2022 MATCH ANALYSIS

North Hagerstown (State Semfinals)

Magruder's win advanced them to the state semifinals against a talented and well coached North Hagerstown team that many believe to be the most talented team in the state.  Despite being in different counties, this would be the 5th straight non COVID season the teams had met.  Magruder won the first 3 meetings with North Hagerstown winning the playoff matchup last year.  The match started with both teams exchanging several kills and was tied at 10.  In a theme of the match, the teams would play to a near tie in all sets, but North Hagerstown would slowly pull away in the sets they won.  The first set was similar as North Hagerstown went on a run of points to pull away and win.  Set two was similar with both teams playing closely until the mid point of the set.  Set 3 was the one set Magruder was able to neutralize North Hagerstown's offense some and was able to capture a hard fought 25-23 victory.  Set four started with N. Hagerstown taking a 10-5 lead before Magruder rallied to cut the lead to 14-13 forcing a Hagerstown timeout.  But the Colonels couldn't hang on and lost the set 25-18.  The loss ended one of the better seasons in Magruder history, posting a 22-2 record, advancing to the state semifinals, winning their third straight regional title, their 14th Magruder Invitational, winning a county division title and posting their 24th straight winning season (the longest current streak at Magruder and in MCPS volleyball).  Congratulations to all the players on a great season!

Poly (State quarterfinals)

After winning a grueling 5 set match against Damascus, Magruder took the court less than 48 hours later against Baltimore Polytechnic Institute (Poly) in front of a massive crowd of fans.  The Colonels showed no signs of fatigue and came out firing on all cylinders winning 25-7.  The duo of Kristen Jennings and Kenna Scott led the team offensively and Jennings added 3 aces in this set.  Set two was similar with the Colonels again playing nearly flawless volleyball winning 25-12.  Joyce Magnon and Christy Sledge each had several kills in the middle while McKayla Dean took some big swings on the outside.  In set 3 Poly raised their level of play causing Magruder to struggle much more scoring points while serving.  Magruder also missed 6 serves in this set.  Poly found some holes in the Magruder defense for several kills as welll.  Magruder found themselves down several points.  A big kill from MiKayla Ralston led to a Colonels sideout and Penny Lin served the last four points (two of them aces) to close out the set and the victory. 

Match analysis stats follow:

Magruder won 73% of the points Poly Served.  This was a season high.  .    Poly won 43$  of the points Magruder served.  

Magruder hit .258 for the match.  The team had 32 kills and 12 errors.  

Magruder served 81.4%.  They had a total of 17 aces and 124errors. 

Magruder passed 76.8% for the match

Magruder had 3 blocks and registered 39 digs.

Individual Leaders

Kills:  Kristen Jennings (12) and Kenna Scott  and McKayla Dean (5)

Blocks:  three with one

Assists:  Alicia Nguyen (29) 

Aces:  Kenna Scott and Marissa Pease (4 each)

Good Passes: Kenna Scott (16) and Penney Lin (12)

Digs:  Kenna Scott (27) and Penney Lin (7 each)

Damascus (regional finals)

For the third regional final in a row, Montgomery County volleyball powerhouses Magruder and Damascus met in the 3A West Regional Final.  Over this time these two teams have been among the best teams in their region and in the county.  In 2019 Magruder swept Damasus en route to a state championship.  In 2021 after being swept in the regular season by a talented Damascus team that only lost twice, Magruder prevailed in a long 5 set match.  The 2022 final reversed roles from 2021 with Magruder as the favorite, but Damascus cme out playing outstanding volleyball.  In set 1, Damascus won 80% of the points Magruder served, which has to be a record against a Magruder team.  Magruder played well winning 62% of the points Damascus served. Normally that would win a set, but Magruder lost 25-20 as Damascus serving and attacking made a huge difference.  In set 2 both teams came back down to earth with Damascus again winning, this time 25-22.  Neither team sided out above 50%.  Magruder had a lead in the middle of the set, but several miscues combined with Damascus aces/kills turned the tide as Damascus scored 8 straight points in a row to pull away.  In set 3 Magruder made a lineup change to move two of their attackers to different starting spots, hoping the matchups would be more favorable.  At the start it didn't seem to matter as Damascus took an early 11-8 lead.  From that point on Magruder won nearly 70% of the points Damascus scored that set and pulled out a 25-22 win.  Kenna Scott had a big serving run of 6 points that pulled the Colonels ahead.  In set 4 Magruder began to pull away.  They took a huge 11-2 lead before a Damascus timeout.  Damascus made several great plays to put together a small rally but Magruder never let them get closer than 4 points before winning 25-19.  This set up a decisive set 5 for the 2nd year in a row.  It started very well for Magruder as they took a 5-2 lead and Damascus took a timeout.  Again Damascus rallied behind some strong play and Magruder's two attack errors.  Damascus took an 8-6 lead.  These would be the last points Damascus would score while serving.  Magruder posted 4 striaght side outs and scored several points serving to win 9 of the last 12 points and win 15-11.  Over the course of the match Magruder won 107 points and sided out a very efficient 60% which likely is a record for them in a regional final.  Damascus played equally well winning 102 points and siding out 58%, a number that almost always wins these types of contests.  Magruder improves to 21-1 winning their 3rd straight regional title.  Seniors Kenna Scott and Kristen Jennings become the first players in school history to win 3 straight regional titles. 

