By Allan Kha / ScrimmagePlay.com contributor
The Fluvanna volleyball team’s playoff prospects looked grim two games into its Jefferson District consolation match — a winner-take-all showdown for a Region II berth — against Louisa. Having conceded the first two games of the match, Fluvanna had very few answers for its play.
Luckily for the young Flucos, ignorance was bliss. Self-admittedly failing to come to grips with its dire two-game deficit, Fluvanna stormed back into the match and earned a 3-2 comeback victory (19-25, 22-25, 25-7, 25-20; 15-10) over the Lions, securing a Region II playoff berth as a result.
The Flucos’ play in the match’s first two games was puzzling to say the least. Fluvanna committed 19 unforced errors, looked lost near the net, and had persistent communication problems. Louisa, meanwhile, possessed all of the momentum and commanded the game’s rhythm.
“We just weren’t in a rhythm; we made a lot of mistakes and [Louisa] played really well,” Louisa freshman middle Lyra Payne said. “We weren’t ready to end our season like that though, and if we were going to go out, at least we’d go out trying.”
Led by the precocious Payne — who never played volleyball until the beginning of the school year — Fluvanna produced a stunning turnaround. Payne commanded the floor as the Flucos resoundingly won the third set, and played a key role near the net as her team won nervy fourth and fifth games.
“I don’t even know what happened [to us] in the first two games… although communication and unforced errors were big problems certainly. Volleyball’s huge into momentum and rhythm, and give credit to Louisa because they had it then,” Fluvanna coach Christi Harlowe-Garrett said.
“I can’t tell you what I said to the team after the second game, I don’t think I can tell you… But it worked and our team really turned it around. We made fewer mistakes and played with confidence. The game really turned around after third game, and we rode the momentum.”
The third and fourth games, in particular, were somewhat eerie. Much like Fluvanna in the first two games, Louisa suffered glaring communication and positional problems. Outside of one stretch run in the fourth game where the Lions came back from a 10-24 deficit to end the set 20-24, Louisa lost its composure and suffered the same lapses in the final three games that the Fluccos suffered in the first two games.
Louisa coach Dave Boardway was frustrated by the missed opportunity, but impressed with how his squad played.
“First off, I’m absolutely proud of our girls. They did a great job and it’s been a great season for this young group. Nonetheless, to lose this game after we played the way we did in the first set is a bit disappointing,” Boardway said. “Give credit to Fluvanna because they came back and took the match when it mattered the most. I made a [tactical decision] to rest our starters in the third game once we fell out of it figuring we could take the fourth set, but Fluvanna made that moot with their play. They really earned it, but it’s a sad way to end our season. Our future is bright though and it’s been a great run.”
Fluvanna’s immediate future — a first-round game in the Region II playoffs — poses a tough away test at either Briarwoods or Broad Run. Game time for that game is next Monday at 7 p.m.
