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Leesburg (Oct. 23, 2008) – Heritage High School halted Loudoun County’s 47-match girls volleyball winning streak and grabbed a share of the AA Dulles District regular-season title with a thrilling 5-set victory Thursday night before a rocking gym.
The Pride (13-1, 18-1) and the Raiders (13-1, 19-1) will meet again Saturday at noon at Park View High School in a special one-match playoff to determine the district tournament’s top seed and the automatic qualifier for the Region II tournament. Both teams will remain co-champions.
Loudoun County came into the match having not lost on the court since the AA state finals in 2006 and the Raiders last regular season loss was to Heritage on Sept. 25, 2006. Later that season the Raiders defeated Heritage on the final night of the regular season to force a one game playoff. LC went on to win that playoff and then defeated Heritage again in both the district and regional finals. It will be the Raiders this time, however, going into the Saturday matinee with a loss fresh in their memory.
Pride coach Carmel Keilty called the 20-25, 25-22, 25-21, 22-25, 15-12 victory the biggest in Heritage’s seven-year history and one of the biggest in her coaching career which includes winning two state titles at Loudoun Valley before moving to Leesburg to start the Pride program.
Heritage got a huge match from their lone senior player on Senior Night, Ashley Scott who made the most of some pinpoint sets from freshman Stephanie Yokoyama. Pride libero Megan Beckwith had a great night on the backrow and Heritage’s serve-receive game did not give up any easy points. Sophomores Emma LeMaitre and Lian Bernett had crucial kills the entire night for Heritage and junior Skye Young had some key blocks, especially late in the match.
LC got a big night from Shaylin O’Connell and Juliane Hanna, but the Raiders, who swept the Pride earlier in the season, made some uncharateristic errors in the match and Heritage would not crack, not after losing the first set, and not after LC clawed back from a 2-1 set deficit to tie the match at 2-2 and then go ahead 10-8 in the final set. The Pride stepped up, winning seven of the final eight points to close out the match with Bernett collecting two kills and a solo block and LeMaitre smashing three kills.
When it was all over, a subdued LC team huddled in a corner behind the stands while Heritage fans and family swarmed around stunned and happy Pride players, many of them with tears running down their faces in joy.
Check back for more details from this match on Friday!
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