Allen Gregory
RURAL RETREAT, Va. - There was a capacity crowd at Rural Retreat High School Saturday for the first VHSL state volleyball tournament match in program history.
Rural Retreat fans rewarded their players with numerous ovations, but the Indians had no answer for one of the state's top showstoppers.
Six-foot-one junior Sophie Taylor generated over 20 kills as the Giles Spartans earned a 25-22, 18-25, 25-20, 25-20 decision in the VHSL Class 1 quarterfinals.
Five-foot-10 junior left-hander Lily Irvin paced Rural Retreat (19-11) with 11 kills.
"We've been underdogs in volleyball for years," Irvin said. 'We made a statement last season and we made an even bigger statement this year."
Irvin embraced the opportunity to spar with the powerful and athletic Taylor.
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"It was exciting and fun," Irvin said. "I think it's easier to block a hard hitter. Taylor is good and Giles has a well-rounded team, but we just wanted to play our game instead of changing anything."
The Indians opened an 18-14 advantage in the opening set behind multiple kills and blocks from Irvin. Rural Retreat also built a 17-12 margin in set three.
Taylor, who has committed to play at the University of Mississippi, simply dominated the fourth set with speed ball hits to all spots on the floor.
Senior Ginny Hale (37 digs), Kailey Davidson (34 digs) and Talyn Moore (20 assists) were the other leaders for the Indians.
"It's a bittersweet knowing this was my final match with my teammates," Hale said. "We've always kind of been the underdog, but we have bite. We won the Region 2D championship this season and made school history, and we will always that memory."
Hale was able to withstand the heat from Taylor, who has over 1,700 career kills.
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"We watched film of her, so we were prepared,'' Hale said. "Taylor is a very strong player, but I was able to get several digs on her."
Giles has not played at Rural Retreat in recent years, but ten-year head coach Mandy Havens was not surprised by the caliber of talent.
"I watched (Rural Retreat) on film and I expected them to be good,'' Havens said. "They have a great defense and really good blockers."
Several of the Taylor kills bounced off fans in the stands. Havens has seen Taylor put fear into defenders and spectators before.
"Sophie is a force who is hard to contain. We're lucky to have Sophie, and we have a great support system around her," Havens said. "We could have played a little better overall, but I was happy with our fight."
Along with Taylor, the standouts for Giles (22-4) included Kylee Snider (40 assists) and Peyton Evans with 30 digs.
Giles is accustomed to intense battles against rival multi-state champ Auburn, including a recent five-set thriller in the Region 1C finals.
"That experience helps," Havens said.
Second-year Rural Retreat coach Brittany Sage credited her five seniors for setting a new standard for the program.
"That was the conversation in our locker room after the match," Sage said. 'We played a heck of match and made Giles work for the win.
"Three years ago, advancing to this point was not even an option. But we had a great season held our own as a well-rounded team against traditional power in Giles."
For Irvin, the large turnout and high stakes offered motivational fuel for the future.
"The big crowd definitely out some pressure on us, but we love the support from our community," Irvin said.
"This season meant so much to us. We all worked together and advanced to state for the first time. Now, we want to play even harder next year."
[email protected] | Twitter: @Greg_BHCSports | (276) 645-2544
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