“This season has been just amazing to see how far along the girls have come. Our first game they looked terrified and nervous,” said first-year head coach Jana Mosby.

“Our biggest successes this year have been serving and passing. You can’t play the game if you can’t do those two things. I spent the first three weeks of practice doing just passing drills. They had to learn you can’t hit if you can’t pass. By the end of those 3 weeks I knew we were going to be one of the best passing teams. I was so proud of them. My goal was for excellent passing and together we met that goal.”

This year’s team included Corey Altizer (setter), Bryn Distler (setter), Jordan Moles (middle/outside hitter), Abi Lester (defensive specialist), Brittany Huff (middle/outside hitter), Paige Fisher (outside hitter), Kylie Naughton (outside hitter), Andrea Tiller (middle hitter), Olivia Phillips (outside hitter), Kayla Altizer (setter), Leah Earnest (middle hitter) and Makayla Burlingame (libero).

“Each player has something to contribute to the team. Our outside hitters are probably our strongest hitters right now. I have some girls that had experience before this year and some that didn’t,” said Mosby. “But each one has had moments that still stick out in my find. Rather they were just mind-blowing hits, awesome digs, or their first serve they find, whether got over. You can’t replace those moments of excitement or faces of surprise.”

When asked on how the players had been on wanting to learn, Mosby replied, “These girls wanted to do nothing but learn and get better. I’m constantly teaching and coaching new techniques and they all hung in there and picked it up. It’s been a great season of learning new things, which is wonderful! If they didn’t do something right they want to know how to fix it. You can’t ask for more in athletes than for them to just want to be coached. They are all coachable girls.”

As for the younger players, what did the coach concentrate on? “With the younger girls I try to focus on being positive. At the beginning of the season I told my girls this season was going to be about learning and making mistakes. The thing they had to do was learn from those mistakes. That was their goal. I have some that are really hard on themselves. But I’m always telling them “it’s ok”. They just smiled.”

Mosby said in closing about this year’s success,” I have thoroughly enjoyed this season. From watching each girl learn, grow, and get so much better to getting to know each one. Everyone has something they have improved on.”

Lord Botetourt took all the honors last week at the Blue Ridge District Volleyball Tournament. Macey Tyree was named Blue Ridge Player of the Year, LB’s Cheryl Shockley was named Coach of the Year, and the Cavaliers won the tournament championship.

Macey Tyree is the Blue Ridge District Player of the Year. -Photo by Brian Hoffman

The next step is the regional, and the Cavaliers were set to play Turner Ashby in the Region III quarterfinals on Tuesday. The semifinals are Thursday at a site to be announced. It all depends on what happened Tuesday, and results were too late for publication.

“It’s scheduled for Wilson Memorial, but if a Southern Valley or a Massanutten District team aren’t in they’re going to move it closer to here,” said Shockley.

Fort Defiance was the only Southern Valley team remaining through Tuesday while Spotswood and Turner Ashby were still alive from the Massanutten. William Byrd was at Fort Defiance and E.C. Glass was at Spotswood while Turner Ashby came to Daleville.

The Cavaliers come into the regional with an overall record of 19-3 and a 15-match winning streak. The last team to beat them was James River on September 10.

“We try not to focus on what we’ve done, but what we need to do,” said Shockley. “The girls see it (the streak) in the paper, but it’s not in our conversation.”

The Cavs ran the streak to 15 with a 25-22, 25-2, 19-25, 25-21 win over Byrd in last week’s championship game at Staunton River. It was the first time in three meetings the Terriers took a game off LB.

“I felt like we didn’t play well,” said Shockley. “Our focus was off, and we’ve talked about that. We had to sit through five games while Staunton River and Northside played before us and our match didn’t start until quarter to nine, then it went until 10:30. That’s not an excuse, because we don’t believe in excuses, but there were some distractions. We have to learn to leave those distractions outside the gym.”

