By Liz Keller / Scrimmageplaycva.com contributor
PALMYRA — A formidable James Wood team proved to be too much for Fluvanna County on Tuesday night.
The Flucos, the Conference 23 champions, dropped the first two sets, but gave a valiant effort to take the third. In the end, it wasn’t enough to overcome the Colonels, as the visitors stunned Fluvanna 3-1 in the Region 4A North quarterfinals.
“They just willed it,” Fluvanna coach Christi Harlowe-Garrett said of the third set win. “These kids have worked so hard for so long. They willed it to be and I think they were counting on that in Game 4 at the end and we made a couple of key mistakes and it got a little far out of our reach.”
James Wood, the Conference 21 runner-up, rallied from an early 11-4 deficit to take the opening set 25-23 behind strong net play from Katie Houser. The senior outside hitter racked up 23 kills on the night.
The Colonels carried that momentum into the second set and eventually pulled away from the Flucos.
Game 3 was a different story, as the pair of evenly matched teams went back and forth throughout. James Wood took a 6-1 advantage early, but Fluvanna battled back behind dominant play up front from senior hitters Maddy Kline and Leslie Walters. However, the visitors continued to put pressure on Fluvanna’s passing and regained the lead.
Trailing 23-17, Fluvanna went on a 6-0 tear to tie the game. During that stretch, Kline notched four kills and Kate Stutz gave a strong performance at the service line.
The game was tied three more times before the Flucos finally got the 29-27 edge.
Kline, the Conference 23 Player of the Year, finished with 23 kills, while Walters added 12 kills and four blocks. Stutz recorded a game-high 35 assists. Kline will be taking her talents to the University of North Carolina-Wilmington next year.
Harlowe-Garrett said the leadership of Kline and Walters, along with seniors Kylee Dixon and Lee Lee Robbins, has been invaluable.
“Their leadership on and off the court is hard to put into words,” said an emotional Harlowe-Garrett. “They have helped to build a legacy here, a tradition of winning, a tradition of excellence. They’ve held each other to high standards all season.”
Fluvanna (28-2) kept the fourth set close, but the Colonels eventually pulled away for the 25-21 win to advance to the region semifinals.
“We knew they were going to come out in the third set and not back down,” James Wood coach Jill Couturiaux said. “ It was an exciting match and a great match to be a part of. It’s good that they pushed us — we want to be pushed if we’re going to continue to play this game. Fluvanna is an excellent team and gave us a great match.”
James Wood will face Jefferson Forest, a winner over Liberty Bealeton, on Thursday.
