Generals shut out Bulldogs

By Brian Eller -- beller@nvdaily.com

HARRISONBURG -- When her team is just 3 points away from victory, that's when Heather Stout gets even louder on the court.

"Come on! Three more to go!" she'll shout. Another point for Stonewall Jackson.

"Let's go! Two more. Let's do it!" Another point. One away from the win.

"Last one! One! Come on!" Game over.

She's the heart and soul of the Generals. And Wednesday night she led her team to a 3-0 (25-21, 25-18, 25-9) upset win over Luray to advance to the Shenandoah District tournament finals match today and a spot in the upcoming regional tournament.

"We came out on the court and we knew this was all or nothing," Heather Stout said. "We said in the locker room, we said, 'Leave it on the court. There's nothing leaving this gymnasium.' We were obnoxious and loud, and that's the game of volleyball right there."

The Generals may have been obnoxious with their words, but their performance on the court backed up every word. Facing a Bulldogs team that had defeated the Generals twice already this season, Stonewall Jackson used its underdog status to fuel its fire.

The opening set started out balanced, as the lead changed hands several times in the early going. While Stonewall relied on Heather Stout's fierce hits to put points on the board, their defense struggled early, allowing too big of a gap in the middle of the court, giving Luray the opportunity to seize a 14-10 lead midway through the game.

"Well, I called a timeout and fussed a little bit and said, 'My gosh, what are we doing here?'" Stonewall coach Sophie Stout said. "I told them all we had to do was move the back line up, and us on the bench, we'd been screaming it but after three times I called a timeout and said, 'Have you heard us say move up three times?' And of course I worded it a little differently, but after that it was like a coming together and it worked so I was really happy with that."

With their coaches' instructions understood, the Generals shifted their defense, then proceeded to take the first set, 25-21. Junior setter Whitney Wilkins said she wasn't sure why her team didn't make the change sooner, but admitted they had some nerves heading into the match.

"I think we were all a little nervous at first," Wilkins said, forcing a smile. "But once we got used to it and realized we need to step up or we're gonna be done, then it just kicked in and everyone started playing. There were no more nerves at all."

That became quite clear as the second set got underway. Stonewall took a 13-8 lead midway through and began to clamp down on the defensive end. Not even a 5-point rally by the Bulldogs to tie the game could keep the Generals down for long, as they responded right back with 8 of the next nine points to take a 21-14 lead. From there Stonewall coasted to a 25-18 win, as Wilkins connected on one of her three aces to seal the win.

In the third set, it seemed the Bulldogs had already realized their fate, while Stonewall kept the pressure on. The Generals took a commanding 12-2 lead, then went on an 11-6 run to expand their cushion to 16.

The winning point came on a monster kill by Heather Stout, fitting for the girl who leads her team in that category. And as the ball hit the court, the final whistle blow was no match for the shrieks and screams resonating from the Stonewall players, who embraced and celebrated their dominating sweep the only way they knew how ... obnoxious and loud.