Dunlop makes up for lost time to lead Stone Bridge past Loudoun County
|
Version 0 of 1. Ashlyn Dunlop had been waiting not so patiently for the opportunity she received in the second set of Monday’s volleyball match with Loudoun County, rising high and swinging strong for a Stone Bridge kill attempt. Behind the hit, which sailed out of bounds, were all the jitters from facing the Bulldogs’ biggest rival and all the energy pent up after sitting out the first set — a penalty reluctantly handed down by Stone Bridge Coach Jill Raschiatore when Dunlop missed practice to be in a wedding. “I was real antsy,” Dunlop said. “I don’t like sitting on the bench at all, especially for this big of a game. I just had to find my rhythm.” A few plays later, the senior discovered it, blasting a shot for a point that jump-started the Bulldogs’ climb out of a five-point hole. Dunlop recorded four more kills in the set, and No. 7 Stone Bridge cruised to a 25-20, 25-23, 25-21 home victory against second-ranked Loudoun County in Ashburn. Afterward, Dunlop remained energized, brimming with the firepower necessary to push through the type of five-set, marathon matches that had become the norm for this rivalry between two of the area’s premier teams. “I can’t remember the last time either team swept the other,” Raschiatore said. “That’s still a great team over there. We were just able to execute and play our game — a clean game — for the most part.” Initially, it was the Raiders (12-2) who controlled the match. Behind three Taylor Borup kills, Loudoun County built a 7-4 lead before the Bulldogs settled down amid their balanced attack. Caitlin Zura (seven kills) and Gabbie Scudder (team-high nine kills) placed the opposition on its heels as Stone Bridge rallied before scoring seven of the last nine points to take the first set. The Raiders again jumped out in front to start the next set, but with Dunlop back in the fray and Angela Tender (31 assists) feeding her and Abby DeVido passes near the net, the Bulldogs again surged into the lead. “We’ve been working hard to be more in sync and be in the right spots, so talking on the floor really helped get us going,” Dunlop said. Communication was especially key when the Bulldogs (16-2) were on the defensive. With counters in mind for many of the Raiders’ go-to moves, Ryley Gill mustered several key digs while Dejia Danhi patrolled the front line for critical blocks to close out Stone Bridge’s sixth straight win. “Going in, I was a little nervous, being the underdog against our rival,” said Gill, who had 19 digs. “But once we got into the lead, our confidence and communication took over and we got a big win.” |