Volleyball preview: Area teams must rely on several new starters

By ROBERT STOCKS

The Winchester Star Aug 18, 2017

WINCHESTER — James Wood, Millbrook and Clarke County combined for 60 victories a season ago, but those three volleyball programs lost a total of 16 players to graduation.

The Colonels lost four players, and the Pioneers and Eagles must replace six players apiece.

That type of roster turnover creates some challenges, but it also creates opportunities for other players to step-up.

The Colonels and Pioneers return a solid core to build around, and Clarke hopes the addition of new players from the Eagles’ successful junior varsity team can help them be competitive once again.

The competition during the regular season and postseason will be a little bit different this year.

With the Virginia High School League no longer using the conference system, the area’s Northwestern District teams have some new opponents.

Millbrook, James Wood, Handley and Sherando will now compete with three other Class 4 schools — Fauquier, Kettle Run and Liberty — in the new Northwestern District.

In the old conference format, five conference matchups — or counters — determined who advanced to regionals.

Under the new district format, the top two teams in the district advance to Class 4 Region C play.

The regular-season champ will get one of the two region berths based on the 12-regular season district matches. The second team will be determined at the district tournament.

The four-team region will feature the top two teams from the Northwestern and Dulles Districts.

The team with the best winning percentage will host the regional final. The regional champ and runner-up advance to an eight-team state tournament bracket.

With home-court advantage for regionals based on overall winning percentage, it makes the non-district games more meaningful.

“Every night counts,” said Millbrook coach Carla Milton, who guided the Pioneers to the regular-season Conference 21 West championship a season ago. “I think it will be very competitive.”

Handley coach Lindsay Cole said the expanded district almost makes it similar to the way the Northwestern District used to be before the VHSL expanded to six classes. “Every game counts this season not just the five [conference] games,” Cole said. “Seeing different competition will be good and going back to the old-school way of doing things.”

The Pioneers went unbeaten (5-0) in conference play, but Woodgrove dealt Millbrook a 3-1 loss in the conference tournament semifinals last season.

James Wood coach P.W. Hillyard, who guided the Colonels to the conference tournament championship last season, said he doesn’t think the new district alignment and playoffs will alter how his team approaches each match, but he said it’s a welcome change.

“Hopefully our girls didn’t take any time off last year, but I didn’t like the five counters,” Hillyard said. “We just want to go out and play as hard as possible every match.”

It might be a challenge for Millbrook, James Wood and Clarke County to duplicate last season’s success because all three teams lost several key players. But at the same time, both the Pioneers and Colonels are not exactly starting over from scratch, and the Eagles hope to build on last year’s 16-7.

The Pioneers (22-3 overall last season) lost Conference 21 West Player of the Year and outside hitter Savanna Pearson (231 kills last season), first team all-conference libero Emily Lowman (254 digs), second team all-conference middle hitter Emily Cleveland (67 blocks) and setter Elizabeth Carroll (411 assists) to graduation. But Millbrook returns first team junior outside hitter Abigail Koeller (237 kills, 169 digs) to lead a young Pioneer team that has just two seniors on its 10-player roster.

The Pioneers also return sophomore Tori Johnson (157 kills, 41 blocks), who moves from opposite to outside hitter this season, along with junior setter Jordan Reid (295 assists) and senior middle hitter Alexis Weir (65 blocks).

“We’re definitely a different team,” Milton said. “We have to work hard every day and get better every day. We have some new players at key positions, especially setter and libero, so team chemistry is going to be key for us.”

James Wood (22-4 overall last season) also lost some key players to graduation, including unanimous first team all-conference setter Megan Hillyard (728 assists, 248 digs, 38 aces and now a freshman playing at Shenandoah University), first team all-conference middle hitter Taylor Heishman (216 kills, 61 blocks and now a freshman playing at William & Mary) and second team all-conference outside hitter/libero Leilani Burch (167 kills, 228 digs and 44 aces).

