Preview of State Championship Finals for Saturday

The final two teams have been set for Class 4 through 6 for the State championships this Saturday at the Siegel Center at Virginia Commonwealth University. Win or lose, just participating in the final match and all the pageantry that goes with it is a memory to cherish. The Classes 1 through 3 will be played at the Salem Civic Center. Below is a review of Tuesday matches and the matchups set for the finals in classes 4-6.   Class 6   Colgan swept a visiting Kellam team. While the first game score of 25-14 may have appeared like a rout, it was a closely contested 10-10 set until [player_tooltip player_id='181185' first='Brielle' last='Kemavor'] took charge, blocking two balls to give Colgan a 12-10 advantage. A Kemavor kill and another block upped the lead to 16-13. [player_tooltip player_id='209790' first='Aubrey' last='Hatch'] was also able to provide a block and kill to extend the lead to 20-14 and it was a turn out the lights moment. Abigail Dixon finished the game off with two aces, serving the last five points to end the game.   Colgan took a big 16-7 lead in game two. [player_tooltip player_id='246932' first='Maeson' last='Peterson'] tooled a ball off the Colgan block to bring it to 16-8. A number of Colgan unforced errors and a [player_tooltip player_id='246934' first='Allie' last='Irving'] ace after a time out whittled that lead to 13-16. An [player_tooltip player_id='209790' first='Aubrey' last='Hatch'] kill to the right side made it 17-13 but then a free ball pass to an empty spot in zone one brought some momentum back to Kellam.   Two more Colgan errors and the lead had evaporated to 16-17. An ace by Madelyn Schmidt and a kill off the block by [player_tooltip player_id='246935' first='Avery' last='Hanly'] gave the Knights a 22-20 lead. [player_tooltip player_id='181185' first='Brielle' last='Kemavor'] blasted a high two set off the block to bring it to within one, but Colgan served the ball into the net and Kellam was ahead 23-21 with serve.   Kellam could not take advantage and after two hitting errors the score was tied 23-23. [player_tooltip player_id='209790' first='Aubrey' last='Hatch'] had a kill to give Colgan game point and the hero of the match Abigail Dixon served another ace to end the game 25-23. Two sets and two aces to win two games will keep getting you in the lineup.   Game three was almost a replay of game two with Colgan jumping out to a 14-7 lead. Two consecutive aces by [player_tooltip player_id='242358' first='Megan' last='Stone'] and two kills off the Colgan block by [player_tooltip player_id='246932' first='Maeson' last='Peterson'] and it was a 17-17 game. A [player_tooltip player_id='246932' first='Maeson' last='Peterson'] spike down the line was initially called out, but the up ref overruled the call to turn a 19-17 Colgan lead to 18-18. Later on a touch call against Colgan on a spike was overruled and a replay called.   Kellam pulled ahead with an ace to make it 22-20. A [player_tooltip player_id='181185' first='Brielle' last='Kemavor'] block and a roll shot brought the Sharks to within one 22-23. A [player_tooltip player_id='231670' first='Grace' last='Smith'] block made it 24-23 with Abigail Dixon back to serve for match point. She just missed an ace, the ball landing inches behind the back line. [player_tooltip player_id='209790' first='Aubrey' last='Hatch'] got the ball back with a kill to make it 25-24. The game was ended on a ball traveling over the net and [player_tooltip player_id='223582' first='Skylar' last='Johnson'] being there on the other side to make the kill. Colgan pulls out game three 26-24.   [player_tooltip player_id='246935' first='Avery' last='Hanly'] and [player_tooltip player_id='246932' first='Maeson' last='Peterson'] tied for the team lead with 14 kills each. Libero [player_tooltip player_id='246933' first='Jessica' last='Christman'] led the team in digs with 16 and [player_tooltip player_id='246934' first='Allie' last='Irving'] ran the offense with 35 assists.   Alexandria City overcame Chantilly and [player_tooltip player_id='181297' first='Lameen' last='Mambu'] to win in four in the other championship match. The two teams split the first two games and then the Alexandria City duo of [player_tooltip player_id='181179' first='Chloe' last='Wilmot'] and [player_tooltip player_id='181178' first='Milan' last='Rex'] went to work, winning games three and four 25-14, 25-17.   Colgan players to watch - The big hitter for Colgan is their 6'5" middle BYU bound [player_tooltip player_id='181185' first='Brielle' last='Kemavor']. When she has her game going she can dominate. The other middle [player_tooltip player_id='231670' first='Grace' last='Smith'] can also hit quicks in the middle and should not be taken lightly. The 6'1" [player_tooltip player_id='209790' first='Aubrey' last='Hatch'] is the player the Sharks rely on from the left side. The field general who runs the offense is the under rated setter [player_tooltip player_id='231633' first='Alexis' last='Scipione']. She has now led her team to two straight championship appearances, hoping to make it two straight State championships. Another under rated player is libero [player_tooltip player_id='207594' first='Paula' last='Sigurani']. She is only a junior but has already made first team libero for her district two years in a row.   