No. 3 Luray upsets No. 2 Riverheads on the road for ticket to state
By Randy Arrington
STAUNTON, Nov. 5 — The Luray Bulldogs played one of their most complete and competitive matches of the season on Thursday night to upset No. 2 Riverheads on the road in a Region 1B semifinal. The victory not only sends Luray to the Region 1B championship game Nov. 10, but it also qualifies the Bulldogs for the VHSL Class 1 state volleyball tournament.
Juniors Lakin Vile and Caroline Donovan lead the way for Luray in Thursday’s upset road win. Vile showed why she was a first team All-Bull Run District selection with a dozen kills, two aces and a block. Donovan, a second team All-District honoree, contributed 10 kills and a block.
Junior Sierra Forder, another first team All-District selection, served up six aces in the region semifinal. Classmate Emily Benson (second team All-District) posted three kills, two aces and a block. Luray got solid play off the bench from sophomore Jaidyn Parlett.
Both teams entered Thursday’s region semifinal with identical 12-9 records, and they played like it. Riverheads only trailed 18-20 in the first set before Luray went on a 5-1 run to close out a 25-19 win. The second set was tied at 20-20 before the Bulldogs went on a 5-0 run en route to a 25-20 win. Luray went up 2-0 quick on a talented Riverheads squad.
The third set may have been the most dramatic of the season. The score bounced back-and-forth, was tied up 13 times, and never had a gap wider than three points. Tied at 23-23 and 24-24, Riverheads managed to get back-to-back scores to get a hard-earned 26-24 win and keep their season alive. Luray was within one point of punching their ticket to state.
The fourth set was the least competitive of the night, as the Bulldogs went up 19-10 and closed out a 25-13 victory to capture the match and end Riverheads’ season.
Now Luray (13-9) advances to the Region 1B championship on Nov. 10 to face the No. 1 seeded Bison of Buffalo Gap (14-8), who defeated No. 5 Surry (14-8) in three straight sets on Thursday in the other region semifinal.
For Region 1B rankings, Click HERE.
For more information on Luray High School Athletics,
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