Match analysis stats follow:

Magruder won 60% of the points Damascus served.    Damascus won 58% of the points Magruder served.  

Magruder hit .257 for the match.  The team had 57 kills and 20 errors.  

Magruder served 88.9% for the match.  They had a total of 10aces and 12 errors. 

Magruder passed 69.5% for the match

Magruder had 5 blocks and registered 103 digs.

Individual Leaders

Kills:  Kristen Jennings (30) and Kenna Scott (10)

Blocks:  Joyce Magnon (3) and Christy Sledge/Kristen Jennings (1 each)

Assists:  Alicia Nguyen (50) and Kenna Scott (4)

Aces:  Kenna Scott and Alicia Ngueyn (3 each)

Good Passes: Kenna Scott (41) and Penney Lin (35)

Digs:  Kenna Scott (27) and Marissa Pease (23)

Rockville (regional semifinals)

Magruder advanced to the regional semifinals by earning a bye in the first round of the playoffs.  Rockville advanced to this match with a sweep of Watkins Mill.  The teams were contrast in styles as Magruder featured strong serving and attacking.  Rockville is a talented defensive oriented team that doesn't make many mistakes.  Magruder was able to dominate at the net throughout the match.  Rockville made several great defensive plays in each set, but the offensive firepower of the Colonels was too much.  Magruder had some momentary mental lapses in sets 2 and 3, but recovered well from both.  Magruder also had a very effective night serving, registered 14 aces to only 6 errors. 

Match analysis stats follow:

Magruder won 57% of the points Rockville served.    Rockville won 39% of the points Magruder served.  

Magruder hit .261 for the match.  The team had 39 kills and 17 errors.  

Magruder served 92% for the match.  They had a total of 14 aces and only  errors. 

Magruder passed 72.3% for the match

Magruder had 3 blocks and registered 58 digs.

Individual Leaders

Kills:  Kristen Jennings (17) and McKayla Dean (6)

Blocks:  Kristen Jennings (2) and Christy Sledge (1)

Assists:  Alicia Nguyen (18) and Midori Lunde (14)

Aces:  Sofia Nafal Infante and Alicia Nguyen (4)

Good Passes: Kenna Scott (18) and Marissa Pease (14)

Digs:  Marissa Pease (14) and Kenna Acott (10)

WOOTTON (MCPS COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP)

Magruder and Wootton faced off in the 2nd Annual MCPS Girls Volleyball Championship match.  The match is designed to feature the two best teams in the county competing in a best of five match to determine an official county championship.  MCPS has a 50+ year history of sponsoring girls high school volleyball but 2021 was the first year MCPS held a championship match (had MCPS held championship matches every year, both of these teams would have played in 10 or more championship matches).  Wootton won the 2021 championship, defeating Sherwood (also in a match of unbeaten teams) and returned arguably the most talented roster in the area.   This match featured talented and accomplished players from both teams, with many who have competed against each other on club teams.  The match also featured the two longest tenured coaches in MCPS.

The first set was a thriller with Magruder winning 26-24.  Both teams had leads throughout the set, but Wootton had a lead late in the match before Magruder rallied to win 26-24.  Sets 2 and 3 Wootton won handily, winning both sets 25-17.  In both sets Wootton tallied more aces and forced Magruder out of system more frequently.  This resulted in Wootton generating many more chances (compared to Magruder) to attack at the net.  The combination of stronger serving and more chances were the primary differences in these sets.  Set 4 again had both teams with some small leads before Wootton took a lead in the middle of the set.  Magruder rallied to tie the score at 22-22.  Each team traded a sideout.  With Magruder serving and chance to take the lead they made a good defensive play, but a roll shot landed inches of out of bounds.  Wootton won the next and final point of the match to clinch the victory.  Both teams struggled in serve receive at times.  Magruder won a season low 44% of the points Wootton served, demonstrating the trouble Woottonś servers generated.  Wootton won 51% of the points Magruder scored, a rate that is significantly higher than Magruder posted, but not a highly efficient night.  Match analysis stats follow:

Magruder won 44% of the points Wootton served.  This was a season low..  Wootton won 51% of the points Magruder served.  

Magruder hit .110 for the match.  The team had 35 kills and 20 errors.  

Magruder served 93% for the match, but only two of their servers caused real trouble for Wootton.  They had a total of 11 aces and only 7 errors. 

Magruder passed 65.7% for the match

Magruder had 4 blocks and registered 50 digs.

