Loudoun Valley Edged by Albemarle for Northwest Region Volleyball Title

Loudoun Valley middle hitter Lindsey Phipps kept her eyes pointed toward the floor last night, walking sullenly past the swarm of fans that had descended from the bleachers to console the Vikings.

She lifted her face and gazed across the gymnasium at visiting Albemarle as its players celebrated on the Vikings' home floor. In Phipps's mind, she already was rehashing how the Vikings had squandered a two-game lead during their 25-21, 25-17, 18-25, 21-25, 9-15 loss to Albemarle in the Virginia AAA Northwest Region tournament championship.

"We practiced really hard and we fought really hard," Phipps said with tears in her eyes. "It just didn't work out for us."

Loudoun Valley (22-4), which won three AA state championships between 2001 and 2004, missed out on its first AAA region crown since moving up to the classification four years ago. The Vikings will travel to face the Eastern Region champion on Tuesday in the opening round of the Virginia AAA tournament.

Loudoun Valley won the second game yesterday by closing with a 16-3 burst. But in the next three games, Albemarle found holes in the Vikings' defense while fighting off the rowdy home crowd.

"We were still playing hard, the effort was 100 percent still there, but I just think we played a little bit more tentatively," Loudoun Valley Coach Laird Johnson said.

Chantilly Rolls

Meeting for the fourth time this season, the result didn't change as No. 7 Chantilly continued its dominance of Concorde District rival Westfield with a 25-8, 25-20, 25-14 victory in the AAA Northern Region tournament championship at Centreville High. The Chargers (24-1), who have won 24 straight dating from Aug. 30, have won all four matches against the Bulldogs this year.

Both teams advanced to next week's Virginia AAA tournament.

Raiders Win Region II

For a brief moment early in the first game yesterday in Leesburg -- when No. 2 Loudoun County trailed visiting Western Albemarle by double figures -- it appeared the Raiders' streak of AA Region II titles might be in jeopardy. Loudoun County quickly pushed past that moment, rallying in the first game en route to convincing 25-20, 25-16, 25-14 victory over the Warriors to win the team's third straight Region II tournament championship.

Loudoun County (24-1) will host Region I runner-up Jamestown on Tuesday at 7 p.m. in the opening round of the Virginia AA tournament. The Raiders are eyeing their second straight state championship.

Loudoun County middle hitter Shaylin O'Connell, the Dulles District player of the year, led the Raiders with 12 kills and five blocks. Setter Robin Marsala had 18 assists and outside hitter Katie Gloe added nine kills, five digs and four aces. . . .

In another AA region final, No. 4 Chancellor cruised past host Jamestown, 25-19, 25-19, 25-14, to win its first Region I tournament championship since 2001. The Chargers handed Jamestown its first loss this season.

Chancellor (23-2) has not lost since Aug. 30 and has won 21 matches in a row.

Chancellor will host Western Albemarle on Tuesday at 7 p.m. in the opening round of the AA tournament.