One of the more impressive things about Jamestown volleyball’s run to another Bay Rivers District title this year is that, for much of the season, they didn’t miss a beat despite not having their best player in the role that earned her all-state honors as a junior last fall.
Briana Sutton, the Eagles star senior and reigning Bay Rivers and Region I Player of the Year, has been dealing with lingering shoulder problems since last April, which has greatly limited her services on the court throughout what she labeled as a “frustrating” season.
The issue couldn’t keep her off the court entirely – her coach says you’d have to put her in a full body cast to do that anyway – but did limit her to libero duties and anything else that didn’t involve taking hard swings or excessive arm movement.
Sutton is still not 100 percent, but you wouldn’t be able to tell watching her play recently, especially during the Bay Rivers District tournament this past week.
Sutton tallied double-digit kills in all three of Jamestown’s victories and was phenomenal in Saturday’s 3-0 win over New Kent in the championship, especially after outside hitter Kelly Esch went out with an apparent ankle injury.
In the deciding third game, after New Kent rallied to tie things 24-24, Sutton took matters into her own hands. After blistering a cross-court spike to put the Eagles up 25-24, Sutton served up a beautiful sinking ace to clinch the victory.
“Even with her being out as a hitter most of the season, these past four or five matches – especially this tournament – some people have to be talking about her as the Player of the Year again,” Jamestown coach Tom Stephenson said.
The shoulder issues began last April following a club tournament when Sutton began noticing soreness in her right arm. It even began subluxing – a term used to describe a dislocation – often during practice and games.
Sutton spent the next couple months working with a trainer and resting before a month-long stint playing with Team USA in July, in which she experienced little soreness.
In early September, however, the dislocations returned, and during the practice right before a showdown with New Kent, who like Jamestown was undefeated at the time, subluxed three different times.
She tried to play the next day, however in the second game, after hitting an overpass, dropped immediately to the ground in “excruciating” pain because her shoulder was out of its socket.
An MRI later that week determined that her shoulder was loose, but that there was no tear. Still, Sutton said her shoulder would often dislocate when simply sitting in class or “reaching for an apple.”
Local orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine specialist Dr. Dan Carr instructed Sutton be limited to defensive duties with zero hitting or serving.
Sutton sat out a few matches and spent the next few weeks seeing limited action as libero before returning to her position at outside hitter in early October.
Credit the strong play of juniors Esch, Victoria Bowen and Monique St. Cyr for stepping up to keep the ship steady. Last season, St.Cyr set a state record for assists en route to joining Sutton on the all-state first team and Esch was an all-region performer while Bowen could be many teams’ best player, so the reigns were in good hands.
“It was definitely frustrating and obviously painful at times,” Sutton said. “Not being able to help my team the way I’m used to was hard. But we have so many good players on our team that I knew we’d be OK.
“I’m just glad now to be back.”
Ditto for her coach.
Stephenson added that Sutton’s return to full strength couldn’t have come at a better time.
Jamestown will take its first step towards defending last year’s Region I title when they host Eastern View tonight (Monday) at 7 p.m.
“It’s the perfect time for us,” said Stephenson. “We weathered the storm thanks to a total team effort, and now we’re ready for another shot at getting back to states and picking up where we left off.
“I like our chances a lot better having one of the best hitters in the state at full strength.”
