In a match just completed, the Riverheads Lady Gladiators won a hard-fought 3-1 decision over the Lady Chargers from Middlesex. RHS will now advance to the state championship match later this week, which will involve a road trip, and is likely to mean another chance at either Patrick Henry Glade Spring or Auburn, as those two seem to have a stranglehold on volleyball in that part of the state.
As for tonight's match at RHS, as you guys know, I do not speak "volleyballese" so I cannot give you the finer points of the match, but I do recognize good coaching when I see it and both mentors were on top of their respective games in this one. As excited as I am with a Riverheads victory, I have to admit that I was every bit as impressed with the in-game adjustments that the Middlesex coach made and the way he kept his girls mentally focused.
I say that because Riverheads won the opening set 25-8 and a score such as that quite often means that the teams are not that evenly matched and that the whole affair will end quickly in a three-set victory.
But the gentleman in question (at least I assume he was the head coach as I was only watching on my phone screen) did something right to get his girls fired up and they gave the Gladiators all they could handle for the next two sets.
Middlesex actually won the second set 25-23 and controlled significant portions of the third, before RHS pulled that one out, also by a 25-23 count. Now even I realize that if MHS had won that third set, that would have put huge pressure on the home team and we might be having a totally different discussion.
Instead I guess my final compliment deservedly goes to RHS coach Nyssa Stapleton, who got her girls to re-focus, not give in to the pressure, and re-assume control of the match, taking the fourth and deciding set 25-15. Both teams had what appeared to be fired-up cheering sections, and hopefully by this time next fall, the full houses we sometimes see will be back to normal.
Middlesex fans, as you stop for that late night snack on the way home, don't feel sad about this loss but instead give your girls credit for such a hard-fought match that at times looked like it could easily go the other way. Meanwhile, best of luck to RHS as they attempt to get the PH/Aub monkey off their backs. Obviously they can't beat both of those teams, but knocking off either one would be a huge boost to the Gladiator program. This will be RHS' fourth overall appearance in a state final.
As for tonight's match at RHS, as you guys know, I do not speak "volleyballese" so I cannot give you the finer points of the match, but I do recognize good coaching when I see it and both mentors were on top of their respective games in this one. As excited as I am with a Riverheads victory, I have to admit that I was every bit as impressed with the in-game adjustments that the Middlesex coach made and the way he kept his girls mentally focused.
I say that because Riverheads won the opening set 25-8 and a score such as that quite often means that the teams are not that evenly matched and that the whole affair will end quickly in a three-set victory.
But the gentleman in question (at least I assume he was the head coach as I was only watching on my phone screen) did something right to get his girls fired up and they gave the Gladiators all they could handle for the next two sets.
Middlesex actually won the second set 25-23 and controlled significant portions of the third, before RHS pulled that one out, also by a 25-23 count. Now even I realize that if MHS had won that third set, that would have put huge pressure on the home team and we might be having a totally different discussion.
Instead I guess my final compliment deservedly goes to RHS coach Nyssa Stapleton, who got her girls to re-focus, not give in to the pressure, and re-assume control of the match, taking the fourth and deciding set 25-15. Both teams had what appeared to be fired-up cheering sections, and hopefully by this time next fall, the full houses we sometimes see will be back to normal.
Middlesex fans, as you stop for that late night snack on the way home, don't feel sad about this loss but instead give your girls credit for such a hard-fought match that at times looked like it could easily go the other way. Meanwhile, best of luck to RHS as they attempt to get the PH/Aub monkey off their backs. Obviously they can't beat both of those teams, but knocking off either one would be a huge boost to the Gladiator program. This will be RHS' fourth overall appearance in a state final.
