Volleyball in Section 2-A full of surprises
If you’re a fan of Section 2-A volleyball, you have to know one thing: you can predict the unpredictable on the volleyball court this season.
It has truly been a crazy year for a section that seems to be very balanced with any given team being able to win on any given night.
The madness started opening night a couple of week ago when Carmichaels upended Frazier and ended the Lady Commodores’ section winning streak at 86 matches, dating back to 2010.
“It was such a huge win for the team and the program,” Carmichaels coach Ashley Shoemaker said. “The girls put so much into this program. I let the girls enjoy that win for the night, but we had to refocus for the rest of the season after that. We can’t let that one win define our season.”
The Lady Mikes then swept West Greene, Jefferson-Morgan and Bentworth before dropping two straight games by the score of 3-2 to Geibel Catholic on the road and California at home last week.
Carmichaels (5-2) was tied for second place in the section with Geibel and California after a 3-1 win over Mapletown on Monday. Frazier, which currently sits atop the section at 6-1, hosted Carmichaels on Thursday to start the second-half of the section schedule.
“Those two losses sting from last week,” Shoemaker said. “We have to rebound and pull together as a team. We have to prove ourselves all over again. We can’t take anything for granted with anybody.”
Behind the three teams log-jammed in second place are West Greene and Mapletown at 3-4. The Lady Pioneers defeated the Lady Maples on the road 3-0 on Sept. 19.
“We have an experienced bunch of girls on the team,” WG coach Eric Bedilion said earlier in the season. “The girls are hungry to win and they want to make the playoffs. We have the talent, we just have to put it together and play with confidence.”
One of the major upsets in Section 2-A this season was Mapletown’s 3-1 victory over Cal on Sept. 7.
“Chemistry and confidence has been two keys for us this year,” Mapletown coach Christy Menear said. “The girls are comfortable with each other and they know what they are capable of doing on the court. Things are clicking for us. We have to focus on the fundamentals and on executing our plays.”
J-M (1-6) and Bentworth (0-7) rounds out the section standings. The Lady Rockets lost seven seniors from a year ago and have battled against some inexperience this season.
“We are very young and we only have two seniors,” first-year J-M coach Stephanie Woodruff said. “We have to focus on the easy tasks and work on our technique. We have to shake off these losses and be mentally stronger. Sometimes we get into our own heads on the court.”
Despite all of the uncertainties in Section 2-A, there is no debate on who is the top team in Section 3-AA as Waynesburg Central has started the first half of its section schedule with a 6-0 mark.
The Lady Raiders (8-1, 6-0) have also picked up non-section wins over Triple-A teams like Ringgold and Albert Gallatin. Last Thursday Waynesburg defeated previously unbeaten Beth-Center 3-1.
Waynesburg’s only scare in section this season has come at Southmoreland on Sept. 7 when the Lady Raiders escaped with a 3-2 win on the road.
“Our main goal this year is, besides winning, we want to sweep every team in our section,” Waynesburg Central coach Dan Higinbotham said. “We feel like if we do that, it might give us a better seeding in the playoffs. We want to challenge ourselves in the non-section, and that’s why we face Triple-A teams like Trinity and Ringgold.
“For as young as we are (only three seniors and one junior on the roster), this team has a lot of composure on the court. We don’t panic and we don’t get down on ourselves. That’s a good quality for any volleyball team to have. The girls just stay the course and battle through the runs.”
Waynesburg, which won the section last season with an 11-1 record, started its second half section schedule at Brownsville on Thursday.