Home > Forums

[dsquires]

Grafton moves into Region I volleyball finals

BY GEORGE WATSON | gwatson@hrvarsity.com

YORK — When Grafton’s game plan is clicking, the Clippers are nearly impossible to beat on the volleyball court. Courtland would not challenge that assertion.

The Clippers remained unbeaten (25-0) by whipping the Battlefield District runner-up Cougars in straight sets 26-24, 25-21, 25-14 Thursday night in the semifinals of the Region I Tournament. Grafton will host Chancellor, a 3-0 winner over Jamestown, at 7 p.m. Saturday for the regional title. Both teams will advance to next week’s State Tournament.

"When our outside hitters are as effective as they were tonight, our game plan works much better," praised Grafton Coach Dena Montini. "We like to move the ball around and keep the other team guessing."

And that they did. Outside hitters Kaitlin Ward (10) and Katie Bullard (7) along with Kellie Brumbaugh (7) combined for 24 kills to take some of the pressure off Bay Rivers District Player of the Year Alison Blasingame.

Not that Blasingame wasn’t a force at the net. She finished with 25 kills and also had 12 digs from her middle hitter position.

"She’s just an awesome player," said Courtland Coach Bob Hott of the Virginia Tech bound Blasingame. "I’ve known her for several years at the junior level.

Grafton is lucky to have her and Virginia Tech is even luckier she is going to go there."

Blasingame, who was impossible to stop at the net, deflected the praise.

"I think the big thing tonight was our passing was really good and our outside hitters were really on," she said.

That and some great defense. The Clippers did a particularly good job of keeping Battlefield Player of the Year and VCU signee Courtney Hott under control.

"I thought our defense was spectacular," Brumbaugh said. "In practice we pretended Alison was her (Hott) and it helped."

"I just fired shots at them (her teammates) in practice," Blasingame said of impersonating her 6-2 counterpart. Hott managed just 11 kills.

In the first game, the Clippers took an early lead and then fell behind 24-22 due mainly to their own mistakes. But they managed to score the game’s final four points, the clincher coming on a light push over the net by Ward.

There were 11 ties in the second game before the Clippers pulled away at the end behind 10 kills by Blasingame.

By game three the Cougars seemed demoralized as the Clippers pulled out to an 8-1 lead and cruised the rest of the way. Fittingly enough, Blasingame’s slam to the left corner was the final point.

Grafton d. Courtland 26-24, 25-21, 25-14. Standouts

— Courtland, Hott 11 kills, 2 blocks; Blosser 16 assists; Jones 16 digs; Monroe 7 kills, 2 blocks. Grafton, Blasingame 25 kills, 12 digs, 2 aces; Brumbaugh 7 kills, 11 digs, 38 assists; Ward 10 kills, 12 digs; Bullard 7 kills. Records — Courtland 21-3, Grafton 25-0.