back.
Lisee said he had confidence that his team could turn the game around and take care of business. He called Cole Stukitz a “great leader and teammate” who inspired his team to play well.
“We’re getting better every day,” Lisee said. “One percent better every day.”
Oct. 23 Roundup
The Catawba Ridge girls’ tennis team won 5-1 over Hillcrest in the first round of the 5A state playoffs. Winning for the Copperheads was Abby Russell 2-6, 7-5, 10-7; Katelyn Evans 4-6, 6-0, 10-4; Kaitlyn Wood 6-2, 6-4; and Jane Rohrmeier 6-1, 6-0. Elaina Bielstein and Brooklynn Schuyler in doubles won 6-1, 7-5. Catawba Ridge will travel to Riverside on Tuesday, Oct. 28 for the second round.
