Colonels Get Rematch With Jamestown In State Volleyball Semifinal

Posted: November 21, 2013
By KEVIN TRUDGEON

WINCHESTER — The last time the James Wood volleyball team faced the Jamestown Eagles, the Colonels didn’t exactly make the kind of impression they had hoped for.

Lucky for them, they will get a chance to make amends today.

When James Wood (24-5) travels to face Jamestown (26-1) in the Group 4A state semifinals at 3 p.m. at VCU’s Siegel Center — the winner will face the winner of Loudoun County and Grafton on Saturday at 5 p.m. — a trip to the finals won’t be the only thing on the line.

“This gives us a chance to redeem ourselves, because last year against Jamestown it was three quick sets, in and out,” said James Wood coach Jill Couturiaux about her team’s 25-16, 25-15, 25-14 to the Eagles in the Group AA state quarterfinals last year. “It was a rough match.”

The Colonels are hoping for smoother sailing the second time around, but they know it won’t be easy.

Jamestown returns nearly its entire team from last season — the Eagles had only one senior on their roster in 2012 — and hasn’t lost since Sept. 7.

“We know they’re going to be tough competition, they’ve been to the state semifinals the last two years,” Couturiaux said. “They play a very fast-paced game and they’ve got a very good right side and a really good setter.”

Senior Kelly Esch, who will play for LSU next year, broke the Eagles’ program record for career kills earlier this season and will provide a different kind of test for the James Wood defense.

“She plays on the right side for them and we’ve never really had to worry about a right-side player before,” Couturiaux said. “It’s usually an outside or a middle, so we’re having to change up how we prepare for them defensively.”

Also in the defensive game plan is finding a way to slow down senior setter Monique St. Cyr, who totaled a match-best 31 assists against the Colonels last year.

One thing in James Wood’s favor is the fact that they’ve seen St. Cyr, Esch and company before.

“It’s good for the girls who were with us last year to have seen how [the Eagles] play,” Couturiaux said. “They know what the setter is all about, how she’s got an aggressive serve, and even though [Esch] played outside last year but now has moved to the right side, we had a chance to see her as well. So we know what we’re going up against.”

The same can be said for Jamestown about the Colonels, but with a few important changes.

While James Wood will be without all-state selection Katie Houser — out for the year with a foot injury — and the six seniors from last year’s team, there are a handful of newcomers who have mixed with the returners to help get the Colonels back to the state tournament for a second year in a row.

Junior transfer Lindsey Painter has thrived at outside hitter this season, sophomore Emma Montgomery and freshman Taylor Heishman have provided depth along the front line and junior Savannah Yost has been deadly from the service line.

Add to that the solid play of juniors Ashley Hillyard and Ally Iden, who both played big roles on last year’s team, and it’s no surprise that James Wood is still playing this late in the season.

“It’s tremendously exciting,” said Couturiaux about reaching the state semifinal. “I think it’s one of those things that is a goal for a lot of teams, so to be able to attain it puts things into a completely different perspective for us.

“The stakes are a little bit higher [than last year] but we don’t feel like there’s any pressure on us. I just told the girls that we might not ever have this opportunity again, so we just need to embrace it and go in there and play the best volleyball we can play.”