Individual Leaders

Kills:  Kristen Jennings (14) and Kenna Scott (10)

Blocks:  several with 1

Assists: Midori Lunde (17) and Alicia Nguyen (10)

Aces:   Midori Lunde (8) and Alicia Nguyen (2)

Good Passes: Kenna Scott (24) and Marissa Pease (17)

Digs:  Marissa Pease (13) and Penney Lin (10)

Gaithersburg

Magruder hosted Gaithersburg in the final regular season match of the year.  Gaithersburg and Magruder have long been rivals with a storied history of long thrilling matches.  On the last night of the regular season they produced another hard fought four set thriller.  The theme throughout the night was Magruder taking leads in games and struggling to maintain them.  A blizzard of service errors (14) and attack errors (19) combined gave Gaithersburg 33 of their 83 points scored. That combined with Gaithersburg playing some impressive defensive, serving strongly and battling all night made for a back and forth affair.  The first set Magruder took several leads only to have Gaithersburg rally and combeack.  Near the end of the set Magruder pulled away to win 25-19,  Again in set 2 Magruder appeared in control, but it was an illusion.  Magruder had a 19-15 lead, only to have two attack errors and two Gaithersburg aces tie the set.  Magruder again, got a small lead, but Gaithersburg rallied to win the set 25-22.  Set three was a long one.  Magruder won 29-27.  Both teams won long spirited rallies and also gave away easy points to the other team.  In the end a Magruder ace and kill sealed the set.  In set 4 Magruder served exceptionally well registering 7 aces to win 25-12.  The win improved Magruderś overall record to 19-0 and regular season record to 14-0, marking the 4th time in school history the varsity team finished the season undefeated.  

Match analysis and individual leaders follow:

Magruder won 51% of the points Gaithersburg served, a low percentage for them.  Gaithersburg won 44% of the points Magruder served.  

Magruder hit .214 for the match.  The team had 45 kills and 19 errors.  

Magruder served 86% for the match.  They had a total of  17 aces and 14 errors. 

Magruder passed 68.5% for the match

Magruder had 7 blocks and registered 63digs.

Individual Leaders

Kills:  Kristen Jennings (19) and Kenna Scott (10)

Blocks:  Joyce Magnon and Mikayla Ralston (2 each)

Assists: Alicia Nguyen (21) and Midori Lunde (20)

Aces:   Kenna Scott (7) and Midori Lunde (5)

Good Passes: Kenna Scott (22) and Penney Lin (18)

Digs:  Penney Lin (13) and KEnna Scott (12)

Blake

Magruder played their last regular season road game against the Blake Bengals.  Magruder had a stellar night serving, recording 17 aces to only 5 errors.  Junior Marissa Pease had nearly half of the aces with 8 (also adding 15 good passes and 7 digs).  Fellow junior Midori Lunde had 6 aces and 18 assists.  The dynamic duo combined to make 38 of 40 serves with 14 aces.  In the first set Magruder took an early lead and also dominated at the net.  Kristen Jennings had several of her match high 12 kills.  Christy Sledge had several of her 6 kills and added a block.   Set 2 started well with Magruder taking a 9-0 lead.  However the team followed that up with 3 hitting errors and getting aced twice.  After a timeout, the team responded with a 16-6 run to finish the set.  In the third set Magruder again played a strong set getting contributions from a wide range of players.  Sofia Gonzalez had two kills, Sofia Nafal-Infante had 5 good passes and 2 digs.  Joyce Magnon had 2 of her 5 kills for the night and senior Cassidy Nguyen finished the match with the game point kill.  The win improved Magruder’s overall record to 18-0 and regular season record to 13-0.

Match analysis and individual leaders follow:

Serve receive data is not available for this match.  

Magruder hit .171 for the match.  The team had 31 kills and 18 errors.  

Magruder served 92.4% for the match.  They had a total of  17 aces and 5 errors. 

Magruder passed 71.8% for the match

Magruder had 2  blocks and registered 37 digs.

Individual Leaders

Kills:  Kristen Jennings (12) and Christy Sledge (6)

Blocks:  Joyce Magnon and Christey Sledge (1 each)

Assists: Midori Lunde (18) and Alicia Nguyen (9)

Aces:   Marissa Pease (8) and Midori Lunde (6)

Good Passes: Kenna Scott (18) and Marissa Pease (15)

Digs:  Kenna Scott (10) and Marissa Pease (7)

Blair

Magruder travelled to Blair with a chance to not only improve their record to 17-0, but to clinch a spot in the 2nd Annual MCPS County Championship game.  Magruder emerged with a sluggish 3-0 victory, alternating between playing some outstanding points and giving away some easy points.  The first set was close throughout the first half until Magruder pulled away behind some timely hitting from Kristen Jennings and Kenna Scott.  The second set was similar as both teams traded kills until Magruder pulled away, this time led by Kenna Scott's 3 aces in the set.  THe third set was a much closer affair with Magruder being down 21-20 before rallying to win 25-22. 

Match analysis and individual leaders follow:

Serve receive data is not available for this match.  

Magruder hit .244 for the match.  The team had 34 kills and 12 errors.  

