Albemarle High strolled past North Stafford Tuesday night, rolling to a 3-0 victory over the Wolverines, and it was an unheralded player leading the way for the Patriots.
While the Patriots looked a bit sluggish in game one, Meg Carpeneter, as usual steadied the squad, coming up with 16 digs and 11 service points at setter for the Patriots. That comes as little surprise though, because Carpenter brings the same effort to every practice.
“She is one of the hardest workers I’ve ever had,” said Albemarle coach Mark Ragland. “She’s always positive, never had a bad day of practice in three years. She’s not a real vocal leader, but, man, she works so hard that you have to respect her game.”
The Patriots couldn’t find an answer for their sluggish start, but managed to overcome the Wolverines anyway.
“Our serve-receive was a little out of sync tonight,” Ragland said. “It looked like we were struggling to push off the floor and make a quick decision. Part of it might have a been a concentration thing. But they turned it up in the second game.”
The Patriots also got a strong performance from Hannah Lawson, who leads the squad in kills on the season, as the senior posted 11 kills on the night. The rest of a balanced offense also kicked in, with Megan Napolitano notching six kills, Stephanie Strauss posting five and Katie Weatherill with five of her own. Weatherill’s two blocks paced Albemarle. She also lead Albemarle on the season.
Abby Hendrix, as usual, facilitated the attack at setter with 23 assists.
The Patriots hit the road Thursday to take on Mountain View.
