Yellow Jackets sweep Bobcats

By Dave Utnik

Published: October 7, 2008

Kate Southcott spent an entire week searching for a lineup that could play the style of volleyball Osbourn Park is known for — the hard-hitting, floor-diving brand that has made the Yellow Jackets the best team in the Cedar Run District for the past several seasons.
She looked for leadership in the form of a senior captain and found it in Kelsie Hernandez. She needed better passing on the back row and discovered that freshman Alyssa Sanchez is a star-in-the-making at libero.
Southcott also decided that if Osbourn Park had any chance to clinch a Northwest Region berth this season, that the offense was going to have to evolve around Tori Price. So she moved one of the nation’s top-rated juniors back to middle hitter and adjusted the front row around her.
“As long as we can get her the ball, we’ll be fine,” Southcott said on Tuesday, after the Yellow Jackets played perhaps their best volleyball of the season in a convincing 25-23, 25-14, 29-27 victory over visiting Battlefield. “Every practice is important for us. They’re working hard.”
The one constant amidst a whirlwind of change has been Price. She’s the one player capable of elevating the Jackets to a championship level. So she never leaves the floor. Against the Bobcats, who are enjoying their best season in school history, she combined for 12 kills, 13 digs and three blocks.
And the players who are becoming more and more comfortable around her did some damage, too.
“Our problem at the beginning of the season was getting to know each other and playing as a team,” Price said. “Once we found a lineup we’ve been playing well.”
That lineup begins with sophomore Nikki McMillan, the rookie setter who has made tremendous strides as a leader in her second varsity season. Eight different players recorded kills last night, with junior Andrea Testerman ripping a team-high 14 through a very strong Bobcats’ defense.
“Nikki did a good job spreading the ball around,” Southcott said. “She’s still young but she’s doing a great job running the show.”
Her first priority against Battlefield was to get the ball to Price. But McMillan consistently worked Aricqual Payne (five kills) and Rachel Fening (four kills) into the flow as well — giving OP four major weapons on offense.
“Nikki’s getting to know how we like the ball and where we want it,” Price said. “She’s gotten very good in a short amount of time.”
The Jackets’ defense has too. Much maligned for its youth and inexperience early on, the back row has matured with Sanchez leading the way.
“We’ve really worked on passing, passing, passing,” Price said. “You have to be able to pass the ball to get it to the hitters.”
After losing to first-place Loudoun Valley in five games on Monday, the Yellow Jackets (7-5, 6-4) showed they are still a formidable foe.
Battlefield found that out the hard way. The Bobcats, who have defeated Fauquier already this fall, traveled from Haymarket in search of another program defining victory but the Jackets weren’t willing to help out.
Libero Mikaela Whitaker had 26 back-row digs to help keep the match competitive, but OP held talented outside hitter Kelly Milione to a team-high eight kills in a somewhat surprising sweep and the Bobcats eventually fell to 8-6 overall and 6-4 in district play.
It was a small step back for Battlefield and a significant leap forward for the Yellow Jackets, who have finally discovered some familiar chemistry.
“It feels like OP is playing OP volleyball again,” Price said.