Albemarle’s volleyball team is starting to mesh together after a mass exodus of seniors from last year’s state semifinalist squad, and that’s bad news for whoever is running up against the Patriots right now.
“The chemistry on this team is outstanding,” said Albemarle coach Lance Rogers said. “The girls enjoy playing together and it really shows on the court. There’s almost a non-verbal communication going on on the court and it’s lovely to see.”
Behind another explosive night from senior Appalachian State commit Maya Winterhoff, the Patriots rolled 25-22, 25-13, 25-15 over Monticello to pick up a 3-0 sweep, shaking off a tough first game to close out the win.
“We were scared after that first set, Monticello really came after us hard and it took everything we had to beat them back,” said Albemarle coach Lance Rogers.
Winterhoff exploded for 17 kills and 11 digs while setter C.C. Smith finished with 26 assists and 12 digs. Winterhoff moved up to No. 2 all-time on the Patriots’ career kills list with that 17-kill outing. Smith is starting to settle in as the setter in her first year as a starter.
“I think my passes are great right now and I’m feeding my hitters — it’s great to have Maya who’s ready to swing at everything. And also Wening is doing great so we’re just really excited to have that energy.”
Wening Ding had eight kills and five digs for the Patriots while Grace Sembrowich had nine digs.
The Mustangs couldn’t find a rhythm after getting edged in game one against an Albemarle squad that’s starting to get its stride at about the right time. But it’s clear that a re-tooled Monticello lineup is making strides as the season goes on.
“I think our communication has really grown with our offense and defense,” said Monticello coach Meg Laughlin. “We’ve really focused on being in control of our side of the court and I felt like we kept that standard and elevated our game from the last time we played them.”
The Patriots will travel to Fluvanna Wednesday night while Monticello will look to bounce back on the road against Louisa Thursday.
