Sterling, Va. — After dropping their first match of the season 3-1 to the two-time reigning VHSL Class 4 state champion James Wood, the Dominion High School volleyball team was hungry for their first win of the season in their home opener against Independence on September 3 in Sterling. The Titans used strong serving and solid defense to get the job done, rallying in the second and fourth sets to win the match—25-22, 26-24, 16-25, 25-23.
“I thought the girls played fantastic the past two matches, even against James Wood where we dropped that match,” Dominion head coach Phuong Tat said. “Our intensity was strong, and it’s just about keeping everyone healthy and then still maintaining that intensity as we go on.”
Dominion and Independence traded points early in the first set as each team settled in. Following a Titan timeout—after the Tigers took a three point lead to go up 8-5—Dominion senior outside hitter Alena Smith (9 kills, 6 aces, 3 digs) took charge, recording 4 kills in an 8-3 run to put the Titans ahead by two. But back-to-back aces by Independence senior outside hitter Makenzie Dvorznak (11 digs, 6 kills, 5 aces) and a couple Tiger kills swung the advantage back to Independence.
The back half of the first set featured runs from both teams that continued to shift the momentum from one side to the other. Back-to-back blocks from Dominion senior right side hitter Kaitlyn Demitz (12 kills, 5 digs, 4 blocks, 1 ace) sparked a 5-0 Titan run that forced an Independence timeout at 18-15. Two more kills from Smith appeared to solidify the victory for the Titans. But Independence senior setter Jenna Hathaway (21 assists, 9 digs, 4 aces, 4 kills, 2 blocks) had other plans, as she distributed the ball to three different hitters for kills in a 6-1 Tiger run to tie the game at 21-21.
“Props to Indy,” Tat said. “They had some really good attackers. Once you bring intensity and you see the other team bring it back, that’s how it goes.”
The Titans made some adjustments on defense, extended rallies, and allowed only one more Tiger kill in the set, as Dominion senior middle hitter Abby Vasak (12 kills, 3 aces) terminated three kills to end the first set 25-22 and give the Titans a 1-0 advantage.
“I thought we just played a little better defense,” Tat continued. “We were able to pick up a few more balls, and then it was our opportunity to put it back down. There were some awesome rallies.”
The Titans used the momentum established at the end of the first set to jump out to a quick 7-1 lead in the second behind four aces from sophomore setter Ingrid Smith (20 assists, 9 digs, 4 aces, 1 block).
“The main thing that made us successful early was our serves,” Tat said. “So we wanted to keep serves in.”
But the Tigers slowly crept their way back, chipping away at the lead as junior defensive specialist Ella Kliner (11 digs, 3 aces) went on her own service run, garnering all three of her aces in the stretch and tying the game at 12-12.
As both teams battled for the lead late in the set, Independence sophomore outside hitter Kieran Rhoton (13 kills, 2 digs, 1 block) came alive, connecting on four kills and helping her team establish a 24-20 advantage for set point. But the Titans were not backing down, as Vasak notched a kill and followed that up with an ace to keep Dominion alive.
“We’ve been in that situation before,” Tat said. “The game and the sets are never lost yet until that final point and that final whistle, so we just had to keep playing.”
Vasak kept her composure and served the next four points en route to a 26-24 come-from-behind Dominion win to take the second set and go up 2-0.
After letting the second set slip through their fingers, Independence got to work early as Hathaway rattled off all four of her aces in an 11-0 run to start the third set. Although Dominion battled to stay in it, with tough defense and extended rallies—including a set-high seven digs from senior libero Juliet Correll (17 digs, 5 assists)—the Tigers never let up the lead. Rhoton contributed five more kills, and Independence used a 7-2 run to close out the third set 25-16 and extend the match to a fourth.
“We knew we could play defense,” Tat said. “So it was just a matter of making sure our offense took care of the ball.”
With Independence fighting to force a fifth set and Dominion battling to end the match, excitement ensued with eight ties and five lead changes through the first half of the critical fourth set. The Titans eventually took the largest lead of the set—17-13—after back to back aces by Alena Smith and a kill from Demitz.
“We won real points by getting our serve runs, and the defense played fantastic,” Tat said. “Juliet got some big dig moments, and we just rallied behind that.”
Although the Tigers fought to stay in the match, and even tied the set at 21-21, the experienced Dominion team took advantage of a few Independence errors and capitalized on late kills from Alena Smith and Demitz, ending the set 25-23 and the match 3-1.
“We’ve got seven seniors, and this is kind of like a last dance for them,” Tat said. “They want to leave a legacy behind–something strong, something that the next generation can carry the torch over. And so we’re riding off that excitement from them.”
For a team playing in their first outing of the season, Independence clearly has potential and talented players that can earn them points. They will need to immediately rebound from this loss when they travel to Freedom on September 4 with hopes of getting into the win column. The Titans will look to add another win to their record when they make the short trip up the road to Potomac Falls on September 5.
“This win definitely builds momentum,” Tat said. “The first win is great to get, but there’s a lot more. The season is so long. Hopefully this momentum carries over to our next match.”