Alexandria City players to watch - Coming into the game [player_tooltip player_id='181179' first='Chloe' last='Wilmot'] and [player_tooltip player_id='181178' first='Milan' last='Rex'] were the only two returning starters from a team that had gone 54-1 the last two years. The team had also hired a new head coach. Not a lot was expected of them heading into this year. People appear to have taken the Titans lightly. It seems that as long as Chloe and Milan are still around wins can still come in bunches. One more game to go and the team is 31-2, 85-3 with the two on the team the last three years. As the season progressed the team got significant contributions from libero [player_tooltip player_id='235292' first='Zana' last='Royster'] and middles [player_tooltip player_id='231672' first='Annalie' last='McCarthy'] and Harper Travis. Their other outside [player_tooltip player_id='233012' first='Bridie' last='Wendling'] has really improved taking some pressure off Milan.   Class 5   Midlothian with [player_tooltip player_id='190541' first='Hannah' last='Ball'] swept Massaponax. First Colonial swept Cox. Hopefully, we'll know a little more about these two teams after Saturday.   Midlothian players to watch - Junior [player_tooltip player_id='190541' first='Hannah' last='Ball'] supplies most of the offense. She was a first teamer as a sophomore. Tatum Evans is the other outside and captain of the team. Halle Phelps and Reagan McAdams are the middles. Brooke Eslinger is a libero to keep an eye on. She covers a lot of the court. I'm assuming her little sister sophomore Maddy Eslinger distributes the sets. Midlothian is one of the few undefeated teams and has only lost five sets all year. Last year they went to the quarter finals before losing   First Colonial players to watch - They are a young team led by junior libero Kayla Foley and junior outside [player_tooltip player_id='465285' first='Keely' last='Heffelfinger'].   Class 4   [player_tooltip player_id='181280' first='Brenna' last='Corbin'] may only be 5'4" and plays libero during the club season, but for James Wood she is an outside that knows where the empty areas of the court are. She led the Colonels in kills with 20 as they downed Dominion in four. [player_tooltip player_id='181302' first='Kennedy' last='Spaid'] was second on the team in kills with 17. After splitting the first two games the third game was key, with James Wood pulling it out 25-23.   Grafton took down King George in three. [player_tooltip player_id='233007' first='Alexis' last='Keeter'] led the team in kills with 21 while Maesyn Blaylock finished with 10. Frosh [player_tooltip player_id='246938' first='Allyson' last='Burke'] contributed 11 digs and four aces. [player_tooltip player_id='231668' first='Alondra' last='Miranda-Pagan'] led the team with five aces and distributed 34 assists,   Players to watch for James Wood - The two frosh outsides are difficult to stop. The 5'11" [player_tooltip player_id='181302' first='Kennedy' last='Spaid'] relies more on power to get the job done while the smaller [player_tooltip player_id='181280' first='Brenna' last='Corbin'] relies more on placement. They have two quality setters in [player_tooltip player_id='180286' first='Hannah' last='McCullough'] and [player_tooltip player_id='180282' first='Paige' last='Ahakuelo']. Paige will stay right side and can put the ball down. The middles 5'6" [player_tooltip player_id='239321' first='Lexi' last='Taylor'] and 5'8" [player_tooltip player_id='233483' first='Ella' last='Kelchner'] may be small, but they can also put the ball to the floor. [player_tooltip player_id='239320' first='Carsyn' last='Vincent'] is a quality libero.   Players to watch for Grafton - [player_tooltip player_id='233007' first='Alexis' last='Keeter'] at 5'11" could have a field day against this smaller blocking team. Middle [player_tooltip player_id='233446' first='Madison' last='Livengood'] is a solid player and leads the team in aces. [player_tooltip player_id='231668' first='Alondra' last='Miranda-Pagan'] is a quality setter and even at 5'3" sets a 5/1. When in the front row she stands back and waits for tips. She won't be quite so handicapped against this smaller James Wood team. Grafton has been to the finals the last five years but each time lost to Loudoun County. This time Loudoun County is absent from the tournament. Grafton has also been to the finals eight times but has yet to win. Perhaps this is the year.   Class 3   Hidden Valley continued their undefeated string, defeating Fort Defiance in four. They squeaked out the fourth game 26-24 after winning the first two. [player_tooltip player_id='196556' first='Caleigh' last='Ponn'] finished the game with 26 kills and 19 digs. She is a libero in club that can cover a lot of the floor but as a hitter shreds balls through the blocks.   York swept through Warren County.   Players to watch from Hidden Valley - Sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='196556' first='Caleigh' last='Ponn'] is a player that Division I coaches should be keeping an eye on. She is a libero in club but as an outside she is number two in the state in kills. She does it all and if there is a better player at 5'7" in the country I would be shocked. [player_tooltip player_id='233482' first='Lauren' last='Whitaker'] covers a lot of real estate as a libero. [player_tooltip player_id='235285' first='Calli' last='Anderson'] is a smooth setter who can get the ball to Ponn when the game is on the line. They beat some quality teams in Grafton (finals in class 4), Marshall (class 6) and Norfolk Academy (second place in Division I VISAA) at the Endless Summer tournament.

The final two teams have been set for Class 4 through 6 for the State championships this Saturday at the Siegel Center at Virginia Commonwealth University. Win or lose, just participating in the final match and all the pageantry that goes with it is a memory to cherish. The Classes 1 through 3 will be played at the Salem Civic Center. Below is a review of Tuesday matches and the matchups set for the finals in classes 4-6.