Western Albemarle’s volleyball team was out of sync against Waynesboro.
It may not have shown in the final score as the Warriors, the top seed in the Conference 29 tournament, cruised to a 3-0 win over the No. 8 Little Giants, but the Warriors rhythm that was there when they beat Albemarle in the squads’ second meeting wasn’t there Monday night.
“Obviously something got us a little bit out of sync,” said Western coach Ron Pack. “Waynesboro played some decent volleyball, they were enthusiastic and they had energy over there.”
Lucky for the Warriors, even on an off night in an elimination game, they moved on and will get a chance to rediscover that rhythm against a familiar foe in the conference semifinals as they face Monticello Wednesday with a region tournament berth on the line.
Olivia Nichols led the way for the Warriors with 10 kills and also chipped in five digs. Kelsey Grove also had a well-rounded night as usual with nine kills and five digs. Adriana Bland and Hannah Miles each had strong defensive nights with eight and five digs respectively. Erin Farina and Elissa Simpson combined for 24 assists for the Warriors as well.
If Western can rediscover the energy and intensity they had just a short time ago, it’ll go a long way toward helping them make a run in the postseason.
“We need more intensity, more energy,” Pack said. “We’re looking for some players to step up.”
Western and Monticello will lock up at 6 p.m. Wednesday at Monticello. The second Conference 29 semifinal will take place immediately after that.
