Carly Middleton’s all-around effort helps Flint Hill win a fourth straight Metro City title
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Version 0 of 1. Carly Middleton saw the ball heading toward the sideline and all she wanted to do was get a hand on it. Just a few plays earlier, she saved a point by taking a dive on the hardwood. This time around she nearly crashed into her Flint Hill teammates on the bench. But the sophomore’s effort paid off as she was able to put the ball back in play and give Flint Hill new life in a point it had no business winning. The Huskies won that point, and then took over in the pivotal third set en route to a 26-24, 20-25, 25-23, 25-23 victory over Holy Cross and a fourth consecutive Metro City championship. “I have bruises all over my body. I [do that] all the time,” said Middleton, who notched 42 assists and 11 digs. “It’s one of my favorite parts of volleyball, just going for the ball like that.” Middleton was a defensive specialist and libero for most of the season. However, she moved to setter after Krissy O’Malley went down with a sprained ankle on Thursday. Middleton came to practice an hour early on Friday to work on her technique with teammate Morgan McKnight. It didn’t take the duo long to adjust. On Sunday, they helped Flint Hill (19-7) sweep Maret to win the Independent School League AA title, and they were at it again on Monday on the Huskies’ home court in Oakton. The stakes were higher against the No. 4 Tartans but the Huskies were up to the task. In the opening frame, they overcame an early deficit and then survived two set-points before McKnight closed out the set with a kill. Holy Cross stormed back, as Anna Flood won three straight service points to close the second set. Fresh off their fourth consecutive Washington Catholic Athletic Conference final victory over Good Counsel, the Tartans looked ready to take home another trophy as they grabbed a 19-16 lead in the third set. But that’s when Middleton made the save that proved to be a turning point for Flint Hill. “I was a little worried, but we’ve come back from a lot more in the past,” said McKnight, who had 20 kills. “I was like, we just need to get a couple and keep going.” In a back-and-forth fourth set, Middleton ended up at the service line on match point. She closed out the match with one of her six aces, and the Huskies — despite losing eight seniors from last year’s 34-0 team and starting this season 4-5 — were once again Metro City champions. “It was icing on the cake. It was beautiful,” Middleton said. “It was the best way to end the game.” |