Gallery by Heather Belcher
As a first-year head coach for the Woodrow Wilson volleyball team, the Region 3, Section 2 title eluded Bre Rhodes and her team.
That hasn’t been the case since 2016.
In another highly energetic battle Thursday night with longtime rival Greenbrier East, it was again the Flying Eagles who raised the sectional plaque in a 3-0 win.
“This is a rush right now and so exciting,” senior Olivia Ziolkowski said. “Just getting to go the G-dub this weekend and play Capital is awesome. They will be a tough team, but I am super excited.”
As a result of the win, Woodrow Wilson will advance to play Capital in Saturday’s regional match at George Washington High School at 2 p.m..
Greenbrier East is also still alive for regional play and will play George Washington who captured the Section 2 crown. That match will also be played at 2 p.m.
Needing to beat Woodrow Wilson twice Thursday to take home the sectional title, the Spartans came out firing and went toe-to-toe with the Flying Eagles.
After nine ties and seven lead changes, East held a 14-13 lead and it appeared to be anybody’s set.
That was before Ziolkowski changed the complexion of the entire match with her play at the net.
“I always make sure they know when I get that first block down that this is how it’s going to go all night. I will play with them all night,” Ziolkowski said, smiling.
Ziolkowski ended a long rally with a crushing block which tied the match and sent Woodrow on set changing run.
Emily Gallaher’s ace tied the set before another rejection from Ziolkowski gave Beckley the lead for good. A pair of huge saves by Ziolkowski and fellow senior Elysia Salon were followed by a winning blast from Ziolkowski. Two well placed tips from Salon capped the 6-0 burst.
The Spartans would not quit and battled back within one point at 21-20 before Woodrow’s other force in the middle, ZaMahya Moss, became the difference down the stretch.
Moss recorded two blocks and hit the final kill in a 25-22 win.
Ziolkowski and Moss’ ability to block and deflect balls frustrated the Spartans all night.
“It’s the same with us. If we get blocked, you have to try something different,” Rhodes said. “When we were successful blocking they had to go different ways, tipping and trying to mix it up. That is something that we prepared for because that is something we do. We were ready for it.”
The blocking tandem that Woodrow has this season is something new and exciting for Rhodes.
“Blocking was my specialty when I was playing. That is something I really try to work on. When I had some height come into tryouts this year I knew it was our chance to actually work and get some blocks,” Rhodes said. “In the past we have had to be good at defense. Our defense was great, but if you can get the blocks it saves your defense.”
Leading 7-4 in the second set, Woodrow ran off nine straight points to put East in a 16-4 hole and the Spartans would never recover.
The run included two kills from senior Emily Stack, two aces from Abby Mower, a kill from Saira Diehl and another block from Moss.
“ZaMahya has come a very long way. She really wants to learn and that helps,” Rhodes said. “She wants to get better and she want to be one of the top players.”
A block from Stack gave Woodrow its biggest lead at 13 points which turned into a 25-15 win.
With their back against the wall, the Spartans took a quick 3-0 lead in final set behind two blocks and a kill from Nevaeh Wooding.
Woodrow answered with seven points in a row and Ziolkowski was again in the middle of the action with two blocks and an unassisted kill.
“Playing Greenbrier East in everything at our school is such a rivalry. It is on a personal level with me after everything that happened in basketball sophomore year,” Ziolkowski explained. “I want to make sure I beat them in everything I can.”
Just like the first set, the final set was back and forth with both teams playing at a high level. Unfortunately for the Spartans the same scenario played out down the stretch.
Leading 16-15, a miscommunication allowed a ball to hit the floor before an unforced error game gave the lead back to Woodrow.
Ziolkowski’s tip and two kills from Salon made it a five-point bulge which stood the rest of the way in a 25-20 win.
“It is really nice winning that plaque. This is really big for us,” Rhodes said. “Those blocks played a big part in our win tonight.”
Entering the season with the task of replacing an excellent senior class, a sectional championship might have seemed out of reach to some.
Rhodes, on the other hand, knew she had a special group that possessed great chemistry from the first practice.
“They all get along and they love each other. They are not only a team, they are an ideal team,” Rhodes said. “Not only with their skills, but with how they play together on the court. I can put any of the 15 I have out there and they will all play as a team.”
Sitting one win away from a state tournament berth, Woodrow cannot fall into the complacency trap having already handled Capital once in the regular season.
“It’s hard because we played Capital and we beat them this year, but if we just go down there and play our game, that is all we have to do,” Rhodes said.
