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Stone Bridge wins Liberty volleyball tournament
A slow start against a quality opponent was not enough to deny Stone Bridge from claiming its second consecutive Liberty District volleyball tournament championship Nov. 5 in Ashburn.
The host Bulldogs reeled off victories in three consecutive games after dropping the opening game on their way to a 23-25, 25-19, 25-22, 25-14 victory over the Langley Saxons.
"We put so much heart into this match," Stone Bridge senior libero Lindsay Gill said. "We wanted it more than anything."
The Bulldogs (21-2) may have wanted it a bit too much at the start.
"We do sometimes get off to a slow start but usually it's just a few points," Stone Bridge coach Jill Raschiatore said. "When the adrenaline is going, we can't control our passes and we have trouble getting into our offense. If you allow a team like Langley to get into their offense, you are going to pay the price, which we did in the first game."
Stone Bridge settled down early in the second game and began showing better ball control. The end result was a 3-1 victory that gave the Bulldogs a tournament title to add to their Liberty regular season crown.
Bulldog juniors Christine Beckham, Amanda Miller and Amy Christensen were named to the All-Tournament team.
"I was very impressed with our composure coming back in game two," Raschiatore said. "It's neat how I have a lot of girls out there that when someone is not having the greatest night or is a little bit off, someone else will step it up. That teamwork and chemistry is kind of what has kept us going this year."
The victory gives Stone Bridge the top Liberty seed in the Northern Region tournament. The Bulldogs will host Lake Braddock -- the Patriot District's fourth seed -- in the first round of regionals Nov. 9 at 7 p.m.
"We've never won regionals before and we want '09 to be our first year," said Gill, one of two seniors on the team along with Alexis Chism. "We want to take it all the way. We want to do it big this year."
Stone Bridge carries a 15-match winning streak into the region tourney. The Bulldogs would also host a quarterfinal round game Nov. 10 if they defeat Lake Braddock. The region semifinals and final will be held at Centreville High School.
"We feel like we've continued to improve and I hope that we are peaking," Raschiatore said. "It is a tough region. But if we are playing well, we are going to be tough to stop."
Miller breaks fibula
Amanda Miller, a first team All-Liberty District setter, fell awkwardly to the floor in severe pain during the third game of Thursday's match and was carried off the court. Raschiatore crossed her fingers after the match that Miller's injury was not serious. Unfortunately, Raschiatore learned later in the evening that Miller broke her fibula and is out for the season.
-Photos by Carl Lukat, clukat@timespapers.com.
Junior Amanda Miller was producing another solid match at setter Thursday before breaking her fibula during the third game. Miller led the Bulldogs with 24 assists.
Senior Alexis Chism plays the ball over the net.
Stone Bridge assistant coach Steve Norman and head coach Jill Raschiatore display their approval after the Bulldogs won a long point in the fourth game.
Stone Bridge junior Christine Beckham was a force throughout Thursday's match. Beckham slammed 17 kills, scooped 14 digs and won 18 service points, including four aces.
Junior Amy Christensen taps the ball above the reach of a Langley blocker.
Senior Lindsay Gill prepares to serve in the third game.
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