Live! Coverage of the VHSL AAA Volleyball Semifinals from VCU

Refresh our home page often as we present Live! coverage of the VHSL AAA volleyball semifinals from the Siegel Center at VCU in Richmond. Cox is facing South County in first game and Loudoun Valley takes on Mills Godwin in the second


Running Play-by-Play of Loudoun Valley vs. Mills Godwin (Valley wins first game 25-20, Mills Godwin wins second set, 25-23. Valley takes third 25-21)
*LV wins it! MG error from back ... 26-24 Vikes
*Phipps reads Murphy and stuffs Murphy on her backrow attempt, 25-24 LV
*MG tools on long rally, 24-24
*Wow ... Martin streaks an ace onto the back line ... time out MG with Vikes at match point, 24-23
*Malsch in the middle to block backrow attempt, 23-23
*LV net on long rally, 23-22 Eagles
*Sedlar long for MG and its tied 22-22
*Bland her best hit of the night for a kill, 22-21 Eagles.
*Maddox serving for LV .... After Bennett set over fails to score, Meleski counters with her own set dump for a point, 22-20 Eagles
*Malsch with kill off touch ... time out MG and the Viking fans are on their feet cheering ... MG lead down to 21-20,
*Bland kill off block for LV, 21-19 Eagles
*Martin is efficient from the backrow for a kill, 21-18 Eagles
*Murphy splits the LV backrow after a long rally, 21-17 Eagles
*Phipps smashes another,m 20-17 Eagles
*Murphy again and it is time out Vikes down 20-16 ... can they come back like set three? If not, for the second time tonight we are headed to five sets.
*Murphy another kill for MG, 19-16 Eagles
*Phipps wraps around and kills, 18-16 Eagles
*Vio. LV after good MG attaack, 18-15 Eagles
*Phipps leaves her mark on an opponents head with a blast in the middle, 17-15 Eagles
*Vikes survive a rally, 17-14 Eagles
*Martin can't connect on backrow attempt, 17-13 Eagles
*2-hits LV, 16-13 Eagles
*4-hits MG, 15-13 Eagles
*MG off the dig for a point, 15-12 Eagles.
*Whitney Jenkins and gets a service winner, nice sub for Vikes, 14-12 Eagles
*Clark dink for points, 14-11 Eagles
*Murphy finds open corner, 14-10 Eagles
*Bland kill in middle, 13-10 Eagles.
*Malsch long, 13-9 Eagles
*LV wide and Laird Johnson is up and calling time out at 12-9 Eagles
*Bailey with kill, 11-9 Eagles.
*Facka cleans up the kiill after good Bailey servie, 10-9 Eagles
*Confusion in backrow for Valley after Godwin with great defensive save, 9-9
*Phipps ... wow! Pow! Kill ... 9-8
*Murphy paints back line for Godwin, 8-8
*Maddox with nice kill, back and forth set, 8-7 Vikes
*MG fights back, 7-7
*Clark kills in middle, 7-6 Vikes
*Phipps wide, 6-6
*Phipps with the rook up again in the middle, 6-5 Vikes
*Clark the Purcellville powerhouse with a kill, 5-5
*Wood again finds the wood with an ace, 5-4 Eagles
*Sedlar with kill for MG, 4-4
*Meleski with set dumped over for point, 4-3 Vikes
*Another LV service error, 4-2 Vikes
*Vio LV but Service Error MG, 4-1 Vikes
*Maddox with an ace for LV! 3-0 Vikes.
*MG long on first point and then Clark slams the kill, 2-0 Vikes
Third set to start shortly, Vikes up 2-1 (see below the jump for play-by-play from the first two sets)




