When the Richmond Senior volleyball team takes to the court today in the first round of the North Carolina High School Athletic Association’s state playoffs, it knows it will have to be strong in the middle.

The Lady Raiders face a Terry Sanford squad that finished 11-9 overall and finished third in the Mid-South Conference.

Richmond coach Wendy Wallace believes the Lady Bulldogs are very similar to opponent the Lady Raiders faced twice this season — Cape Fear.

“Their best player is in the middle (Hannah Hurmenie),” Wallace said. “They are not very big, but from what I have seen they are scrappy.”

Hurmenie leads Terry Sanford in kills with 181 this season, while Meghan Gordy has added 147. Caroline Wheeler has notched 263 service points for the Lady Bulldogs.

Wallace hopes her team will be more consistent than it has the last two weeks. The Lady Raiders were swept by Pinecrest, defeated Scotland in five games for the first time in nearly a decade, rallied to beat Pinecrest in five games in the Southeastern Conference Tournament, before falling in straight sets to Scotland in the SEC final.

“I think we are a better hitting team than Terry Sanford,” Wallace said. “But I’m not sure which one of the my teams is going to show up.”

n In other action, Scotland (23-1) will face Seventy-First (11-10). Pinecrest (11-10) takes on CE Jordan (13-10). Purnell Swett (12-10) will play Green Hope (16-4).