Colonels senior Morgan Biggs (158 kills, 21 blocks and 28 aces), a second team all-conference selection a season ago, returns as the lone senior on Wood’s 13-player roster. It’s a youthful Colonels’ lineup, but juniors Taylor Robinson (31 aces), Jessica Putnam (125 kills) and Kaitlyn Poppo (236 digs and 28 aces) all possess plenty of varsity experience.

Hillyard said the Colonels have a challenging schedule with matches against Loudoun County and Heritage and tournament in Virginia Beach in addition to facing the area rivals.

“James [Minney] always does a good job with those teams [at Sherando] and [Maggie] Wise is back for Handley,” Hillyard said. “Carla [Milton] has two good outside hitters [at Millbrook], so I think it will be a very competitive rivalry with a lot of our schools. We know every time we step on the court with them it will be a dogfight.”

The area team that hopes to put up even more of a fight this year is Handley.

Led by Wise, a senior outside hitter who had 282 kills, 229 digs and 221/2 blocks and was a unanimous first team all-conference selection last season, the Judges return four seniors and five juniors, but will need to replace first team all-conference setter Mya Mintschenko (588 assists, 122 digs 93 kills and 23 aces), who is now playing at Davis & Elkins.

After finishing 10-10 last year, Cole hopes her team can compete for the district title.

“I think it’s always going to be the cross-town rivals with the county schools and Fauquier will be in the mix,” Cole said. “Any given night anyone can win. I think we have a strong team to put out there. We’re familiar with the county schools. I think hopefully we’ll finish first in the district, and if not, make it a close race [for the title].”

Clarke hopes it can be in the Bull Run District race once again, but the Eagles must replace six seniors, including second team All-Group 2A outside hitter Javonna Lansdown — who led the area with 378 kills and also had a team-best 54 aces and 100 digs.

Eagles coach Seneca Sowers said she hopes an influx of players from Clarke’s junior varsity team that went 17-3 last year helps the team be competitive once again.

“Our goal is to make it to regionals,” Sowers said. “We have the past two seasons, and we’ve been tripped up in our first game. Our goal is to get over that hump.

“We want to focus on small successes and take care of what we can on our side of the net and our goals will come from there.”

The top four teams in the Bull Run District advance to the Class 2 Region B tournament.

The following is a glance at the area teams:

Millbrook

Coach: Carla Milton, third year

Last year: 22-3, 8-0 Northwestern District, Conference 21 West regular-season champion (5-0)

Key losses: Emily Cleveland; Elizabeth Carroll; Savanna Pearson; Emily Lowman.

Top returnees: Alexis Weir, Sr. middle hitter; Abigail Koeller, Jr. outside hitter; Jordan Reid, Jr. setter; Tori Johnson, Soph., outside; Kami Buza, Sr., opposite; Erin Parker, Jr., opposite.

Top newcomers: Skylar Johnson, Fr., setter/opposite; Jessica Cleveland, Fr., libero; Jordan Weir, Soph., middle hitter; Evie Esslinger, Jr., outside hitter.

Milton’s outlook: “We’re still a work in progress and just getting used to each other. We have experience at all the positions. It’s just we’re going to continue gel. We have to keep building from here to the end of the season.”

First match: Tuesday, at Warren County, 7 p.m.

Sherando

Coach: James Minney, fourth year

Last year: 7-13, 2-6 Northwestern District

Key losses: Mackenzie Cornwell; Melissa Gaudette; Alaina Paige; Anneleise Jenkins.

Top returnees: Liz Dolsen, Sr., outside hitter; Rachel Burton, Sr., outside hitter; Amanda Wink, Jr., opposite; Kaylee Bryant, Jr., libero; Allie Selznick, Jr., defensive specialist; Jessica Poole, Jr., defensive specialist.

Top newcomers: Morgan Sampson, Sr., setter; Alyssa Meyer, Jr., setter; Mackenzie English, Jr., middle hitter.

Minney’s outlook: “They’ll be competitive. There’s enough coming back that played last year, but also a lot coming up that didn’t play, so it’s just getting them to work together and be cohesive.

