Ragland guides Pats to first crown

The season couldn’t have been scripted any better for Albemarle volleyball coach Mark Ragland.
After two decades of coaching the Patriots, one of the finest volleyball coaches in the state of Virginia earned his just reward — a Group AAA crown.
“This year’s state championship felt like it was a championship for all the teams for all the years. There was so many alumni who came to support and there were so many messages sent to me and the players during the playoffs, it felt like all the hard work over the years had finally come to fruition,” said Ragland, the Daily Progress’ All Central Virginia Coach of the Year. “Not only for me and this team, but for all the teams. It’s just an exciting time for Albemarle volleyball.”
The Patriots were faced with a daunting task — going on the road for three consecutive matches during Northwest Region play — against Patrick Henry in the quarterfinals, Forest Park in the semifinals and Loudon Valley in the final.
But it was the game against Forest Park, a perennial state contender, where Ragland realized he had something special.
“The Forest Park match was kind of the turning point for us. They had two players who were really strong — a 6-foot-3 middle and a 6-foot outside,” said Ragland, whose team finished 27-3. “They were supposed to be, according to the paper up there, two of the better players in the nation, but we went up there and shut down their middle and we handled their outside, I knew we could compete with just about anybody.”
And Albemarle did just that, knocking off Cox and Chantilly before dispatching Westfield 3-1 for the state title.
Ragland, who has been coaching at Albemarle for 21 years, and led his teams to two previous state championship games, said this team had a spirit that could not be broken.
“Their attitude and enthusiasm in the playoffs [sets them apart]. We’ve had teams with similar talent, but we’ve fallen or come [up] short a couple of times,” Ragland added. “These folks caught a fever in the playoffs and decided they were not going to be beaten without a huge fight, and that made all the difference in the world.”
Not to mention a core group of six seniors — Kara Elder, Laura Gomez, Sara Deal, Katie Mastropaolo, Brittany Parnell and Emily Strauss — who led the way.
“Kara Elder, Laura Gomez and Sara Deal — all three played for me as freshmen on varsity. I knew I had to do some grooming to get them to the level I wanted, but they all really worked hard to improve their game,” Ragland said. “Then we had role players like Katie Mastropaolo, Brittany Parnell and Emily Strauss, who all contributed in a lot of other ways — emotionally as well as leadership-wise. All six seniors chipped in and led by committee.”
The championship is a fitting tribute to a coach who teaches his players on and off the court.
“Coach Ragland really prides our program on tradition and the history, and it makes us, as players really want to live up to what he talks about and honor that tradition and add to it,” Gomez said. “It felt good to finally be able to give something back to him after all he’s given to us. We knew as a coach, he deserves that and he wanted it as much as we did. He’s more than just a volleyball coach, because he also coaches you in life.”
The year was especially sweet for Ragland, a Albemarle graduate, who became the VHSL’s all-time wins leader earlier this season. He has amassed 430 career wins and has put together a 404-89 record at Albemarle. During his tenure, Ragland has piloted his teams to 14 district tournament titles and five Northwest Region championships.
“It’s kind of neat to go back to your own school and be a part of history and to have a program that has done pretty well over the years,” Ragland said. “I’m just excited to have been able to accomplish all of this here at Albemarle.”
Who says you can’t go home? Ragland is living proof you can — the Patriots will put out the welcome mat anytime.