Jamestown stops Wood in state volleyball semifinals

Marty O’Brien Special to The Star

JAMES CITY — James Wood hung with Region 4A East volleyball champion Jamestown on Tuesday.

But in each set, the Eagles had the answer for the Colonels and made school history in the process.

The Eagles achieved another first in the past 12 seasons with their 25-19, 25-21, 25-19 win over James Wood in the Group 4A state tournament semifinals on Tuesday at Jamestown.

The victory means Jamestown will play in consecutive state finals for the first time ever. Should they beat nemesis Loudoun County in the final, the Eagles will make the best kind of new history by earning a first-ever state championship.

“I’m ready to win this and I think everybody on our team is ready,” Jamestown senior Maria Esch said of the state final, scheduled for 5 p.m. on Saturday at the Virginia Commonwealth University Siegel Center in Richmond.

Eagles senior Ellie Popelka added, “Considering this is my third time in a state final and fourth time against Loudoun County in the state tournament, we’re ready to play and win the state title.”

Popelka was, as usual, a huge key for the Eagles (28-1) with 14 kills, an ace, a block and six digs. But she and Emma Schriner (11 kills, three blocks) benefited from the terrific passing of setter Maggie Viniard (39 assists), as did Esch (14 kills, 20 digs), who combined with Maddie Pettengell (15 digs) to give the Eagles great defense.

That defense was necessary, because Jessica Putnam and Morgan Biggs pounded hard hit after hard hit at the Eagles from a James Wood attack orchestrated by Megan Hillyard.

“Our outsides (Putnam and Biggs) I thought really stepped up tonight,” Colonels coach P.W. Hillyard said. “They both came through a lot with really good swings.

“Megan Hillyard ran a really good offense.”

Esch said of the Colonels, “They came out fighting. Defense was super important for us.

“Defense and serve receive are two things we always focus on in practice.”

Jamestown jumped out to a 7-1 lead in the first set, winning comfortably even as the Colonels (23-4) began to warm up. The second set was a different matter, as Putnam notched four kills to help spot James Wood a 17-11 lead.

Popelka took over from there. She tallied two kills and a block, before Pettengell followed with an ace in a five-point run that lifted Jamestown into a 21-20 lead.

Putnam tied the set at 21-apiece with a kill, but Jamestown regained the lead on Popelka’s kill and block. Esch’s tip at the net and Schriner’s block gave the Eagles a 25-21 second-set win.

The third set was nip and tuck, with the Colonels only a point behind at 16-15 following a Putnam kill. Esch, Popelka and Schriner, set nicely by Viniard, regained control at the net to clinch the set and match.

Biggs led the Colonels with 11 kills, while Putnam added 10. Megan Hillyard had 26 assists and 17 digs.

Seniors Hillyard, Taylor Heishman, Leilani Burch and Ashanti Day helped the Colonels reach the state finals two seasons ago. Elizabeth Salata and Kara Norman also were senior contributors this season.

“I told our girls I appreciate all they did for our program,” Hillyard said. “Some of the seniors have been on the team four years, some three [years] and this is their third time they’ve been to states.

“They’ve been part of a very successful program and I thank them for all of what they’ve given our school and community.”

Jamestown’s seniors are in their third state final. It’s one their coach, Tom Stephenson — who has guided the program to six regional and nine district titles — thinks can be historic if the hitters set a better pace against Loudoun County than they did against James Wood.

Effort will be no problem.

“We’re going to put it all on the court and see what happens,” Esch said.