Two of the best volleyball teams in a loaded Region 3D went head-to-head in Christiansburg Monday and the host Blue Demons edged Lord Botetourt in a five-set battle. The loss was the first of the season for LB after 17 wins.
The Blue Ridge District tournament is next week but the tournament everyone is waiting for is the regional the following week. Three of the best teams in the state will be battling for two spots in the state tournament at that time.
Lord Botetourt is currently 17-1 while Christiansburg is 16-2 with losses to Hidden Valley and LB in the first meeting in Daleville. Meanwhile, defending state champion Hidden Valley is 20-1 and the loss was a five-set war against Christiansburg, as the two River Ridge District rivals split regular season matches.
Botetourt started strong at Christiansburg Tuesday and looked like the Cavaliers might repeat their three-set win over the Demons on September 9. The Cavs took the first two sets by scores of 25-21 and 25-13 before Christiansburg rallied to win the next two, both by scores of 25-14, to even the match. Then, in the fifth set to 15, the Demons won 15-10 to give the LB girls their first loss of the season.
“We came out aggressive and were able to be up 2-0, but our serve receive passing struggled in the third set and allowed Christiansburg to get some momentum on us,” said LB coach Samantha Wilkins. “I’m sure we will see them again this season.”
Becca Huddleston led the Cavaliers with 11 kills, four blocks and four aces. Skylar Morris had 32 assists and nine digs, Maddie Caron had 22 digs and Bria Harvey had 17 digs and three aces.
Photos by Jim & Regina Devinney
Botetourt was coming off a week where they won three matches in as many nights last week, beginning with a 25-11, 25-15 and 25-9 win over William Byrd in Vinton. Morris had 35 assists and five aces in that one and Huddleston had a dozen kills.
A night later the girls hosted Abingdon and won 25-21, 25-21 and 25-19. Erica Gergely had 10 kills and four blocks, Huddleston had eight kills and five blocks and Savanna Johnson had eight kills.
“We were matched up with a much different Abingdon team than we saw earlier in the season,” said Wilkins. “It was a tough game for us and exactly what we needed to help us prepare for upcoming games. They put up a big block in the middle but everyone stepped up and did what we needed to do to score and keep control of the game.”
On Thursday LB made it three wins in as many nights with a dominating win over district cellar dweller William Fleming in Daleville. Botetourt held the Colonels to just 11 points in the match with a 25-4, 25-3 and 25-4 thumping.
The Cavaliers were scheduled to wrap up the regular season this week with a home match against Northside Tuesday and a trip to Franklin County on Thursday. Franklin County is the second place team in the Blue Ridge District behind Lord Botetourt.
The BRD tournament is scheduled for Monday, Tuesday and Thursday of next week with LB almost certain to get a first round bye.
