Monticello and Fluvanna County volleyball had already played each other twice this season and that familiarity mixed with a dose of playoff intensity created an instant classic in Tuesday’s Region 3C quarterfinals.
After dropping the first two games, Monticello rallied to win three straight and take the match 3-2 in a dramatic 15-13 decision in game five.
“I’m just so proud of the way the team stayed in it especially after the first two sets, with close games in those too, but they kept themselves up and were mentally strong and rallied behind one another,” said Mustangs coach Meghan Laughlin. “They stayed focused and committed, and kept playing with joy for the game instead of thinking about the first two sets, and I think that really made a difference in how we played and stayed in it.”
In those first two sets, Fluvanna County took control early on. They were playing with tons of energy, using a fast start to comfortably take the first set 25-20. In the second set however, the Flucos showed the grit and determination they showed all match, going down 14-7 early,before rallying to take the set 22-25 sparked by a strong set of performances from Lindsey Ward who finished with 33 digs, Sophia Denby who notched 20 kills on the night, and Faith Shields who had five aces and 43 assists.
“Their effort was amazing — they fought, battled, and came from behind, came from behind, and came from behind,” said Fluvanna coach Christi Harlowe-Garrett. “I’d say if we played each other ten times, we’d split 5-5 because we’re pretty evenly matched, they have a couple of great hitters and they are relentless at the net.”
In the third set, the Mustangs got on track in a big way. They again built a solid lead, but this time were able to thwart any comeback attempt the Flucos had. The Mustangs were playing with a ton of confidence and energy, leaving everything out there to take the third set 25-23.
“I think that we realized that we needed to win this game to move on in the tournament, so we just brought it back and worked well together and we knew what was on the line, and we just executed and it worked,” said Monticello senior Olivia Davis.
The next two sets took similar paths for the Mustangs, holding off any potential comeback from the Flucos after building an early lead. Monticello trailed only in the fifth set when the Flucos grabbed a 1-0 lead — after that Monticello took control. Any time they came back or tied the sets, the Mustangs found a way to answer with Maria Plantz and Davis notching key game five kills before Koch’s strike at the net that fell to the ground gave the Mustangs a 15-13 lead. Adaire Burnsed led Monticello with 17 kills while Davis and Koch put up 11 each, and Caroline Devine led the Mustangs with 31 assists.
With the loss, Fluvanna’s season comes to a close as well as the prep careers for Amy Glowatch, Molli White and Lindsey Ward who has starred in multiple positions for the Flucos. The Mustangs will play in the Region 3C Semifinal at Rustburg Thursday night at 6 p.m.
