THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, March 5, 1995 TAG: 9503040076
SECTION: SUFFOLK SUN PAGE: 20 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY DENISE MICHAUX, SUN SPORTS EDITOR
LENGTH: Medium: 68 lines
Every team should have a rebuilding year like the one the Nansemond River girls volleyball team had.
The Warriors (22-2) won the Bay Rivers District regular season title, district tournament title and Region I tournament crown before being downed in the first round of the state tournament last Tuesday.
And they did it all with one senior and a slew of juniors either playing varsity for the first time, or with new responsibilities.
``When you look at your team and you've got all these young kids, you've got to figure on it being a rebuilding year,'' head coach Nancy Richey said. ``But they stepped right up and did a great job. That makes it really easy on a coach.''
So easy that Richey's peers in the district voted her coach of the year.
``It's a great honor anytime your peers vote you over top of them, but I do basically the same stuff every year, so I have to attribute all of it to the kids.''
Liz Pearson and Angie Gatling earned first team All-District and All-Region honors for their part in the Warriors' success.
Gatling, a standout basketball player, played varsity volleyball for the first time this season and set a school record with 60 solo blocks.
Pearson was the acting floor captain and racked up 27 kills, served at 94% and had four aces. The most telling stat of Pearson's ability may have been her passing errors - just two all season.
The Warriors went into the state quarterfinal match against Fort Defiance very well prepared, or so Richey thought.
``We jumped on them quickly and forced them to take an early timeout,'' Richey said. ``The timeout worked for them.''
The teams battled to a 14-13 score in the first game and the Warriors had the chance to put the game away, but missed a serve and Fort Defiance took the first game 17-15.
``Fort Defiance was riding a high from winning such a close game and we were down from losing it,'' Richey said. ``I think that first game left us without much energy for the second game.''
Fort Defiance, which starts five seniors who have been playing together since the sixth grade and was the state runner-up last season, won the second game 15-6.
This was the Warriors' second straight trip to the state tournament. Last season they lost in the first round to eventual state champion R.E. Lee-Staunton.
Richey will lose just one senior, Shannon Savage, which bodes very well for next season.
``We learned a lot in that final match, so I'm pretty pleased,'' Richey said. ``Next year looks good.'' ILLUSTRATION: Coach Nancy Richey
Angie Gatling
Liz Pearson
Staff photos by MICHAEL KESTNER
It you wonder how tense a state tournament is, take a look at
Nansemond River's Heather Behrends, left, Chrissy Mims and Patricia
Brum.
Members of the Nansemond River girls volleyball team rush onto the
court Tuesday night to face Fort Defiance in the state tournament.
by CNB