PREP VOLLEYBALL: Ridgeview, a newcomer, and regular member Door City will compete in the Locale 2D Finals.
A season is a marathon, not a sprint, as the old adage goes, and Ridgeview High School’s
volleyball team has shown to be masters of the long game this fall.
The Wolfpack defeated Wise County Central in the semifinals of the VHSL Region 2D
tournament at Virginia High’s Bearcat Den on Saturday night, 25-21, 19-25, 25-14, 22-25, 15-13, as the team that knows how to win tight matches that go down to the wire did it once again.
Ridgeview (25-4) has won all four of its five-set matches in 2023, with the most recent nail-biting victory coming six minutes after 10 p.m., extending the finest season in program history.
The Wolfpack has earned its most memorable state competition yet and will face Mountain 7 Region opponent Door City at 6 p.m. on Wednesday in Bristol for the local title.
The pressure was on Saturday.
After winning the first and third sets, Ridgeview won the fifth and final set 4-0, 6-2, 8-4, and 12-10, not pulling even until a Leah Sutherland block stopped the score at 12. A few moments later, her kill gave the Wolfpack its most memorable lead of the decisive set, 13-12.
The match-winning point was scored when Shrewd Province Focal mishandled a Wolfpack spike from Tsega Mullins.
“These children played their hearts out,” Fleming remarked. “We were not going to lose this game, and we told them all week, ‘We will state.'” It feels a lot better now… Our previous experience aided us.”
It also helped to have the 5-foot-9 Sutherland leading the charge, as she took off high for a match-high 31 kills and five blocks, in addition to 11 digs.
“Leah’s an incredible player,” remarked Fleming. “A lot of the time, she’s relentless at the net. That’s a good way of expressing it – relentless; and she played that way this evening.”
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