Magruder served 88.9% for the match, right near their season average.  They had a total of  11 aces and 8 errors. 

Magruder passed 68.7% for the match

Magruder had 4  blocks and registered 54 digs.

Individual Leaders

Kills:  Kristen Jennings (8) and Kenna Scott (7)

Blocks:  Joyce Magnon and Christey Sledge (2 each)

Assists: Midori Lunde (15) and Alicia Nguyen (12)

Aces:   Midori Lunde and Kenna Scott (3 each)

Good Passes: Kenna Scott (21) and Marissa Pease (16)

Digs:  Kenna Scott (15) and Marissa Pease (12)

Sherwood

Derwood was the place to be on Tuesday night as two of the top teams in MCPS faced off in a fun rivalry game.  Since 1996 Magruder and Sherwood have played a combined 38 times (regular season, playoffs, tournaments).  This is more than any other two teams in MCPS during that time.  Both teams brought  a large and loud fan base making for a higher energy match.  

Sherwood came out play some outstanding volleyball.  They took an early 5-0 and when Magruder responded to tie the set at 5-5, they continued their exceptional play.  Sherwood's setter, in a theme of the night, took good, average and poor passes and consistently turned them good attack chances.  Sherwood sided out 59% for this set (the highest of any set for either team).  Over time they built a lead with some strong attacking and serving and eventually won set 1 25-18.  Magruder struggled with unforced errors and miscommunications and Sherwood was simply too good to not take advantage.  

In set 2 Magruder came out firing on all cylinders and Sherwood struggled some.  The roles were reversed.  Magruder took a 9-3 lead and later a 21-15 lead.  Magruder found a more diversified offense, utilizing their middles more.  This was effective for the Colonels.  Better defensive positioning at the net and in the back court also made a difference.  Magruder appeared in control of set 3, but Sherwood staged a rally as Magruder's passing fell apart.  Magruder held on to win 25-23.  

Set three was similar to set 2 with Magruder a lead early, but Sherwood rallied to tie the set at 14.  Magruder dug several Sherwood attacks and a few unforced errors helped Magruder close set 3 with a 25-22 win.  Again in set 4 Magruder took out to an early lead and appeared to perhaps be in position to close out the match.  At 10-3 Magruder was serving, but missed a serve.  That marked the beginning of Sherwood's best run of the night winning 21 of the next 30 points winning set 4 25-19.

The final set was a back and forth affair with several long rallies won by each team.  With the match tied at 13, Magruder won a long rally and then closed out the set with a dig off a Magruder attack and a kill by Magruder senior Kristen Jennings.  The kill sealed the win. The win improved Magruder's overall record to 16-0 and moves them closer to clinching a place in the MCPS County Championship match.  

Match analysis and individual leaders follow:

Magruder won 49% of the points Sherwood served.  Sherwood won 51% of the points Magruder served.  Both numbers are fairly low for a match of this caliber.  Magruder won despite Sherwood siding out better.  However, Magruder's numbers were skewed by a 7 for 18 run in set 4 (39%).  The rest of the match they sided out at 52%.  

Magruder hit a season low .124 for the match.  The team had 47 kills and 27 errors.  25% of Sherwood's point came on attack errors from Magruder.  Sherwood also played oustanding floor defense all night, repeatedly digging some of Magruder's best swings. 

Magruder served 88.3% for the match, right near their season average.  They had a total of 10 aces and 12 errors. 

Magruder passed 66.8% for the match

Magruder had 6 blocks and registered 78  digs.

Individual Leaders

Kills:  Kristen Jennings (15) and Kenna Scott (12)

Blocks:  Joyce Magnon and Christey Sledge (2 each)

Assists: Midori Lunde (22) and Alicia Nguyen (16)

Aces:   Midori Lunde (5) and Kenna Scott (4)

Good Passes: Kenna Scott (44) and Marissa Pease (32)

Digs:  Kenna Scott (28) and Marissa Pease (24)

Watkins Mill

Magruder closed out their 2022 division play with a 25-13, 25-13, 25-17 win over an improved Watkins Mill team.  Magruder was short handed for the match, missing several players, but all players played each set and contributed to the win.  The recipe for victory was again strong serving and attacking.  The team had 23 aces (a season high) and hit over .300 for the 2nd straight match.  The win clinched Magruder's 14th MCPS division championship! 

Magruder won 56% of the points Watkins Mill served.  Watkins Mill won 41% of the points Magruder served.  

Magruder hit a .301 for the match, their 2nd in a row hitting over .300. The team had 23 kills and only 9 errors.  

Magruder served 91% for the match with a season high of 23 aces and only 6 errors. 

Magruder passed 69.6% for the match.

Magruder had 2 blocks and registered 44  digs.

