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A Raider repeat in Richmond
RICHMOND -- When Loudoun County High School's volleyball team takes the court next year, it will do so as a two-time defending state champion.
The Raiders swept the Hidden Valley Titans 31-29, 25-21 and 29-27 at the Siegel Center on the campus of Virginia Commonwealth University Nov. 15 in front of several hundred vocal Loudoun County fans.
"We were very determined. We really badly wanted this," said junior Juliane Hanna, County's kill leader with 16. "Every person had the same attitude. We were going to do anything we could to pull it out."
The Raiders (27-1) are repeating tournament champions for Virginia Group AA, as well as Region II and the Dulles District. Since the start of the 2006 season, County has compiled an 82-4 record with three state championship match appearances.
This is the fourth state title in the history of Loudoun County's oldest high school, which opened in 1954. The Raiders own state championships in boys' and girls' tennis, along with the two for girls' volleyball.
County had to battle to earn the sweep, going on an 8-0 run to tie the Titans at 24 in the third game. Junior setter Robin Marsala delivered the service points, thanks largely to several kills by Shaylin O'Connell, one of five Raider seniors.
Marsala finished with 11 points and 26 assists. O'Connell totaled 13 kills and got up for seven blocks.
"We were going to do anything that we could possibly do to get there, and we did it as a team," said O'Connell, who will suit up for The College of William & Mary next fall.
Seniors Kerry Sarver (14 assists), Rochelle Latka (four kills) and Katie Gloe (seven kills, 10 service points) made contributions in their final game as Raiders. Sophomore Rachel Arigo came back from a broken finger to register three kills and two blocks.
Junior Emily Vandegrift had three blocks, junior Hannah Arnold had nine digs and sophomore Kathleen Horvath bumped up 20 digs. The Raiders' defense were tested by an intelligent Hidden Valley offense.
"We knew that they had a lot of good hitters and blockers, so we knew that if we wanted to get the point, we had to put the ball away," O'Connell said.
Assistant coach Jarod Brown commended his team's defense for aiding the offense.
"Our defense did a good job of keeping our offense alive," he said. "Our passes were pushed to the net, our setters did a great job of getting it up to our hitters and trying to give us an advantage."
Brown ran the team in the absence of his sister, head coach Jenica Matthias, who suffered an undisclosed illness and spent most of the match receiving medical attention in the Siegel Center's first-aid facility.
Matthias was able to return in time to see her team clinch the victory.
"She's doing OK," Brown said. "She was able to talk to some medical people and they were able to calm her down."
During the presentation of championship plaques to each of the Raiders, the ovation for Matthias rang loudest.
Marsala, a first-year transfer player, feels proud to have become a part of the Raider program.
“I just came here from Nebraska, and I think it's awesome,” she said. “I told them that they are the most determined. I was really glad that I came here.”
She turned to the three teammates to her left and shyly smiled.
“I was going to tell you guys that later,” she said.
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