Back in early August it was hard to imagine the Albemarle volleyball team matching last year’s Group AAA championship performance. You don’t lose the number of top level players the Patriots did and not feel the effects, right? Well, not so fast.
The postseason hasn’t started but the Patriots are already assured a home game in the Northwest Region tournament, and the team earned that right by doing something that Albemarle hadn’t been able accomplish in seven years — winning the regular season Commonwealth District championship.
Probably the biggest factor in the Patriots’ ability to avoid what many though would be a “growing year” has been the way in which Albemarle’s current crop of seniors has risen to the occasion.
“I think all of us have been a little surprised about how tough we’ve been playing and that we’ve come together,” said Albemarle coach Mark Ragland. “Our senior leaders are just giving it everything they’ve got and doing an excellent job of leading the way for some of the younger kids on the team.”
One of those seniors is Hannah Lawson. Lawson was a big time factor defensively last season, but this year the Patriot’s outside hitter has made the most of her chance to be the team’s top finisher. In Albemarle’s first victory over archrival and defending Commonwealth champion Colonial Forge, Lawson put together the second best offensive performance in school history and ninth overall in state history by finishing the five-game thriller with a staggering 28 kills.
“I think Hannah has really come into her own and stepped into the spotlight,” Ragland said. “You know for a number of years she was living in the shadow of Kara Elder as an outside hitter. Those have been big shoes for her to fill, but athletically we always knew that Hannah had the ability to be an extremely dominant hitter.”
Of course Lawson hasn’t had to do it all herself. Fellow senior Abby Hendrix has also been making a move in the record books. In the same game that Lawson registered her 28 kills, Hendrix wound up breaking Albemarle’s all-time assists record with 45 helpers. Hendrix currently sits in ninth place in state history for career assists.
Behind the seniors are three other players that Ragland has been particularly impressed with. Junior Megan Napolitano has transformed from a bench player in 2008 to a regular in 2009, making a big impact when it’s her turn to serve. Stephanie Strauss’ play has also drawn the attention of her coach as the junior has found success playing in the middle of the net. Defensively, another junior, Sarah Terlesky, has consistently performed well as the team’s libero.
But perhaps no one else has made the most their opportunity than senior Meg Carpenter.
“We’ve moved her all over the court, and she’s a little undersized to play up front, but defensively she’s so good she’s really been able to make a difference for us,” Ragland said.
It’s not just her defense though. Carpenter is a coach’s best friend as she carries out Ragland’s assignments without any questions and plays every point as hard as she can.
“Meg is just a coach’s dream,” Ragland said. “She’s been on this team for three years and has never once complained about anything. She does everything 100%, and I know a lot of coaches say that about their players but in this case it’s really true. This kid will work as hard as she can on every play and has an exceptional attitude. She’s just one of the players that everyone on this team loves.”
The Patriots start the CD tournament tonight against Brooke Point at 7 p.m. And while Albemarle hopes to keep their perfect record against district opponents intact, that doesn’t mean it hasn’t sized itself up against the potential teams they’ll see in mid-November.
“I’ve looked around at the teams we should be competing against in the region and we match up well,” Ragland said. “Really it’s just going to be like last year. We’re just going to have to see who shows up emotionally and who’s the most determined.”
That plays well for the Patriots — determined has been their calling card all season.
