Last night, the girls volleyball team took on a very competitive Glen Allen team in the Region 5C quarterfinals. With a chance to play Deep Run in the Regional Semifinals on the line, both teams came out of the gates very much in sync. The Cavaliers, however, looked more prepared for this game than any other all season. 

The Cavs quickly took a 12 to one lead in the first set, partly thanks to a pair of aces by sophomore Sophia Carter and another ace by her sister, senior Izzy Carter. Also getting in on the action was junior Alyssa Thompson; she contributed another ace during the Cavs’ run. The excellent Cavalier play forced an early Glen Allen timeout. 

Coming out of the timeout, the Jaguars looked like a different team, sparking a monumental run en route to a 27 to 25 set win. Even with another pair of aces by I. Carter, the Cavs were unable to capitalize, allowing the Jaguars to take the set. 

After the first set, disappointment fell over the Cavalier bench. Cavalier Chronicle Player of the Game I. Carter became aware that, as a captain, she had to step in and give the team a pep talk.

“[I said] that we needed to keep the ball in play,” Carter said. “I think we messed up a lot and gave the other team too many opportunities. We needed to wait for them to make the mistakes.”

I. Carter proved extremely instrumental in the contest. Not only did she contribute the four aces in the first set, she also produced 11 kills and 10 assists. While I. Carter was the offensive mastermind of the game last night, the Thompson sisters, Addison and the aforementioned Alyssa, really stepped up their defensive game. According to Coach Mike Carter, their performances, which included five and seven blocks respectively, were a huge step up and were very influential in the outcome of the match.

After the Cavs dropped the first set of the night, they went on to win the next three sets in intense and back-and-forth action that surely kept the hearts of fans beating out of their chests. The final scores of those last three sets were 25 to 22, 25 to 21 and 26 to 24. 

Some of the best action of the night came in the fourth and final set, when the Jaguars scored six of the first seven points before the Green and Gold were able to claw their way back and win the set.

Previously, the Cavaliers have struggled with miscommunication and mental mistakes throughout a match. That, however, was not the case last night, as the Cavs looked as if they mitigated the past issues before going into the Glen Allen gymnasium. I. Carter attributes that success to team goals. 

“I think a lot of people’s goals were to talk more, and I think [that] people also knew that if we did it, then we had a real good chance of winning,” I. Carter said.

As for the Cavaliers’ next match, they will take on Deep Run in hopes of making the Regional Championship, and the state tournament bid that comes with it. The matchup against Deep Run is one that I. Carter has not thought too much about yet.

“I haven’t gotten that far,” Carter said. “I didn’t really think we were going to make it this far. We will probably play our own game because there are some pretty good teams [left] and if we let them play their game, then we’re definitely going to get beat.”

That matchup against Deep Run (17-1) will take place on Thursday at 7 p.m. at Hermitage High School.