Tyree led LB with 30 kills and 24 digs. Leah Poehner had 15 digs while Katey Hall had eight kills and 10 digs. Keegan Brads had 46 assists, Kristyn Brogan had five kills, and Nikki Dean and Caroline Brown had four kills each.

“William Byrd played well,” said Shockley. “They were smart in feeding Samantha (Webster) the ball as much as they did.”

After the tournament, Tyree, a junior, was named Player of the Year and Shockley, in her first year at LB, was named Coach of the Year.

“Anyone who’s been to any district games realizes Macey is the best athlete in our district,” said Shockley.

Brads and Poehner were also named to the first team and Hall and Brogan were second team selections. After going undefeated Botetourt earned five spots among the 12.

If the Cavaliers can win the region they’ll be in line for a home game in the state quarterfinal.

Glenvar's Jessica Owen sets one up on a tee for Shelby Wynn in the Highlanders' three-game win over Eastern Montgomery at GHS last Thursday. - Photo by Brian Hoffman

Salem came into the week with a 5-10 record and the Spartans were still looking for their first district win after five tries. Salem lost to Pulaski County in five games Tuesday in the final match of the first half of the RRD season.

Last week the Spartans dropped games at Christiansburg and at home against Hidden Valley. At Christiansburg the girls battled to the final point of the fifth game before taking a disappointing loss. The host Demons won the first two games, 25-20 and 26-24, but Salem bounced back to win the next two, 25-23 and 25-22. In the fifth and final game, to 15, the Demons squeezed out a 16-14 win.

Emily Richardson led Salem with 19 digs, four blocks, and 12 kills. Carlye Garst had five kills and nine digs while setter Katie Helvey had 25 assists and 22 digs.

On Thursday the Spartans played host to Hidden Valley, and the Titans won in three games, 25-15, -10, and -20. Richardson had six kills and Alex Paxton added five.

Glenvar played host to Eastern Montgomery last Thursday and the Highlanders made short work of the Mustangs, winning 25-10, -13, and -18. Shelby Wynn dominated the net with 10 kills and six blocks while Alex Boitnott had 16 serving points and 12 digs and Jessica Owen had 17 assists and six digs.

On Tuesday the Highlanders improved to 10-4 overall and 4-1 in the Three Rivers District with a hard-fought win over Radford at GHS. Glenvar won the first game, 25-24, but lost the next two, 25-17 and 25-19. The Higlanders regrouped and won the next two, 25-19 and 15-12, in a match that lasted until almost 10 pm.

Glenvar’s only district loss was to Auburn, and the girls will get the Eagles at home next Thursday, October 22. Glenvar is at Floyd next Tuesday, as five of their last six matches are on the road.

Salem has two home matches next week. The Spartans play host to Blacksburg on Tuesday and Christiansburg on Thursday, October 22.

Salem's Emily Richardson tips one over the net in Salem's game with Hidden Valley that same night. - Photo by Brian Hoffman

Salem’s team, however, is very much different from the squad that made a run to last year’s final four.

Gone are coach David Turk and five of the six girls from last year’s starting lineup. New coach Kim Martinez is in charge of a rebuilding project that has seen the Spartans get off to a 5-7 start.

Alex Paxton goes up for a spike for the Spartans. -Photo by Brian Hoffman

“The girls are striving to create a more consistent serve receive so we can utilize our hitters and become an offensive threat,” said Martinez after Salem opened the River Ridge District season with losses to Cave Spring and Blacksburg last week.

At Blacksburg last Thursday the Bruins beat Salem 25-16, 25-18, 21-25, and 25-19. Emily Richardson had 14 kills and 11 digs while Katie Helvey had four aces, 25 assists, and 12 digs.

Martinez is playing a young group and the feeder teams have been successful. Through Monday the jayvees were 9-3 and the middle school team is 8-3. Lewis has a game at Northside today.

“The middle school coaches are instilling fundamental game knowledge and doing a great job,” said Martinez.