Purcellville, Va. — The offensive game plan was simple: pound the ball into freshman phenom Louis Volker, and let her do her thing. It was a scheme executed to perfection by the Loudoun Valley High School girls basketball team in the second half of the Dulles District championship game on February 21 in Purcellville.
It was a game in which both teams battled early and consistent foul trouble. A game in which Volker dominated, dropping 28 points and grabbing 14 rebounds. A game in which the Vikings remained undefeated, claiming the Dulles District tournament title, 63-57, over the Huskies.
“Louis seems to be our Husky killer,” Loudoun Valley head coach Bill Reynolds said. “We’re lucky enough to have a team where it’s kind of pick your poison. If you’re going to stop Megan – and she got in foul trouble early then – we still have Jordan, we still have Louis, and we still have Jane that you’re going to have to stop.”
After quietly scoring 11 points in the first half, Volker was the focal point of the Loudoun Valley offense in the second half, adding 17 points and 8 rebounds in the final two quarters.
The Vikings played most of those final two quarters without senior forward Megan Stevenson, who fouled out less than 90 seconds into the second half. It was a game riddled with fouls – 52 to be exact – which saw Stevenson and Tuscarora senior guard Isabellah Middleton sit for a lot of minutes, having both picked up three fouls in the first quarter.
Volker and Loudoun Valley junior guard Jordan Campbell were just two of very few players who were not in foul trouble, and it showed mightily in the second half. Campbell – who scored 10 points, corralled 6 rebounds, and picked up 5 steals in the first half – added 10 points and 5 rebounds in the second half.
We just wanted to keep a good attitude and not get ahead of ourselves. But now, we’re really excited.
—Loudoun Valley guard Jordan Campbell
The Vikings led by as many as 15 points in the second half, but Middleton would not go easily. Having picked up her fourth foul in the third quarter, the senior guard played with poise, taking only necessary risks, pulling her team within 5 points late in the game.
“We can’t let her do the things she’s good at which is getting to the hoop and finishing,” Reynolds said. “So we have to step up and stop her and hopefully take a charge.”
While Middleton finished with a team-high 21 points and 8 rebounds, Tuscarora needed more than the sure-handed district Player of the Year to keep themselves afloat. The Huskies turned to freshman guard Camryn Worley, sophomore guard Katherine Scheivert, and the three ball to keep them alive.
However, Loudoun Valley remained confident and started to slow things down, taking the Huskies out of their rhythm offense.
“Since we were up, we just needed to slow down, not get too nervous or fast and throw the ball away,” Campbell said. “We just had to take care of the ball.”
Loudoun Valley sophomore point guard Jane Bodamer was a big reason why the Vikings were able to remain poised and in control, despite the Huskies’ late rally. Bodamer – who finished with 8 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals – got to the line 15 times, but more importantly, confidently and quietly managed the Vikings’ offense.
“She’s an amazing player. She’s steady at all times,” Reynolds said. “She’s a true point guard who looks to distribute first and who plays great defense.”
With just 20 games under their belt, this was the first true test for Loudoun Valley, who had to play more than 20 minutes without their star player in Stevenson. And the Vikings rose to the occasion.
Loudoun Valley (12-0, 20-0) will look to keep to its winning ways when the Vikings host Northwestern No. 2 James Wood in a VHSL Region 4C semifinal on February 25 in Purcellville. Tuscarora (10-2, 18-6) will look to bounce back when they travel to Northwestern No. 1 Millbrook in Winchester.
“We’ve worked really hard throughout this whole season, and we were looking forward to the game tonight,” Campbell said. “We just wanted to keep a good attitude and not get ahead of ourselves. But now, we’re really excited.”
Derrick Jerry captured 150+ photos at the game…
Loudoun Valley Stats
| Loudoun Valley | Points | Rebounds | Assists | Steals | Blocks | Free Throws |
| Louis Volker | 28 | 14 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4-for-5 |
| Jordan Campbell | 20 | 11 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 7-for-12 |
| Jane Bodamer | 8 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 6-for-15 |
| Alyssa Hassan | 2 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0-for-0 |
| Megan Stevenson | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0-for-1 |
| Grace Wagers | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0-for-0 |
| Sarah Thompson | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1-for-2 |
| Kate Brennan | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0-for-2 |
| Alison Pike | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0-for-0 |
| Totals | 63 | 37 | 3 | 12 | 3 | 18-for-37 |
Tuscarora Stats
| Tuscarora | Points | Rebounds | Assists | Steals | Blocks | Free Throws |
| Isabellah Middleton | 21 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 6-for-8 |
| Camryn Worley | 15 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0-for-0 |
| Katherine Scheivert | 10 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0-for-2 |
| Grace Middleton | 7 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2-for-2 |
| Colette Morris | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0-for-0 |
| Aniaya Knight | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2-for-4 |
| Lillian Scheivert | 0 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0-for-0 |
| Lea Lesho | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0-for-0 |
| Totals | 57 | 31 | 9 | 12 | 1 | 10-for-16 |