“Overall defense for all of [our players] is pretty good but attacking the ball could be one of our weaknesses.”

First match: Thursday, at Turner Ashby, 7 p.m.

Handley

Coach: Lindsay Cole, 10th year

Last year: 10-10, 4-4 Northwestern District

Key losses: Mya Mintschenko; Sarah Snow; Morgan Estes; Madi Nail.

Top returnees: Maggie Wise, Sr., outside hitter; Meredith Watts, Sr., defensive specialist/opposite; Ellen Coyne, Sr., setter; Casey Nelson, Sr., right/middle hitter, Neysha Washington, Jr., outside hitter; Chloe Putnam, Jr., middle hitter.

Top newcomers: Tori Stanford, Soph., libero; Abby Bales, Fr., outside hitter/right side; Caitlin Varela, Jr., setter; Kate Rudolph, Fr., setter; Aleycia Onzura, Jr., defensive specialist; Reese Walker, Jr., middle hitter.

Cole’s outlook: “We’ve got a well-balanced team with hitters, setters and defense. Their chemistry is already noticeable, and I think we can do a lot of big things this season. I think we can be competitive within the district.

“We have great senior leadership with the overall work ethic and physical ability on the court. Their chemistry on the court is already clicking and that’s a great positive.”

First match: Tuesday, at Manassas Park, 7 p.m.

James Wood

Coach: P.W. Hillyard, second year

Last year: 22-4, 6-2 Northwestern District (Conference 21 West tournament champion)

Key losses: Megan Hillyard; Taylor Heishman; Leilani Burch; Ashanti Day; Kara Norman; Elizabeth Salata.

Top returnees: Morgan Biggs, Sr., middle hitter; Jessica Putnam, Jr., outside hitter; Taylor Robinson, Jr., opposite/setter.; Kaitlyn Poppo, Jr., defensive specialist/libero; Katie Lever, Jr., setter; Gillian Kleiderlein, Jr., middle/outside hitter; Yeakley Pullen, Jr., defensive specialist.

Top newcomers: Ryenne Terenzi, Jr. middle hitter; Addison Rathel, Soph., front row; Hanna Plasters, Soph., setter; Maggie Heishman, Soph., opposite; Grace Frigaard, Fr., middle; Kristyna Van Sickler, Fr., outside hitter.

Hillyard’s outlook: “I’m excited to coach these girls. They’ve worked hard and there’s a lot of talent on this team. [Our strength] is their knowledge of the game. They’ve been playing competitive volleyball for a long time outside of high school. I think our area will be very strong. Fauquier didn’t lose hardly anybody so it will be a tough [district].”

First match: Tuesday, Aug. 29, at Heritage, 7

Clarke County

Coach: Seneca Sowers, fifth year

Last year: 16-7, 11-3 Bull Run District

Key losses: Javonna Lansdown; Morgan Withers; Leah Long; Ashley Marean; Meredith Place; Haley Haun.

Top returnees: Whitney Mitchell, Sr., defensive specialist; Megan Hicks, Sr., outside hitter; Kendra Edgecomb, Sr., setter; Claudia Putman, Sr., defensive specialist; Elizabeth Wallace, Soph., outside hitter/middle hitter.

Top newcomers: Katherine McCauley, Jr., setter/right side; Meredith Long, Jr., right side; Alyssa Coffelt, Jr., outside hitter; Katie Kelleher, Jr., middle hitter; Hannah Trenary, Soph., outside hitter.

Sowers’ outlook: “We lost quite a few seniors with six of them graduating so that’s tough. It’s hard to replace a player like Javonna, but we’re looking to continue our success and continue to grow as a program. We’re not looking at it as a rebuilding year.

“It’s hard when you graduate that many girls, but they’re a competitive group that brings a lot of experience from last year. We’re looking forward to a good season.”

First match: Tuesday, at Luray, 7 p.m.

— Contact Robert Stocks at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Follow on Twitter @WinStarSports1