Jamestown’s volleyball team advanced to its second state championship game in three years Thursday, but the Eagles will not be meeting Bay Rivers District rival Grafton for a fifth time this season in the tournament final.
Jamestown defeated James Wood 3-0 in the first of two 4A state semifinals while Grafton fell 3-0 to Loudoun County in the other at Virginia Commonwealth University’s Siegel Center on Thursday afternoon.
Jamestown will play Loudoun County in the 4A final at 5 p.m. Saturday at VCU.
Eagles Returning to State Final after Holding Off James Wood
James Wood coach Jill Counturiaux said when she scouted Jamestown during its 4A South Region final against Grafton, it appeared that Kelly Esch was something of a one-woman show offensively.
The LSU-bound Esch has been that at times for the Eagles when needed, but Jamestown showed is has more than one weapon in its arsenal during Saturday’s semifinal.
Five different players contributed five or more kills, led by freshman Ellie Popelka, who finished with a team-high 10, as Jamestown used an all-around performance to beat the Colonels 3-0 and book its second trip to a state final in three years.
“I thought all season long one of the reason we’re 27-1 and playing for a state championship is because we have a really diversified offense,” Jamestown coach Tom Stephenson said.
After Jamestown breezed its way to a 25-9 win in the opening set, James Wood was much more competitive in the second set, seizing control as junior outside hitter Lindsey Painter, who recorded a game-high 13 kills, found her groove at the net.
The Colonels (24-6) led 17-14 before Jamestown coach Tom Stephenson called a timeout to regroup his team.
“Our attackers were coming to the ball a little early and aggressive and waiting until the ball is in front of us,” Stephenson said. “We just talked about being more disciplined and cleaning things up, and I thought our hitters made some good adjustments to get us back into that set.”
Back-to-back combo blocks by Esch and Popelka brought the Eagles within one, 17-16, before Esch took to the service line and put Jamestown ahead 19-18.
The back-and-forth set would see three more ties before Jamestown eked out a 25-22 victory, with the biggest points coming on freshman Maria Esch’s kill to give the Eagles a 23-22 lead before Megan Sullivan clinched the win with a beautiful diving ace that dropped just inside the back line.
Though the Eagles led throughout the third set, they never saw more than a four-point advantage.
Seemingly on the verge of clinching a 3-0 win with a 23-19 lead, James Wood rallied back to within one, 23-22, on Abbye Prelip’s ace.
The Colonels would tie things for the sixth time during the set at 23-all before Monique St. Cyr set up a Maria Esch kill that put the Eagles at game point.
Senior Saskia Beitzell then pounded the ball to the ground after it floated over to finish off a 25-23 match-clinching win.
“It means a lot to get to [the state championship] for a second time,” Kelly Esch said. “Especially to do it with a lot of the same girls who were here two years ago.”
State Powerhouse Too Much for Clippers
There has been no bigger obstacle in the way of the Grafton volleyball team’s quest for its first state championship over the years than Loudoun County.
After failing to reach the state semifinals each of the past two seasons, the Clippers made their return this year only to have their season end at the hands of Loudoun County for the fourth time in the their last four trips to the state Final Four.
The Raiders, winners of four out of the past five Group AA state titles, overwhelmed Grafton with their height at the net en route to securing a 3-0 victory in the 4A state semifinals on Thursday at VCU’s Siegel Center.
“Loudoun County is a great team,” Grafton’s first-year coach Karissa Cumberbatch said. “They’re big and we’re small, but it was a great match. I was very pleased with our effort the first two matches. We just fell apart at the end.”
Loudoun County (30-0), led by senior Jane Feddersen (five blocks, five kills), set the tone early by preventing Grafton’s hitters, particularly standout Kendall Mahony, from getting into a groove with their swing. The Raiders tallied seven of their 14 total blocks to take the first set 25-13.
“They picked up that I was the tallest player on the team, so I felt like every time they did a double or triple block on me and it was just hard to get around them,” said Mahony, who finished with 10 kills and six digs.
Grafton (18-6) looked like a different team in set No. 2. After falling behind 19-11, Christa Hall (17 assists, seven digs, four kills) helped rally the Clippers back to within three, 20-17, before Loudoun County closed the set with a 5-1 run to win 25-18.
“Our nerves weren’t as bad and we played smarter,” Cumberbatch said of the second set. “We realized that we couldn’t overpower them, so we tried outsmarting them and our passing was much better.”
Loudoun County carried the momentum from their 2-0 advantage into set No. 3 when the Raiders ran away with a 25-11 win after jumping out to a 12-1 lead.
Cumberbatch, who in her first year at the helm led Grafton back to the state semifinals for the first time in three seasons, called it a learning experience. Mahony said she was simply glad to return for her senior year.
“It being my first season with these girls, I couldn’t be more pleased with being here,” Cumberbatch said. “I’m so glad I came in when I did. Having the opportunity to coach these six seniors and help two of them get back (to the state semis), it’s just been a great, great year for me.”
Added Mahony, “I’m really happy to get back here my senior year and couldn’t have asked for anything more. I didn’t think we were going to even be in this position (at the beginning of the season).”
Jamestown def. James Wood 25-9, 25-22, 25-23
Jamestown (28-1)- Popelka 10 kills; Tess Anderson 10 digs, six kills; St. Cyr 26 assists, 10 digs; K. Esch nine digs, five kills, two blocks.
James Wood (24-6)- Painter 13 kills; Ally Iden 17 digs; Ashley Hillyard 15 assists, seven digs, five kills.
Loudoun County def. Grafton 25-13, 25-18, 25-11
Loudoun County (30-0)- Taylor Borup 9 kills; Maggie Phillips 12 digs, six kills, three blocks; Feddersen five assists, five kils.
Grafton (18-6)- Hall 17 assists, seven digs, four kills; Mahony 10 kills, six digs; Sophia Beaudoin eight digs, five kills.