*Bennett with a push set to open back on last rally, MG coach waves his clipboard at the officials in anger as he wanted a violation but the point is good and Valley takes third set, 25-21.
*Bennett maybe the biggest block of her prep career to make it 24-21 Vikes.
*Bland finds the backrow wide open and kills for LV, 23-21. Brown to serve for LV
*Murphy, MG's best hitter, responds with kill off block, 22-21 Vikes
*Clark crosscourt kill splits the defense, 22-20 Vikes
*Bennett very cool ... drops set into the middle of MG defense ... time out MG as vikes have scored four straight in pivotal third set to take a 21-20 lead.
*Martin backrow dink! 20-19 Eagles. Maddox serving for LV - Malsch and Bland team on a block to tie the match at 20-20!
*Malsch hits it off net and down for LV kill, 20-18 Eagles.
*MG setter Meleski dumps a set over for key point, 20-17 Eagles.
*Service error hurts MG, 19-17 Eagles
*Phipps long this time, 19-16 Eagles, Mills Godwin is close to taking charge here, 2 sets to 1.
*Service error LV, 18-15 Eagles. Phipps deadly again from the middle,. 18-16 Eagles.
*Clark hits the ball so hard off block that it hits my computer on press row!, 17-15 Eagles.
*Clark is wide, 17-14 Eagles
*Phipps with the blast kill in the middle forcing MG timeout with Eagles up 16-14
*Phipps with the roof in the middle, 16-13 Eagles
*Clark with the dink, 16-12 Eagles.
*Clark just misses the back line, 16-11 Eagles.
*Malsch directs the ball to open spot for Valley, 15-11.
*Murphy gets two chances and kills second, 15-10 Eagles.
*Official time out as there is some sort of issue at the scorer's table.
*Malsch with kill for LV, 13-10 Eagles. Facka then wins a free ball in middle. 14-10, Eagles.
*Colligon with the kill for MG, 13-9 Eagles.
*MG long, 12-9 Eagles
*Phipps again on the short set in the middle and Valley surely needed that point, 12-8 Eagles.
*LV mishit into the net on long rally, Eagles in control here in the third, 12-7.
*LV long on punch, 11-7 Eagles.
*MG wins crazy rally with tip at the net. 10-7 Eagles.
*Phipps with the hammer on the short set, 9-7 Eagles.
*MG long on long rally. Then MG wide. Now 9-6 Eagles.
*Errors on both sides followed by Murphy kill to put MG up 7-4 and then Meleski with back-to-back aces for MG! 9-4 Eagles.
*Error on MG, 5-3
*LV Vio. 5-2 MG
*Murphy dink for MG, 4-2
*Martin backrow kill for LV, 3-2 Eagles
*Service Error MG, 3-1 Eagles
* Murphy kills, 3-0 Eagles
*Meleski Blocks Clark, 2-0  Eagles
*MG Bailey service winner to start 1-0 Eagles

Mills Godwin players much looser now with some dancing to the music in their huddle while on Loudoun Valley side there are some determined almost grim looks. Focus or nerves? We will find out shortly ...

Third Set to start shortly (tied 1-1)



Set Two starting shortly, Valley leads 1-0 in match
*Murphy tools block to grab the set for Mills Godwin, 25-23, and tie up the match at 1-1.
*Bennett drops in an ace and is high stepping in celebration. Time out MG with lead down to 24-23.
*Bennett to serve for LV: Phipps with a big block in middle, 24-22.
*Service Error MG, 24-21 Eagles.
*Phipps is long and it is set point for MG, 24-20. Time out Loudoun Valley
*4-htis Valley and it is 23-20 MG
*MG block is big for 22-19 lead but Clark gets a kill, 22-20
*MG scores, 20-19 Eagles. LV mishit and it is now 21-19 Eagles as Vikes call time out.
*Clark faster than anything tonight with a kill. 19-19.
*Yet another service error for LV, 19-18 MG
*MG scores off the block, 18-17. Clark for LV off-speed kill to tie, 18-18.
*Another service error for LV, in the first set their service was much stronger. Bennett is crafty for LV with a set over the net into the block hole. 17-17
*Phipps with emotion in the middle, kills it, 16-16.
*Wood finds the hardwood for MG with ace, 16-15 Eagles
*MG playing much better, Murphy off block, 15-15.
*Colligon powers through the block for MG, 14-14. Clark with great court vision for LV, finds line right from backrow kill, 15-14 LV
*Taylor Maddox with a great outside kill for LV and Vikes have the lead 14-3 ... MG calls time out.
*Bennett for LV too strong at net on 50-50 ball and then Phipps puts up the roof and block MG, 13-13!
*Some gamemanship as MG talks to officials and cools off Martin serving. She hits the net and then is long on the attack. 13-11 MG.
*Service error for Valley puts MG up by one, 11-10. Backrow kill by Libero Martin, 11-11
*MG Tools Valley block. 10-8 MG. Clark showing why she will play college volleyball next year with a big kill. 10-9 MG. Clark then dinks off block to tie at 10-10.
*Malsch scores for LV on kill. 9-7 MG. Bland puts away a stray dig. 9-8 MG.
*MG scores again on outside kill. 8-6 Eagles. MG block works to make it 9-6 MG
*LV Bennetts push set is long but Maddox with kill to make it 7-6 MG.
*4-hits MG and it is tied at 5-5. Heyer with nice block for MG. 6-5 Eagles.
*Another good rally won by MG but Phipps back with the wrap-around-the-setter kill. 5-4 MG.
*MG wins rally but Bennett dumps set for 4-3 MG lead
*MG another point on 4-hits LV but Clark with a slam ... 3-2 MG
*MG takes first two points on Murphy kill and Atkinson stuff but Martin has backrow kill for LV, 2-1 MG



