.jpg)
Thursday, Nov. 2 – For the first time in five years, Rockbridge County High School volleyball team punched its ticket to the Class 3 state tournament with a 3-0 home win over Spotswood in the Region 3C quarterfinals on Thursday night in Lexington.
With the 25-12, 25-14, 25-20 victory, their 22nd win in a row, the Wildcats (26-1), the top seed in the tournament, advanced to the Region 3C championship match, which will take place at RC on Saturday at 4 p.m. against seventh-seeded Rustburg, with doors opening at 3 p.m. Admission is $8. In the other semifinal on Thursday, Rustburg (19-5) earned a 3-2 road win over third-seeded Liberty Christian Academy, the only team to beat the Wildcats this season.
The Wildcats were facing fifth-seeded Spotswood (18-8) for the fourth time this year, with RC winning all of the previous contests. Last year, Spotswood ended the Wildcats’ season in the Region 3C quarterfinals.
In Thursday night’s showdown, fueled by the energy of the home fans, the Wildcats jumped out to a 6-0 lead in the first set, winning five points on Nala Shearer’s serve. The Trailblazers cut the lead to 13-9, but RC then went on a 7-1 run to pull away.
Spotswood took a 7-4 lead in the second set, but the Wildcats won the next three points to tie it. With strong hitting and blocking, the Wildcats gradually pulled away from a close set.
The third set was close the whole way, with the Blazers serving and hitting well to take a 10-5 lead early. RC won the next four points to cut the lead to one, with Maddie Dahl making two kills for the Wildcats. RC took its first lead of the set by going up 17-16 on an ace by Rebekah Allen.
The Blazers tied the set 20-20 on a block by Josephine Robertson, but the Wildcats responded with kills from Dahl and Sophia Perlozzo. With Dahl serving, the Wildcats closed out the match, not allowing Spotswood to get another point.
Celebrating her birthday, Dahl led the Wildcats with 14 kills and six blocks while recording 11 digs and two aces. McKenzie Burch paced RC with 33 assists and added six digs, while Shearer led the Wildcats with 22 digs and had four assists. Vaught contributed 10 kills and three digs, while Perlozzo added nine kills. Allen led RC with three aces and had four digs, and Ava Crocker chipped in seven digs and two aces.
Dani Kunkle led Spotswood with nine kills and 14 digs, Raygan Wade dished out 22 assists, and Ava Helfgott collected 12 digs. Adding four kills each were Robertson and Claire Shaffer.
For the full story and photos from the regional tournament, please see our Nov. 8 newspaper. Check back here later for the state quarterfinal schedule.
