Northwest fights past Dulaney to win first Maryland 4A volleyball title
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Version 0 of 1. Chaya Riggs wrapped her arms around Erica Orem’s shoulders as the national anthem played from the speakers at the University of Maryland’s Ritchie Coliseum. “O’er the land of the free, and the home of the . . . JAGS!,” she and her Northwest teammates sang, as they do before every match, laughing in the moments leading up to Monday’s Maryland 4A volleyball final. Riggs’s smile never went away; not as she registered five first-set aces, not as she cheered on her team from the bench and not as she stood, teary-eyed, holding Northwest’s first volleyball state championship trophy following a 25-19, 25-21, 25-20 victory over Dulaney. It was a historic win for No. 1 Northwest (20-0), but the sweep — and the playoff run it capped — had greater significance for the Riggs family, which on Oct. 28 lost its house and belongings to a fire. Two teenagers were responsible for the fire and have since been charged, the Germantown Pulse reported and a spokesperson from the Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service confirmed. No family members were hurt, but Chaya, her younger brother Billy, and their parents Mike and Raji were left without a home and an estimated $400,000 in damage. Chaya lost just about everything, even her Northwest jersey, which was replaced by a No. 1 uniform with a slightly different design. Riggs said the volleyball team and community have been there for her, starting the night of the fire, when the players joined the Riggs family at a neighbor’s house. “This team is like a family to me. Honestly these girls are like my best friends and have been for a couple years,” Riggs said. Riggs said the past month with the Northwest volleyball team has been an escape. On the court, it’s just her, the team, and the lefty serve that’s disrupted each and every opponent the Jaguars have faced. Dulaney (19-1) was no exception, as the 5-foot-7 Riggs finished with seven aces, firing up her team with each one. “When Chaya was a freshman, she couldn’t serve over the net,” Northwest Coach Stephanie Blake said. “I really think it was this year, maybe in club or over the summer, her serve became really, really good. . . . She’s definitely turned into a serving specialist.” Up front, the Northwest blockers disrupted the Dulaney attack. Gabby Bennett had a team-high 11 kills while Jenaisya Moore had nine and Emma Liller had six, including the game-winner, giving the Jaguars the state championship they’ve been playing for since they fell to Severna Park in the 2014 finals. “This entire season we’ve left everything out on the court and we push ourselves so much,” Riggs said. “We have been tested many times this year and we’ve fought through and come out on top. It’s just completely amazing. No regrets. I’m just so proud of this entire team.” |