Set One
*Clark goes up high in the middle to end the first set, 25-20 Vikes!
*LV net vio. and Laird Johnson calls his first time out with the Vikes up 24-20 in set one.
*Big block for MG, this may help in set two. LV still up 24-18. Sedlar again with a kill, 24-19 LV.
*Clark offspeed kill to make it set point, 24-16. Sedlar nice velocity for MG on kill. 24-17 LV.
*Service error Vikes and hitting error Valley as MG closes to 22-14. LV just miss line on free ball, Now 22-15 LV. Sedlar Kill to make it 22-16 LV. Clark ends the MG run with kill. 23-16 Vikes
*Great defensive saves for Vikes during a rally and Clark ends the rally with kill. 22-12 Vikes.
*Bennett with block for Vikes. They are cruising here, 21-12.
*Colligon kill for MG. 19-11 LV. Bailey ace for MG. 19-12 LV. Net vio MG. 20-12 Valley.
*MG for the first time tonight gets the block going. 18-10 Valley. Vio on MG. 19-10 Valley.
*Phipps with an ace and Bland with a kill. 18-8 LV. Murphy answers for MG, 18-9.
*MG is long on the attack and then wide on the attack. The "home" team is struggling in set one and calls another time out with Vikes leading comfortably 16-8.
LV hits the antenna. 13-7 Vikes. MG to serve: Murphy nice kill for MG to make it 13-8.  Bland kill for Valley, 14-8 Vikes.
Make that 12-5 but a service error gets it to 12-6. Phipps again, this time on the right side slams a kill. 13-6 Valley
Phipps again controls the middle and beats the block with a kill. 11-5 Vikes
Back from time out: Rally with MG two-hit vio. LV up 10-5.

LV service game on fire with Clark an ace, 9-5 Vikes and another service winner ... Time Out Mills Godwin
Phipps goes vertical for LV, 8-5 Vikes
MG back with two points off a Vike error and kill but Phipps up high for kill, 7-5 Vikes
LV Malsch with a tip for 4-3 Vikes lead and then Martin with Ace, 5-3. And another ace, 6-4!
Mills Godwin with  two points and then a net vio on LV for 3-3 tie.
LV5 Servies: Clark another kill ... 3-0 LV
LV5 Serves:  LV Clark Tools Block 2-0 LV
MG14 Serves: LV Malsch Kill 1-0 LV


8:15 - Valley was just introduced and now Mills Godwin. Late start here ...




















7:52 - South County advances on Shelby Robertson's service winner ... 17-15! Stallions will face winner of Loudoun Valley vs. Mills Godwin which will start in apx. 20 minutes. Whew! High Drama!


7:50 - Cox was a dig away from losing but ties 15-15. South County right back. 16-15 SC


7:50 - Can't get any closer as it is now 15-14 South County


7:49 - Eva Cruz in control with kill for Cox. 13-13 all! Simone Antwi tools block to make it set point at 14-13 South County


7:48 - Simone Antwi clutch kill to tie and then she finds back left corner to put South County up 13-12 and Cox calls time out ... thriller here. Both teams deserve to move on but only one will survive this fifth set.


7:46 - Wow. All tied up 11-11! Violation called on South County so Cox is up 12-11


7:46 - Stephens off block and then Simone Antwi with kill ... South County closes to 11-10.


7:45 - Lindsay Stephens with kill for South County but Corrie Sanders of Cox counters and it is 11-8 Cox


7:43 - Service error by South County and Cox is up 8-7. Corrie Sanders with kill and Cox is up 9-7. Sanders off speed and it is 10-7 Cox. South County calls time out as Cox is just five points away from the win and title game appearance


7:42 - South County with two straight points ... tied up 7-7


7:41 - Cox up 7-5 ... just about halfway to taking the fifth set and match


7:39 - We are tied at 4-4 with Cox up early but South County has come back forced Cox to call time out. First team to 15 will move onto the state title game Sat.


7:33 p.m. - Cox erupts in wild celebration as they complete the comeback, winning 25-23, to send the match into a fifth set. The Vikes are back to the court and know they have longer to wait until their turn on the big stage


7:31 p.m. - Drama as Cox has tied it 23-23! Time out South County and the Cox fans are making noise in the gym .... er Center!


7:30 p.m. - South County is up 23-20 and two points from a state title berth!

7:27 p.m. - Well after three hours of bad weather and even worse traffic, VivaLoudoun.com editor Dan Sousa has rolled into the Siegel Center at VCU in Richmond for the AAA volleyball semifinals. Northern Region champ South County took the first two games from Frank Cox in the first semifinal, 28-26 and 25-20, but Cox battled back to take the third game, 25-18. Loudoun Valley is warming up on the side court to the right for the second semifinal and their opponent, Mills Godwin, is warming up to the left.