Covenant volleyball has been knocking on the door of the VISAA Division 2 state championship game for the last two years but have dropped matches in the state semifinals.
In 2021, they lost to top-seeded Peninsula Catholic.
In 2022, Virginia Academy nipped them 3-1.
Sometimes, you get an opportunity to reach another rung on the ladder at the same time that you get a chance to exact a little vengeance.
Thursday night the No. 3-seeded Eagles did a little of both, beating that same Virginia Academy squad 3-2 to earn a spot in the state title match on Saturday where Covenant will face top-seeded Nansemond Suffolk Academy.
The Eagles won 28-26 in the first game and then dropped two straight games including a brutal 28-26 game three, leaving Covenant in a 2-1 hole. The Eagles refused to roll over though and stormed back for a 25-19 win in game four and a 15-7 match-clinching win in game five.
Cara Hamil finished with 25 kills, 18 digs and four aces on the night for a monster effort in just her second game back to full strength after an ankle sprain sidelined her a few weeks ago. Kerrigan Poindexter had 13 kills, eighth grader Kella Lemcke had 11 kills and Miller Grimes had eight kills as part of a dynamic, well-rounded night from the Eagles at the net. Delaney Poindexter came up with 21 digs as she returned to libero duties this week after moonlighting as an outside hitter in Hamil’s absence. Setter Maya Veselinovic had a huge day with 49 assists and five aces on the night.
The Eagles will take on Nansemond Suffolk at noon Saturday at the Steward School in Richmond with a state title on the line.