Individual Leaders

Kills:  Mikayla Ralston, Christy Sledge and McKayla Dean (6 each)

Blocks:  Christy Sledge and McKayla Dean (1 each)

Assists: Midori Lunde (13) and Alicia Nguyen (17)

Aces:   Penney Lin (9) and Kenna Scott (6)

Good Passes: Penney Lin (16) and Kenna Scott (11)

Digs:  Penney Lin (11) and Kenna Scott (9)

Springbrook

Magruder played their 2nd to last division game against Springbrook.  Magruder swept the match in 3 sets winning 25-14, 25-18, 25-8.  The team used strong serving and had their most efficient night attacking of the 2022 season.  Senior Kenna Scott had 13 kills and only 1 error on 20 attempts.  Sophomore Alicia Nguyen led the team with 6 aces.  The win improved Magruder's overall record to 14-0, regular season record to 9-0 and division record to 5-0.  If they win their match against Watkins Mill, Magruder will claim their 14th MCPS division title. 

Match analysis and individual leaders follow:

Magruder won 58% of the points Springbrook served.  Springbrook won 39% of the points Magruder served.  

Magruder hit a season high .429 for the match. The team had 32 kills and only 8 errors.  

Magruder served 88% for the match with a high number of aces.  The team had 15 aces and 9 errors.  

Magruder passed 73.5% for the match.

Magruder had 1 blocks and registered 42  digs.

Individual Leaders

Kills:  Kenna Scott (13) and Mikayla Ralston (6)

Blocks:  Joyce Magnon (1)

Assists: Midori Lunde (12) and Alicia Nguyen (11)

Aces:   Alicia Nguyen (6) and Midori Lunde (3)

Good Passes: Penney Lin (18) and Marissa Pease (10)

Digs:  Penney Lin (12) and Kenna Scott (5)

Kennedy

Magruder swept Kennedy is another key division matchup.  The team used a dominating serving performance to control the match.  The team made 93% of their serves with only 5 errors and totalled 17 aces.  Midori Lunde led the team with 5 aces.  Two Colonels had incredible efficient matches attack.  Middle hitter Joyce Magnon had 8 kills and only 1 error, good for a .586 attack percentage.  Kenna Scott had 11 kills and also only 1 error with a .526 attack percentage.  The win improved Magruder's overall record to 13-0, regular season record to 8-0 and division record to 3-0.  Match analysis and individual leaders follow:

Serve receive data is not available for this match.  

Magruder hit .276.  The team had 43 kills and 17 errors.  

Magruder served 93% for the match with a high number of aces.  The team had 17 aces and only 5 errors.  

Magruder passed 62.6% for the match.

Magruder had 3 blocks and registered 50  digs.

Individual Leaders

Kills:  Kristen Jennings (16) and Kenna Scott (11)

Blocks:  Joyce Magnon (2)

Assists: Midori Lunde (27) and Alicia Nguyen (12)

Aces:  Midori Lunde (5) and Alicia Nguyen (4)

Good Passes: Kenna Scott (22) and Marissa Pease (21)

Digs:  Marissa Pease (15) and Kenna Scott (9)

Damascus

Magruder and Damascus both entered this match with undefeated county division records.  The winner would have the inside track to winning the county division title.  Magruder won it in 2019 and Damascus won it in 2021 (no division title in 2020 due to COVID).  Magruder came out playing very well.  Behind the strong serving of Midori Lunde (28 of 29 serving with 9 aces) and Marissa Pease (16 of 18 serving with 2 aces), Magruder took a 12-4 lead.  Kristen Jennings (16 kills, 1 error and a .576 attack percentage) and McKayla Dean (12 kills) dominated at the net.  Magruder won the first set 25-12.  Set 2 began in a similar fashion as Magruder again took a 9-1 lead and maintained it to a 15-6 lead.  At this point, Damascus was siding out well below 40%, but then the match turned.  Damascus began to sideout better and get into their offense.  Magruder struggled to score while serving.  Magruder held on to win 25-21.  Set 3 was a struggle for the Colonels.  Plagued by 6 serving errors and 2-3 costly miscues, Magruder struggled again to score points while serving.  Down 18-17 in a back and forth set, Magruder finally took a 21-18 lead and eventually won 25-23.  The win improved the Colonels overall record to 12-0, their regular season record to 7-0 and their division record to 3-0.

Match analysis follows:

Magruder won 58% of the points Damascus served.  This was a season high.  Damascus won 43% of the points Magruder served, but over 50% from the middle of the 2nd set to the end.  

Magruder hit a season low .275.  The team had 42 kills and 16 errors.  

Magruder served 87.% for the match which is a pretty good performance.  They registered 12 aces and 9 errors.  

Magruder passed 68.7% for the match.

Magruder had a season high in blocks with 3 and registered 66 digs.

