By Arthur Utley
Published: September 8, 2009
The final results of the Virginia Volleyball Showcase showed the Central Region's best girls teams how difficult it will be to contend for a state Group AAA championship.
A private school, Flint Hill of Oakton, won the top division title. The Huskies are the reigning Virginia Independent Schools Division I state champions. Flint Hill beat Chantilly in the final.
Chantilly opened the Showcase at Richmond Convention Center with a three-game sweep of Atlee, the Central Region's youngest contender. No local team made it to the Showcase's top division semifinals in 2008. Deep Run, the tournament runner-up in 2006 and 2007, made it to the final four this year.
Of the Showcase's 40 teams, 16 were from the Richmond area. Deep Run finished fourth, James River seventh and Atlee 12th in the top division. Cosby finished first in the White Division by defeating reigning Central Region champion Mills Godwin in four games in the final. Clover Hill was second in the Blue Division.
How will the Central Region shape up this season?
"I think the region will be a mixed bag," Deep Run coach Terra Balla said.
The Wildcats are young but have a solid group of returning players. Getting some of those players healthy is the key. Mallory Woolridge, who has committed to the University of Virginia, is a force in the middle and was first-team All-Metro last season. She is the only senior starter.
Junior Chaney LaReau is recognized as one of the area's best athletes, but she's had two major and one minor knee surgeries since her freshman year. She will play libero until she shows her knee is strong enough to make the move to outside hitter. Ashley Dintaman, a junior, has taken over setter duties. Junior Suzy Rosser returns in the middle but also is healing from an injury.
Dominion District champion James River has the most experienced lineup (eight seniors). This will be coach Micah White's eighth and last season. His career as a comedian has taken him to Hollywood.
"When the current seniors were in the eighth grade, I promised I wouldn't leave until they were finished," White said.
Setter/libero Julia Cushman (All-Metro first team), middle/outside hitter Cassie Stergar and outside hitter Taralyn Barnett are the leaders. The Rapids have had region contending teams in the past but have come up short. Last year's loss to Mills Godwin in the region quarterfinals is one they will remember.
"That loss was the worst thing that could happen, but we have turned it into a positive spin," White said. "Whenever they get complacent, all I have to say is Mills Godwin."
Said Cushman, "This is definitely James River's year. We've played together so long we have that chemistry. This is my last chance. I want to go for it."
Mills Godwin had a terrific year-end run to the region crown last year but lost 90 percent of its offense and size to graduation. Defense could carry the Eagles this time around. Coach Jason Garrett says he has three defensive specialists/liberos that could start for any school in the region. Setter Meghan Meleski was second-team All-Metro last year. Maggie Murphy (OH/L), Claire Bailey (S/OH) and Jill Sedlar (OH) are seniors who know the Eagles' tradition.
By region tournament time, Atlee's youngsters will have shed their ton-of-promise label and stopped making the same mistakes. That is coach Curtis Carpenter's hope. An issue for the Raiders is that they have played their five toughest opponents in the first week of the season.
Atlee has only three seniors on the roster. Freshmen Hailey Brooks (S/OH), Kayleigh Moody (MH), Karlie Suber (S/OH/Opp.) and Carley Norris (L/DS) could be on the floor at the same time regularly. Sophomore Meg Bowers (OH) and junior Courtney Booth (OH/MH) are the most prominent holdovers.
Cosby lost first-team All-Metro Mallory Carter to graduation, but the Titans won pool matches over Tallwood and Martinsville, then defeated First Colonial and Godwin in bracket play at the Showcase. Cosby lost the opening game to Godwin 23-25 and won the next three 25-22.
Morgan Dowdy (Sr., OH/MB) is the top returnee. Emily Atwood and Jenn Moss are able diggers and Abigayle Holt is one of the best setters in the region.
- Other teams to watch: Prince George and Colonial Heights in the Central District, Hermitage in the Colonial; Clover Hill and Midlothian in the Dominion. Collegiate, with 2002 T-D player of the year Amanda Snead Cowgill (Mills Godwin) in her first year as coach, is the top local private school. Powhatan will rule the Southside District again.
Other players to watch: Ryane Majewski (MH), Hanover; Jazmine Brown (M), Varina; Sarah Ham (OH, 2008 All-Metro second team), Prince George; Ka'lia Johnson (OH), Thomas Dale; Lindsey Bauer (OH), Colonial Heights; Kristi Richardson (S) and Erin Fitzgerald (OH), Hermitage; Meredith Bearden (S), Maggie Walker GS; Harper Smith (OH), Clover Hill; Kaitlynn Wickersham (MH), Manchester; Valerie Carroll (MB), Midlothian; Nicole Barr (S), Collegiate; Krystal Marshall (S), Powhatan.
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