To Repeat: Raiders Win State Title

By Matthew Stanmyre

Saturday, November 15, 2008

RICHMOND — With its coach suffering from an illness in a first aid room deep in the bowels of Siegel Center on Saturday, and facing a massive deficit that left no room for error, the second-ranked Loudoun County volleyball team adopted a familiar mind-set that had been hammered into the players the moment they set foot in the school.

The Raiders gathered their composure during a timeout, interlocking their arms behind one another, and then took the court and slowly chipped away at their eight-point deficit in the third game. A diving dig here. A powerful spike there. And just as Loudoun County Coach Jenica Matthias had emerged from behind a partition with a trainer on each arm, the Raiders had cemented their 31-29, 25-21, 29-27 victory over Hidden Valley of Roanoke County to win their second straight Virginia AA championship.

Matthias suffered what Loudoun County personnel described as a combination of an asthma and anxiety attack toward the end of the first game. She was lifted from behind the Raiders' bench and carried off the floor by her husband, Chris Matthias, with Loudoun County clinging to a 15-13 lead in the second game. Jenica Matthias emerged after the match to congratulate Hidden Valley and accept the championship trophy.

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Raiders Repeat as State Champs

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Loudoun County's Shaylin O'Connell sends the ball over as teammate Katie Martin backs her up. (John McDonnell)

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Loudoun County's Emily Vandegrift, center, scores against Hidden Valley's Katie Martin, left, and Kathleen Horvath. (John McDonnell)

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Loudoun County's Shaylin O'Connell and Emily Vandegrift defend against a shot by Hidden Valley's Sarah Church. (John McDonnell)

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Loudoun County's Hannah Arnold, left, and Robin Marsala celebrate a point scored. (John McDonnell)

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Loudoun County's Kathleen Horvath watches a Hidden Valley shot go out of bounds. (John McDonnell)

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Members of the Loudound County volleyball team celebrate on the bench while waiting for the trophy ceremony. (John McDonnell)

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Members of the Loudound County Volleyball team celebrates on the bech waiting for the trophy ceremony. (John McDonnell)

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Loudoun County's Rachel Arigo spikes the ball over Hidden Valley's Smantha Klostermann. (John McDonnell)

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Loudoun County's Juliane Hanna is airborne as she serves the ball. (John McDonnell)

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Loudoun County senior Shaylin O'Connell hugs Coach Jenica Matthias, who fell ill halfway through the match. (John McDonnell)

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The Loudoun County volleyball team poses with the state championship trophy. The Raiders have won back-to-back Virginia AA state titles. (John McDonnell)

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"I think as a team, we played harder because she wasn't there," Loudoun County setter Robin Marsala said. "It was for her."

"We've always been a team that's been able to really pull through adversity," added Raiders middle hitter Shaylin O'Connell, who had 16 kills and 10 blocks. "It was just one more thing for us to overcome."

Loudoun County (27-1) has become a state power since Matthias in 2002 took over what was then a struggling program. The Raiders have made three straight appearances in the state championship match, compiling an 85-4 record during that stretch.

Loudoun County's leaders - O'Connell, junior Juliane Hanna (16 kills) and senior Rochelle Latka - kept their teammates composed when Matthias began breathing heavily on the bench in the first game. "We told everyone to focus on the game, and everything would be okay," O'Connell said.

The Raiders cruised in the second game, then rallied from the brink of defeat in the third.

"We have some really intelligent girls," said Matthias's brother, assistant coach Jarod Brown, who took over the primary coaching duties Saturday. "Often times there's something I want to say, and someone already says it."

Stats for Loudoun County Versus Hidden Valley

Juliane Hanna (16 kills, 7 digs, 3 points, 2 aces)

Shaylin O'Connell (13 kills, 7 blocks)

Katie Gloe (7 kills, 10 points, 5 digs)

Rochelle Latka (4 kills, 1 block)

Rachel Arigo (3 kills, 2 blocks)

Emily Vandegrift (2 kills, 3 blocks, 2 digs)

Robin Marsala (26 assists, 11 points, 3 aces, 3 digs)

Kerry Sarver (14 assists, 5 points)

Kathleen Horvath (20 digs, 3 points)

Hannah Arnold (9 digs, 7 points)

Extra Points

By Paul Tenorio and Matt Brooks