Girls Class 4, 5 and 6 States Preview

<p>The final 6 teams are set for crowning a champion of Class 4, 5, and 6 for the VHSL season, a season like no other <img class="size-medium wp-image-127796 alignleft" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2021/01/IMG_0911-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" />in history. Loudoun County is the most dominant of the group, having won 8 straight championships and 12 of 13. They are royalty in VHSL Volleyball. The Captains win streak dates back to President Obama’s second term in office. Senior Ella Solomon looks to close out her career with a fourth ring. Outside Hitters Delaney Broson and Alicia McCandless. Libero Alayna Johnson are premiere passers and defenders with great depth at setter: Hanna Mullen, [player_tooltip player_id="111462" first="Sarah" last="Jordan"] and Audrey Stroupe. They will take on Grafton, who is led by Middle Hitter Shachia Lamb, who recently committed to NCAA Division 1 Norfolk State, and Outside Hitter Lily Scheeren. Several underclassmen will also play key roles if Grafton is able to topple the dynasty of Loudoun County. Freshman Outside Hitter Alexis Keeter and Sophomore Setter Alondra Miranda-Pagan are needed to fill large roles for the Clippers. Loudoun County will host the finals at 6pm on April 23. </p> <p><img class="size-medium wp-image-139737 alignright" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2021/04/IMG_3281-crop-719x473-1619057403-300x197.png" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></p> <p>Class 5 features Hickory against Freedom-South Riding. Both teams swept their semifinals against perennial state contenders. The Hickory Hawks defeated Atlee Raiders in a tough battle. Hickory jumped out to a fast lead, but the Raider rebounded and closed the gap but fell just short in the first set 25-23. Hickory was stellar defensively and is very intelligent and aggressive offensively, getting many more swings on third contacts on the court versus pushes and free balls. Atlee battled throughout and maintained high energy, but struggled to play in system regularly to give them their main advantage in the powerful middle hitters, [player_tooltip player_id="111364" first="Kara" last="Hammock"] and Jada Foreman. The pin hitters were outstanding for Hickory in Division 1 (Elon University) commitment [player_tooltip player_id="111373" first="Sydney" last="Love"] and Sophomore Rayne Manning. Middle Hitter Ryann Love was solid in slowing down the offensive middles of the Raiders and was very effective in transition attacking. They will be a formidable challenger for states. Freedom-South Riding swept Albemarle, 25-17, 25-21, 25-17. Seniors [player_tooltip player_id="111403" first="Haley" last="Adams"] (Outside Hitter) and Setter [player_tooltip player_id="111423" first="MiLinh" last="Nguyen"] and Junior Middle Hitter [player_tooltip player_id="111483" first="Halie" last="Murphy"] will play a significant role in the battle for the ring. Freedom will host the final April 24 at 6PM. </p> <p><img class="size-medium wp-image-139742 alignleft" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pd/uploads/2021/04/TC-Williams-300x270.png" alt="" width="300" height="270" />Class 6 features TC Williams who swept perennial power Langley 25-18, 25-14, 25-22. This is the first state championship game for TC Williams (16-0). One of their strengths is their depth and despite the numerous challenges that the season presented with Covid cancellations, club ball conflicts, and rescheduled games. Sophomore Setter Chloe Wilmot is running a great offense despite being an underclassman and a weapon at the service line, and stout defensively. Junior Middle Hitter Jill Jones has been terrific in transition and is a player Wilmot regularly looks for in point scoring opportunities. <span style="font-size: 1rem;">Outside Hitters Milan Rex, Maura Munson, and Kaitlin Peters will carry a heavy load in passing and attacking for their first championship. They will be facing a Kellam  has a great championship pedigree and is in search of back to back championships and their 6th overall. Libero Kaytie Gosiene, the future VCU Ram, is a stout defender and exceptional in serve receive that is so vital in staying in system. Attackers Kate Ayre, Jessica George Abby Spencer, and Sarah Thompson are the offensive keys for the<img class="alignright" src="https://cdn4.sportngin.com/attachments/roster_player_info/066d-153858854/18B_Gosiene_medium.jpg" alt="18b gosiene medium" /> reigning champs. Setter Rhea Cammel will run the offense for the Knights. In the semifinals, Kellam and Colonial Forge battled beyond 5 sets with both teams having match points before the Knights prevailing 18-16 in the 5th set. Sarah Thompson had 12 kills on the night and Libero Kaytie Gosiene had 20 digs for the Knights. </span><span style="font-size: 1rem;">Jessica George tallied 19 kills, Rhea Cammel delivered 50 assists. The final scores were 25-22, 25-20, 21-25, 22-25, 18-16. TC Williams will host the finals on Friday, April 23 at 6 PM. </span></p> <div class="crd clln--it" data-type="text"> <div class=" crd--cnt "> <p class=""> </p> </div> </div> <p>&nbsp;</p>