ORANGE PARK – Powered by an overwhelming performance above the net from outside hitter Saige Rivers, the Ridgeview High girls volleyball team snoozed through a first game loss to Baker County High before thundering to three straight wins and a fourth straight district 4-6A title for coach Destiny Brightman.

“I challenged myself to control the ball game at the net,” said Rivers, a senior who finished with 21 scoring slams for the night. “The last time we played, she (Baker County senior hitter Madison Barton) got the better of me even though we won the game, but I felt I had let the team down in that game. I was not going to let it happen again.”

Ridgeview won with game scores of 21-25, 25-14, 25-23 and 25-14 for the 3-1 win. Bishop Kenny and Stanton Prep were to play Thurs., Oct. 18 for the district 3-6A title with the Panthers hosting the runnerup in the region opener on Wed., Oct. 24.

In their previous regular season match, won also 3-1 by Ridgeview, the Panthers struggled through the win, but Brightman cited that game as a turning point for the season that led to the fourth title.

“This season was a struggle with injuries and line up switches along the way, but we knew we could get through it if we stayed together,” said Brightman, who finished at 11-12 for the season, but 4-0 in district play with Baker County coming in at 15-5, 3-1 with the one loss to Ridgeview. “Saige Rivers was stellar tonight. That first game with them was tough because Saige had been injured. This was a battle of those two big girls knowing we had to shut her down to win.”

In game one, lost 25-21, Rivers and the Panthers seemed unsure at the start and misfiring on basic plays against the relentless Baker County front with Rivers blocking partner Devinn Nickson just missing against Barton at the net.

At 13-7, Rivers nailed an explosive shot for a Ridgeview score that seemed to jolt the Panther Den fans and revive a slow-to-start opening, but Baker County toughened up to get the win.

After a lengthy discussion at the far end of the gymnasium where Brightman reminded the team that they were not going to let Baker County steal a fourth district title from them, the Panthers roared out to a dominating 17-7 lead behind a four-man assault at the net from Rivers, Nickson, Kaeley Kelley and Aubrey Brown that left Barton and the Wildcats shaking their heads.

Nickson finished with eight blocks on the night with Rivers adding another six. Leading the scoring parade was setter Katie Belveal who had 53 assists on the night.

“Coach Brightman told us to get our stuff together and quit making dumb mistakes,” said Rivers. “She was not happy.”

Rivers and Brown, who became more strategic in the final game with five kills, smashed back-to-back scoring shots to put the score at 23-10 before Kelley and Nixon finished the game with a kill and block at the net.

Game three became more of an endurance match with both teams being more methodical in controlling the ball with Ridgeview building an early 19-14 lead, but Baker County closing to 23-22.

A block from Rivers was a prelude to a scoring shot from Kelley that ended the game at 25-23.

“We were starting to get our rhythm after the first game and coach Brightman’s talk,” said libero Ashlyn Halford. “We started playing like three time champions and being aware of where they were going to go.”

Game four reverted back to Rivers and friends blasting the net to a 25-14 finale for the title. after being locked at 11-11.

Rivers registered three straight scorings shots at one point to pushed the score from 15-11 to 19-11 as the Panthers pulled away.

“We felt them losing confidence at that point and knew we had to make decisive moves to end it,” said Halford.

A deep scoring shot from Brown and a reversed block by Nixon on match point ended the game 25-14.