Home sweet home: AHS to host

The odds were stacked pretty high against Albemarle’s volleyball team during the Northwest Region playoffs last week. As the second-place team in the Commonwealth District, the Patriots faced a veritable gauntlet of road games against Patrick Henry, Forest Park and Loudoun Valley.
Albemarle (25-3) survived, rallying against Loudoun after dropping the match’s first two games. The Patriots will finally head back home for the Group AAA quarterfinals, the program’s fifth trip to the state tournament in the Mark Ragland era.
Too bad the road doesn’t get even a little bit easier for the Northwest Region champions.
The Patriots will face Frank W. Cox High, a team that knocked off Albemarle twice in the state championship game back in 1996 and 1999. The Falcons (18-6) own four state titles in the history of the program, with the last coming in 2004.
“They have a quick middle attack with solid hitters and a good passing game, which just about describes everybody you’re going to face this time of year,” said Ragland, Albemarle’s head coach. “We’re just going to have to play the same type of defense and with the same tenacity we have been playing with to beat them.”
The Falcons have lost three times to Landstown, a district opponent and the Eastern Region champion. That mirrors Albemarle’s season a little, as the Patriots have lost just three times, with all three defeats coming at the hands of Commonwealth archrival Colonial Forge. Loudoun Valley topped Forge in the Northwest Region playoffs.
Ragland explained that the Northwest Region title game’s closing points were a blur, but Loudoun took a 14-6 lead in the fourth game before the Patriots stormed back and evened the match at two games.
“They decided collectively after a timeout to play harder,” Ragland said. “There’s nothing I can say at this time of year that can make a difference and they said as much in the huddle as I did.”
The win over Forest Park in the region semifinals punched the Patriots ticket to the state tournament, but the Loudoun win earned Albemarle a home game in the quarterfinals.
Senior Laura Gomez has been key to the Patriots’ resurgence after the loss to Colonial Forge in the district tournament title game. Gomez had a stellar all-around game against Loudoun Valley, totaling 15 kills, five blocks, three aces and 12 service points.
“She’s always been a gamer,” Ragland said. “But I’d say during the regional playoffs she’s taken it to another level — she’s realizing this could be it. In the match on Saturday, she struggled the first two games but she really came on and carried us.”
Kara Elder, a dominant player, has also been on fire since the start of the region tournament. According to Ragland, Elder’s average has jumped from 12 to 13 kills per match before the tournament to 16 or 17 kills during region play. Elder also set the single season kills record for Albemarle against Loudoun, besting Jess Evers who graduated in 1999 and held the record at 321. Elder now has 325.
Senior Brittany Parnell, who alternates with sophomore Sarah Terlesky at the libero spot, posted 12 service points in the Northwest title game. She’s part of a group of players who seem to come up with big games at the service line every few games.
“She has a really wicked serve and when she’s on she can generate some high numbers,” Ragland said “It’s nice to have that rotation of people who step up.”
If that rotation continues to come up big, perhaps the Patriots’ next stop will be Richmond’s Siegel Center for the state semifinals.