Individual Leaders

Kills:  Kristen Jennings (16) and McKayla Dean (7)

Blocks:  several with 1

Assists: Midori Lunde (24) and Alicia Nguyen (11)

Aces:  Midori Lunde (9) and Marissa Pease (2)

Good Passes: Kenna Scott (26) and Marissa Pease (22)

Digs:  Marissa Pease (22) and Kenna Scott (16)

Richard Montgomery

Magruder travelled to Richard Montgomery for one of their few remaining matches against the larger 4A schools.  Richard Montgomery was hungry for a win.  Possessing a very talented roster, they had recently lost two tough matches to strong WJ and Sherwood teams.  They came out loaded blowing out an unprepared Magruder team 25-10.  Richard Montgomery servers recorded multiple aces throughout the set and killed the ball at will against the Magruder defense.  The Colonels compounded the problem by having nearly double the attack errors as kills.  Set two was better for Magruder, but not by much. Magrder lost 25-15. While the Colonels stablized their offense and began to play better defense, the Rockets servers continued to blast away at the Colonels and the RM attackers were still very effective.  By the end of set 2, Magruder had yet to record an ace, while RM had double digit aces.  At this point the Colonels were still had a negative efficiency attacking the ball.  In set 3 Magruder began to look like themselves a little more and found themselves in a back and forth battle with RM.  Kenna Scott had 2 of her 4 aces and Kristen Jennings had 3 kills in this set.  Set four was similar with both teams trading short runs of points.  Magruder continued to improve their level of play and RM began to struggle more in serve receive.  Magruder took a late lead behind multiple kills from McKayla Dean and Joyce Magnon.  Magruder closed out the set to win 25-22.  This brought on Magruder´s first deciding set of the season.  RM won the coin toss and a Jennings kill  earned Magruder a key side out against RMś toughest server.  From there Magruder rolled through the set as their servers racked up 3 aces and forced 4 free balls.  The pressure allowed Magruder to also run their offense well.  The combination allowed Magruder to win 15-5 in only 4 rotations.  The victory was one of Magruder´s best comebacks in recent years, which was all the more significant against one of the most talented teams in MCPS.  Match analysis follows:

Serve receive data is not available for this match, but RM most certainly sided out better than Magruder did.  RM outscored Magruder 50-25 in the first two sets.  

Magruder hit a season low .101 for the match.  While their 41 kills were good against a strong defensive team, their 27 attack errors were 26% of the point RM scored.  

Magruder served 89.1% for the match which is a pretty good performance.  They registered a total of 10 aces, but none until late in set 3.  Magruder had 9 errors serving.

Magruder passed 65.3% for the match, a season low.  Again, this improved greatly as the match went on.

Magruder had a season high in blocks with 7 and registered 64 digs.

Individual Leaders

Kills:  Kenna Scott (14) and Kristen Jennings (10)

Blocks:  Joyce Magnon (3)

Assists: Alicia Nguyen (21) and Midori Lunde (17)

Aces:  Kenna Scott (4) and Alicia Nguyen (3)

Good Passes: Kenna Scott (32) and Marissa Pease (26)

Digs:  Kenna Scott (20) and Marissa Pease (17)

Poolesville

Magruder travelled to Poolesville for their 2nd division match of the season looking to continue their solid play and win streak.  The Colonels were coming off an extra long weekend and had moments where they looked good and other moments where they looked rusty.  Eventually their strong service game and attacking made the difference in the match.  The team totalled 16 aces, over 5/set and also forced 9 free balls (3/set).  This led to several easy attack options for the Colonels as they registered 32 kills (with a high number of errors as well---18).  Juniors Marissa Pease (7 aces, 16 good passes) and Midori Lunde (5 aces, 17 assists) led the team from the service line.  Senior Kristen Jennings returned from injury to lead the team with 9 kills, while Kenna Scott (8, 15 good passes, 4 digs) and McKayla Dean (7 kills) also led the offense.  The win improved Magruder´s overall record to 10-0, regular season record to 5-0 and division record to 2-0.  This is the 9th time in school history the varsity volleyball team has started a season 10-0. 

Match analysis is below:  

Magruder won 56% of the points Poolesville served.  Poolesville won 41% of the points Magruder served.

Magruder hit .164 for the match with 32 kills and 18 attack errors.    

Magruder made 87% of their serves with 16 aces and 10 errors.   

Magruder passed 71.6% for the match.   

Magruder had 3 blocks and 24 digs.  

INDIVIDUAL LEADERS

Kills:  Kristen JEnnings (9) and Kenna Scott (8)

Blocks:  McKayla Dean (2)

Assists:  Midori Lunde (17) and Alicia Nguyen (13)

Aces:  Marissa Pease (7) and Midori Lunde (5)

Good Passes:   Kenna Scott (16) and Marissa Pease (15)

Digs:  Kenna Scott, Marissa Pease and Penney Lin (4 each)

