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The Eagles' Sarah Frohnapfel celebrates with teammates after scoring a point during the first game of the Eagles' 3-0 Commonwealth District tournament win last night.
Colonial Forge's Tori Lewis (left) and Ashlee Sallee stretch for the same ball during the Eagles' win last night. |
It may have been Halloween for much of the world last night, but for the Colonial Forge volleyball team, it was just business as usual.
Displaying their trademark efficiency, the Eagles continued their dominance of the Commonwealth District with a 3-0 win over pesky North Stafford in a tournament semifinal contest.
The 25-12, 25-18, 25-12 victory improved the defending district and Northwest Region champions' record to 21-4 and earned them a berth in tomorrow's championship match at 6 p.m. against second-seeded Albemarle, a 3-0 winner over Mountain View.
Colonial Forge is a perfect 13-0 in district matches this season and boasts a 39-2 mark in games played. The Eagles have won the district's regular season title for four straight years under coach Keith Mesa and will be shooting for their third tournament championship.
Nearly all of the traits that have contributed to that success story were present last night, but maybe not to the degree Mesa would have liked.
"It was not one of our better efforts," Mesa said. "I think part of it was that we were a little rusty, and part of it was that North Stafford hit a lot of off-speed stuff that took some adjusting to. But we kept it together."
North Stafford (10-10) proved to be a different team last night than the one the Eagles had swept in two regular-season meetings this year.
"That was the best showing we've ever had against them," North Stafford coach Teri Clark said. "We weren't going to get everything they put out there. But we played our game, covered the floor and did the best we could."
With junior setter Brittany Jones (eight assists, three aces) and senior hitter Jenni Sumner (six kills, one ace) leading the way, the Wolverines built early leads in all three games, only to see the Eagles firepower respond to the challenge each time.
Powerful hitters Emily Frohnapfel and Bianca Richardson were usually involved in the response.
Frohnapfel recorded a team-high 14 kills, including an important pair in Game 2 when North Stafford made its best run at stealing a win. The tall senior made a soft kill to break a 12-12 tie and then put the Eagles ahead for good with a service ace minutes later.
Her aggressive play complemented Richardson's, who played big roles in Games 1 and 2. Richardson sparked a 7-2 run early in the first game with three straight points, and then helped cement the second game with some impressive spikes.
"I think we're doing a good job," said Richardson, who finished with seven kills and two blocks. "I think our defense has really picked up, especially with all of the defensive players we lost last year."
Sophomore setter Sarah Frohnapfel (25 assists) and junior libero Ashlee Sallee (six digs) were other factors in the Eagles' ability to get points when they needed them.
"We still have our downs," Sallee said. "But we always seem to be able to bring each other up. There always has to be a lot of really good communication."
Despite early deficits in all three games, Colonial Forge's only real test came in Game 2. A kill by the Wolverines' Kelley Mitchell narrowed the Eagles' lead to 20-17, but Richardson, Maryellen Clarke and Caitlin Baird all came up with big plays to seal the win.
In tomorrow's title game, the Eagles will be facing the only district team that has beaten them this season, but Mesa believes his team is ready to capture another banner and do well in the regional playoffs.
"These kids play volleyball all year and know how to stay focused and put it together," he said. "For the most part, they're like family."
Added Richardson: "We want to keep winning. A big goal for us is to go to the states this year. We really want to do that."
To reach STEVE FRANZELLO:
Email: sports@freelancestar.com
Colonial Forge 3, North Stafford 0 |
