LHS drops Bull Run semifinal to Madison, but wins region quarterfinal
By Randy Arrington
LURAY, Nov. 2 — The Luray Bulldogs are one win away from securing a spot in the VHSL Class 1 state volleyball tournament. Following a 3-0 sweep of Smith Mountain Lake Christian Academy (SMLCA) in Monday’s Region 1B quarterfinal, No. 3 Luray will travel to Staunton to face No. 2 Riverheads at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 5 in the Region 1B semifinals.
A victory secures a spot in the region championship on Saturday AND next week’s state tournament.
In Monday’s region quarterfinal, Luray was lead by junior Lakin Vile, who recorded seven kills and six aces. In last week’s Bull Run District semifinal against undefeated Madison County, Vile posted around a dozen kills. The junior’s play has been dominant at the net, and it earned her first team All-District honors at the conclusion of last week’s tournament.
Junior Sierra Forder (the unsung hero of the Bulldogs) leads the team in assists and was able to post four kills, six aces and a block over Luray’s last two matches. Forder also earned first team All-District honors.
Juniors Emily Benson, Caroline Donovan and Zoey Vaughn all earned second team All-District honors last week. Benson recorded six kills and five aces against the Ospreys on Monday; and four kills, two aces and two blocks against the Mountaineers last week. Donovan added eight kills and two aces over the last two matches. Vaughn had six kills and an ace against Madison, but was benched due to injury (left leg) in the region quarterfinal. There is no indication if she will be able to play again this season.
In last week’s district semifinal, Luray took the first set 25-19. Luray set the tone early and lead by as many as seven. Of the eight sets that the Mountaineers have lost all season, three of them were to the Bulldogs. Madison won the next three sets — 25-11, 25-14, 25-21 — to move to 22-0 on the season. During the semifinal, Madison senior setter Maddie Dean surpassed 2,000 assists. On Thursday, Dean was named the Bull Run District Player of the Year. Madison went on to beat Clarke, 3-1, for the Bull Run championship on Oct. 29.
In Monday’s region quarterfinal, the Bulldogs controlled all three sets — 25-15, 25-20 and 25-9. Each of the three sets remained close in the early going, but Luray went on long runs that extended their advantage. As the Bulldogs dealt with the loss of Vaughn and senior Chloe Gochenour due to leg injuries, Luray got a solid match off the bench from junior Maeve Dudley, who recorded five kills and an ace on Monday.
While No. 3 Luray (12-9) travels to No. 2 Riverheads (12-9) on Thursday night in the Region 1B semifinals, No. 1 Buffalo Gap (13-8) will be hosting No. 5 Surry (14-7). Surry upset No. 4 Appomattox Regional Governor’s School, 3-2, in the region quarterfinals on Monday. Gap defeated Rappahannock, 3-1, and Riverheads beat Altavista, 3-1.
Also earning second team All-District honors in the Bull Run last week was Page County High School senior Adi Caton.
All-Region teams will be announced at the conclusion of the region tournament on Saturday.
For more information on Luray High School Athletics,
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