Vikings’ power too much for CCHS

Ron Counts, Staff Writer
Published: September 23, 2008

Usually Culpeper’s Megan Chamberlin is the one awing opponents with the explosion that follows one of her vigorous jump serves.

Not Tuesday night.

Cedar Run District foe Loudoun Valley came to town, and the Vikings brought a host of hitters that simply overpowered the Devilettes 3-0 (25-6, 25-13, 25-15).

“We’re a very tall team,” Loudoun Valley outside hitter Morgan Clark said. “We’re pretty good at using that, along with our power and accuracy, to our advantage.”

The Vikings (9-1 overall, 6-1 in the district) have four girls in their main rotation that stand six-feet or taller, and it showed. Clark — a 6-foot junior — led the team with five kills and two aces.

“We knew they were big coming in,” CCHS coach Chris White said. “They are one of the better teams we’ve faced, and tonight they just hit the ball a lot deeper than we’re used to.”

Middle hitter Lindsey Phipps, another 6-footer, also finished with five kills and two aces, while 6-foot junior Meredith Bland added three kills.

“We always talk about wanting to play our best no matter where we are,” Loudoun Valley coach Laird Johnson said.

Clark peppered Devilette defenders with dangerous-sounding shots the entire match, but she really took over in game three.

After Culpeper (5-8, 1-6) began to show some life at the beginning of the final game, Clark squelched any chance of a comeback with three potent shots in a row to all but seal the match for the Vikings.

“She brings a lot of leadership to the team,” Johnson said of Clark. “She’s a role model for the rest of the girls, and she brings a lot of consistency, which is something we really stress.”

Clark nearly leapt over the net before firing a kill just past the outstretched hands of Culpeper’s Kara Connelly to give the Vikings a 22-14 lead in the third game. On the ensuing volley, she found a hole in Culpeper’s defense and made the Devilettes pay with a booming shot that further extended the lead.

“We work on our accuracy all the time,” Clark said. “It feels really good to come out here and play a clean game.”

Clark put the exclamation point on her impressive performance with a shot that nearly tore the leather off the ball as it bounced just inside the foul line to give Loudoun Valley game point.

The game ended soon there after, when Culpeper’s Kristen Hall put a little too much mustard on a shot that sailed out of bounds, securing the win for the Vikings.

“We talked about hitting errors during all the breaks,” White said. “Hitting is something we have total control over. The big thing is we just have to play smarter.”

The Vikings did a good job controlling Chamberlin’s heavy-handed shots, holding her to just three kills and an ace.

“We’re a smart team,” Clark said. “Our back line is always calling out the coverage, and we’re always talking. It’s a total team effort.”

The Devilettes will be on the road Thursday for a match against an always-dangerous Liberty team. According to White, his team is going to have to get its mindset right if it has a chance of success against the Eagles.

“We’ve just got to stay focused on the task,” he said. “We have to go out and plan to win every night, not plan on how we’re going to keep from losing.”

Ron Counts can be reached at 825-0771 ext. 166 or