Grafton falls again to Loudoun County in Class 4 girls volleyball championship
While the monkey on Grafton’s back is more like a 1,000-pound gorilla, the Clippers gave the primate all it could handle Friday.
Loudoun County beat Grafton (27-2) for the fifth straight meeting in the Class 4 girls volleyball championship match, defeating the Clippers 25-21, 25-27, 25-22, 25-17 at VCU’s Seigel Center.
It’s the Captains’ 10th consecutive state title and 14th in the past 15 years.
Grafton won a set against Loudoun County for just the second time and reached the 20-point threshold three times against the seemingly infallible Captains.
“All year, we’ve stressed ball control and speed,” Grafton coach David Keeter said. “Being a smaller team, we feel like we really work on our ball control, passing and staying in-system. We can run with a lot of speed and use our athletes because we’re not a big team.”
Grafton shocked Loudoun County in the second set when the Captains led 24-18, but a 9-1 closing run gave the Clippers a 27-25 win.
The Clippers never lost hope, junior setter Alondra Miranda-Pagan said.
“It’s definitely all positive,” she added. “We never go off on each other. We say, ‘We got it,’ ‘Next ball,’ and we don’t bring each other down.”
In the first three sets, Grafton opened an early lead only for Loudoun County to go on a mid-set run to halt momentum.
“We stayed pretty consistent,” sophomore outside hitter Alexis Keeter said. “We just had to limit some of their runs.”
The Clippers had contributions from everyone. Libero Deana Pigue showcased sacrificial defense, middle blocker Alyssa Talayumptewa put up a successful block and hitter Naomi Smalls chipped in some much-needed kills.
“This team is by far the best team I think Grafton volleyball has had,” Miranda-Pagan said. “It’s just how close we are together and the chemistry helps with that on the court.”
History is likely to repeat itself in some form next year with the return of Keeter and Miranda-Pagan.
“Even though we’re losing four or five seniors, the rest of the team is still non-drama and we’re still a family together,” Alexis Keeter said.
That’s the one characteristic the team is determined to maintain. Off-the-court camaraderie permeated onto the court and into better play as the Clippers reeled off 27 wins.
“We learned that love affects how you play on the court,” Miranda-Pagan said. “It’s not just about your skill, not just about you. It’s about the whole team and family aspect of it.”
Ray Nimmo, 757-446-2364, ray.nimmo@pilotonline.com