Northwest

Northwest and Magruder faced off for the 16th time in a match that featured two of Montgomery County´s historically strong schools.  Magruder entered the match with an 11-4 record against Northwest.  The first set was hard fought by both teams.  There were multiple lead changes throughout the set and after one full rotation the teams were tied at 13.  From there Magruderś servers were the difference.  Midori Lunde (23 assists, 6 aces) served three straight points (two of them aces) to give the Colonels a 17-13 lead.  Marissa Pease (10 digs, 6 aces) followed up with three more straight points serving (2 also aces) giving Magruder a 22-15 lead.  This would be a theme throughout the night. Set two started great for NOrthwest.  A few aces of their own and two great digs caused Magruder to take a timeout at 8-2.  Again, Magruderś servers brought them back.  Pease again led a rally to make the score 8-7 and junior Mridvika Sahni came off the bench to serve three straight points with 1 ace.  Lunde followed that up with another 5 straight points serving.   Magruder won 23 of the last 32 points in this set.  Set three saw Alicia Nguyen (12 assists, 2 aces) score the final four points serving as Magruder won 25-16.  Juniors McKayla Dean (15 kills) and Joyce Magnon (6 kills) led the team offensively.  Kenna Scott (14 digs, 22 good passes, 6 kills, 3 aces) played her usual outstanding all-around game.  The win improved Magruder to 9-0.  Match analysis is below:  

Magruder won 58% of the points Northwest served.  Northwest won 42% of the points Magruder served.

Magruder hit .197 for the match with 37 kills and 18 attack errors.  8 of those attack errors were in set 1.  .Magruder committed only ten after that set.  

Magruder easily had their best serving night of the season, making an impressive 94% of their serves, totalling 18 aces to only 3 errors and generating a high volume of free balls.  

Magruder passed a season high 73.6% for the match.   

Magruder had 3 blocks and 46 digs.  

INDIVIDUAL LEADERS

Kills:  McKayla Dean (15) and Joyce Magnon (6)

Blocks:  three with 1 each

Assists:  Midori Lunde (23) and Alicia Nguyen (12)

Aces:  Midori Lunde and Marissa Pease (6 each)

Good Passes:   Kenna Scott (22) and Marissa Pease (20)

Digs:  Kenna Scott (14) and Marissa Pease (10)

Rockville

Magruder travelled to Rockville to play their first division match of the season.  Both teams played in the MHS Invitational two days earlier.  Rockville came ready to play.  A depleted Magruder roster came tired and unfocused.  Rockville played with great energy all night and took advantage of Magruder´s high level of mistakes.  Magruder totalled nearly set sets worth of errors (50 points ) from attacking (33 total errors) and serving (16 total errors).  Those mistakes combined with Rockville playing outstanding defense all night made for an exciting match between the two teams.  Rockville featured strong back row defense and solid setting all night.  Magruder won sets 1 and 2, then lost set 3 25-22 before holding on to win 26-24 in set 4.  Sofia Gonzalez totalled 10 kills, her first double digit kills in a match.  Kenna Scott totalled 28 digs good for 5th most in school history.  Midori Lunde had 31 assists.  The win improved Magruder to 8-0 with a division record of 1-0.    

Sideout data is not available for this match.  

Magruder hit .164 for the match with 45 kills and a whopping 33 errors.  The 33 errors are easily the highest team total in many years for Magruder.  

Magruder served a season low 81.5% for the match with 12 aces and 16 errors.  The ratio of aces to errors is poor.  

Magruder passed 68.4% for the match.   

Magruder had 6 blocks and 71 digs.  

INDIVIDUAL LEADERS

Kills:  Kenna Scott (12) and Sofia Gonzalez (20)

Blocks:  Joyce Magnon (3)

Assists:  Midori Lunde (31) and Alicia Nguyen (18)

Aces:  Kenna Scott (5) several with 2

Good Passes:   Kenna Scott (31) and Marissa Pease (24)

Digs:  Kenna Scott (28) and Marissa Pease (18)

24th Annual MHS Invitational

Magruder held their annual invitational tournament with a smaller amount of teams and new format.  After missing the playoffs in 2021, the Colonels were eager for some redemption.  With a group of talented teams at the tournament, Magruder won all 5 best of three matches without dropping a set.  First up was Einstein (Coach's Zanni's first coaching gig).  Magruder used all 13 available players in this match.  Sofia Gonzalez led the team with 5 aces and added 3 kills.  Sophia Nafal-Infante registered two aces.  Cassidy Nguyen added an ace and 2 kills.  Mridvika Sahni had an ace, 4 good passes and 2 digs.  Next Magruder faced Paint Branch.  The Sofia's again combined for 6 aces (3 each).  McKayla Dean led the team with 5 kills.  In the final match of pool play, Magruder faced Clarksburg who was also undefeated on the day.  The Colonels rolled winning easily in two sets.  Alicia Nguyen led the team with 3 aces and 12 assists. Carissa Tanseco had 4 good passes, 2 digs and 1 ace.  The win clinched 1st place in Pool A.  

