THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, February 22, 1996 TAG: 9602220456
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C6 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JAMI FRANKENBERRY, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: SUFFOLK LENGTH: Short : 50 lines
Nansemond River girls volleyball players said they planned to treat Bay Rivers District tournament games like any other ones this season. And Wednesday night they did.
After losing only one district match during the regular season, the top-seeded Warriors rolled to their second straight tournament title. They knocked off York in a semifinal 15-5, 15-9 before cruising past Franklin 15-6, 15-4 in the final at Nansemond River.
The Warriors (20-1) and Broncos (9-11) advance to the Group AA, Region I tournament Saturday at Nansemond River at 4:30 p.m. The final will be Saturday night at 8.
Nansemond River avenged a loss three weeks ago to sixth-seeded Franklin, which broke the Warriors' two-year district winning streak.
``We were just up and really clicking tonight,'' Nansemond River's Liz Pearson said. ``That night (against Franklin) was the worst game of our season, and before it was all over we thought they were going to see what we could do.''
In the championship's opening game, the Warriors spotted Franklin three points before rattling off 11 unanswered. LaToya Crocker served for four points and Pearson added three straight kills during that stretch.
In game two, Nansemond River bolted to a 7-0 lead behind the serving of Pearson, Heather Behrends, Melissa Johnson and Kari Harrell. The Broncos failed to win a point on 11 consecutive serves as the Warriors got two kills from Pearson and three from Harrell.
``Nansemond River was definitely hitting on all cylinders tonight,'' Franklin coach Marilyn Dull said. ``They definitely looked like the district champions tonight.''
Franklin needed three games to get past Bruton 9-15, 15-9, 15-4 in a semifinal which wore it down.
``It's always been a mental game with Nansemond River,'' Franklin's Jennifer West said. ``I think we broke down mentally and a few of us got tired after our first game.''
In the semifinal, West recorded 21 total kills as Franklin rallied from a 4-2 deficit in the third game. The Broncos' Katie Soule served for six points in the second game and eight straight in the third to spark comebacks.
In the first semifinal, Pearson was 18 for 18 serving, while Behrends was 10 for 11 for Nansemond River. Harrell added four kills. by CNB