Volleyball: Loudoun County Wins Dulles District Tournament, Regionals Start Tonight

Loudoun County juniors Katrina Kirby and Jenna Strange after Saturday's title game win

(Nov. 8, 2010) - Loudoun County High School volleyball is right where it wants to be as the three-time defending AA state champions roll into the Region II tournament with a 22-1 record and Dulles District tournament title captured Saturday night with a sweep over Broad Run.

The Raiders are the No. 1 seed in Region II and have a bye into Tuesday's quarterfinals. Three Dulles District teams are in action tonight as Broad Run (15-7) hosts Fluvanna at 7 p.m. and Freedom, which earned the district's third seed with a win over Briar Woods Saturday in the tournament consolation finals, travels to Fauquier and Briar Woods is at James Wood.

Freedom senior Jenna Flanigin and junior Jasmine Jackson after Eagles took 3rd


Stone Bridge (22-1) kicks off the Northern Region tournament tonight by hosting Herndon in the first round. Heritage (20-2) will open the Northwest Region tournament Tuesday by hosting Albemarle and Loudoun Valley (14-8) travels to Colonial Forge.


Dulles District Finals
Last year Loudoun County may have won a third straight state title but Broad Run claimed the Dulles District tournament title. The Raiders avenged that loss Saturday with a sweep over the Spartans, 25-19, 25-20, 25-20. Loudoun County was led by Jenna Strange (7 kills, 11 digs, 3 points, 1 block), Maggie Phillips (7 kills, 3 digs, 2 blocks), Katrina Kirby (5 kills, 3 digs, 3 blocks), Taylor Huewe (5 kills, 2 blocks), Sammy Dormio (4 kills, 5 points, 3 digs, 1 ace), Rachel Harrison (3 kills), Colleen Bowlds (15 assists, 4 points, 1 dig), Jordan Leiter (10 assists, 9 points, 4 aces, 1 kill, 1 dig), Kathleen Horvath (12 digs, 10 points, 3 aces), Gabby Serafin (9 digs, 6 points, 1 ace).

The Raiders showed their balance from the start with six different players notching kills in the first game and two others players serving up winners. Sophomore Taylor Huewe, freshman Maggie Phillips and junior Katrina Kirby all had three kills. Broad Run's Mallory Brickerd tried to keep her team in the game as she was pounding the ball early, helping BR to an 8-2 lead, but the Raiders chipped away, tied it at 12-12, and then never trailed after that.

Broad Run had a more balanced attack in game two and the Spartans led 16-13 when a long rally ended in the Raiders favor. Instead of a four point lead, County had the serve and got on a roll. Senior Kathleen Horvath had two aces in the game and junior Jordan Leiter came up with an an ace.

The third game was all County as Strange had four kills and a monster block to lead County to the sweep.

Brickerd finished with a dozen kills for BR
BR Kills:
Emily Sears 7
Jess Feddersen 6
Amanda Swanson 2
Hannah Waller 1

Digs:
Mallory Brickerd 4
Emily Sears 4
Brenna Sullivan 2
Jess Feddersen, Melissa Miles, Molly Maloney and Michaella Dalusung all with 1

Blocks:
Mallory Brickerd 4
Jess Feddersen 2

Set assists:
Brenna Sullivan 15
Molly Maloney 11

Consolation Match
Freedom and Briar Woods split in the regular season and they were evenly matched Saturday with the first game tied 18-18, 21-21 and 23-23 before the Eagles took the advantage with a Briar Woods serve that hit the net and refused to roll over and then on game point, senior Tori Kramer put away a kill for the 1-0 advantage with the 25-23 win.

Game two was all Briar Woods as the Falcons sprinted out to a 16-6 lead with a balanced attack that saw seven different players get kills, none more than two. The Falcons won the game going away, 25-16.

In game three, Freedom senior Jenna Flanigin and junior Jasmine Jackson were too much for the Falcon defense to handle as they combined for nine kills. Despite a 7-1 lead by BWoods in the game, Freedom fought back and took a 20-16 lead.

The Falcons gamely cut the lead to 22-21 on a nice tool of the block by sophomore Jasmeen Chinn but Flanigin craftily pushed a ball to an open spot for a point and after a BWoods hitting error, the Eagles wrapped up the 25-21 win with Flanigin destroying an errant pass that strayed over to her side of the net.

In game four, the Eagles didn't allow Briar Woods to run its attack and Freedom was in complete control, winning 25-10 to end the match.