Warriors top Flucos

PALMYRA — Rallying from a nine-point lead to win a game in volleyball is improbable. Doing it twice is a minor miracle.

With both an animated coach and a supportive home crowd urging on Fluvanna, the Flucos almost pulled off that feat against Western Albemarle Thursday evening. The defending Jefferson District champion Warriors, though, held strong as the fourth set went to the limit, finally grabbing the set and the match, 3-1 (25-19, 25-23, 23-25, 28-26).

Behind Western’s usual attacking leaders Sarah Harper and Chastity Lacy, Western jumped out to a 2-0 lead and an 18-9 advantage in the third set, prompting a timeout from coach Christi Harlow-Garrett. The Flying Flucos came out of the break with a vengeance, rallying to 22-22 stalemate that included nine consecutive points to clinch the game.

Throughout the third-game rally and the entire match, Harlow-Garrett could be seen screaming “30 seconds!” as a reminder of how long she required her team’s best effort every point, and even sitting on her knees on the sideline, urging her team on.

Western’s second nine-point advantage came in the fourth set, as it jumped out to a 15-6 advantage. Harlow-Garrett took another timeout, and again her team chipped away, this time to a 17-11 margin.

Then, when Rogers took a timeout of his own, the Flucos really took off, reeling off six straight points to knot the score at 17. Fluvanna even had set point at 24-23, and thought they had the match won on a Harper kill that sailed long. The head referee, though, ruled that the ball had been tipped. The Flucos were denied on two more set points before Western prevailed on its first, as a Fluvanna error gave Western the set.

Harper and Lacy led the Western attack with 13 kills apiece, and eight digs, and Harper also added eight digs. Nicole Patterson of Fluvanna had 16 kills to lead Fluvanna and Samantha Toy had 18 helpers. Western’s Ana Asher led all players with four blocks.

Both teams next take the court Tuesday, with Western will next taking on Louisa County, where Rogers looks for his 100th Jefferson District victory. Fluvanna, meanwhile, meets Monticello.