In the first playoff match, Magruder faced off against a talented and much improved Wheaton squad that had easily defeated Quince Orchard and nearly defeated Sherwood.  Wheaton gave Magruder a great battle, but the Colonels prevailed in 2 sets.  Mikayla Ralston had 4 kills and 1 block.  Joyce Magnon came alive during the match with 7 kills and 1 block.  Midori Lunde set the entire match, played exceptionally well.  She had 15 assists, 5 digs and an ace.  The dynmaic duo of Penney Lin and Marissa Pease anchored the back row as they have all season.  They combined for 33 good passes and 15 digs.  Marissa added 3 aces.  This win advanced Magruder to the championship match for the 19th time.  Clarksburg defeated Sherwood so the finals would be a rematch (these teams also scrimmaged twice in the pre-season).  The finals was a much closer match with Clarksburg raising their level of play considerably from the first match.  Magruder prevailed 26-24 and 25-23.  Kenna Scott, who had played nearly every point of the tournament, continued to be Magruder's best all-around player.  She led the team with 7 kills, 25 good passes and 8 digs.  Alicia Nguyen set the finals and had 3 aces and 19 assists.  McKayla continued her outstanding attacking with 7 kills and 1 block.  And again, the duo of Pease and Lin played solid defense and passed very well in serve receive.  Magruder celebrated the final point and their 14th tournament championship!  McKayla Dean was named to the all-tournament team.  Kenna Scott was named the tournament MVP.  Captains Kristen Jennings (out due to injury) and Kenna Scott accepted the tournament trophy and led the celebration!

Quince Orchard

Magruder travelled to Quince Orchard in a battle of undefeated teams early in the season. Quince Orchard was 3-0 and Magruder had won their first match.  The results was a long, hard fought match with many incredible rallies.  Magruder faced some hurdles missing their best attacker (Kristen Jennings) and having multiple starters miss practices this week with illness. 

Quince Orchard won the first set behind some strong serving and dynamic attacking.  The Colonels struggled with some of their game plan and Quince Orchard took advantage to close out the set with a 25-21 win.  In set 2 Magruder appeared to get more comfortable with their game plan and their serving game picked up as well.  The combination led to Magruder handily winning this set 25-16.  Set 3 was similar but closer as Magruder continued to vary their attack, involving their middles hitters significantly more.  The Colonels won this set 25-20.  Set 4 didn't start well for the Colonels.  Their energy level dropped and Quince Orchard was simply too good not to take advantage. Several QO kills led to a Magruder timeout with QO leading 11-6.  That appeared to be a turning point as the Colonels rallied to tie the match at 16, then won 9 of the next 14 points to close out the set.  

Sideout data is not available for this match.  

Magruder hit .228 for the match with 45 kills and 20 errors.  

Magruder served 85.5% for the match, recording 14 aces and 14 errors.  The ratio of aces to errors isn't particularly good, but Magruder forced a well above average percentage of free balls with their serves.  

Magruder passed 67.8% for the match.   For the 2nd match in a row the Colonels gave up double digit aces.  

Magruder had 2 blocks and 63 digs.  

INDIVIDUAL LEADERS

Kills:  Kenna Scott (18) and McKayla Dean (11)

Blocks:  Christy Sledge and Mikayla Ralston (1 each)

Assists:  Midori Lunde (27) and Alicia Nguyen (12)

Aces:  Midori Lunde (5) and Alicia Nguyen (3)

Good Passes:   Kenna Scott (31) and Marissa Pease (20)

Digs:  Kenna Scott (20) and Penney Lin (13)

Walter Johnson

Magruder opened their 2022 season with a hard fought 3-0 win over a much improved and talented Walter Johnson team.  The match began with Magruder taking an early lead in set one, but it wouldn't last.  Behind a strong service game the Wildcats stormed back forcing Magruder to take both their timeouts.  However, sophomore Alicia Nguyen (17 assists, 11 digs) served three straight aces to rally the Colonels and bring the set to an 18-18 tie  From their Magruder won 7 of the next 11  points to close the set.  Set 2 was even tighter as Magruder won 28-26 with several long rallies.  Magruder was led offensively in this set by Kristen Jennings (9 kills, 1 block) and McKayla Dean (10 kills).  Set three was Magruder's best volleyball of the night as they took a 15-10 lead and held on to win 25-19.  Kenna Scott turned in the Colonels best all-around performance leading the team in good passes (26) to go along with 15 digs and 9 kills, including several late in sets 2 and 3.  Marissa Pease (22 good passes, team high 16 digs) and Penney Lin (16 good passes, 10 digs anchored the back row.  Setter Midori Lunde had 15 assists, 5 digs and a team high 5 aces.  Freshmen Sophia Gonzalez made her career debut as a designated server, making all 9 of her serves.  The win was Magruder's 23rd straight win on opening night!  The varsity team is now 1-0. 

Sideout data is not available for this match.  

Magruder hit .238 for the match with 38 kills and 15 errors.  

Magruder served 90.4% for the match, recording 11 aces and 8 errors..  The more aces than errors is a good sign for the sesaon!

Magruder passed 65.5% for the match, a rather low percentag.  The Colonels also gave up double digit aces.  

Magruder had 5 blocks and 66 digs.  

INDIVIDUAL LEADERS

Kills:  McKayla Dean (10) and Kristen Jennings and Kenna Scott (9 each)

Blocks:  Joyce Magnon (2)

Assists:  Alicia Nguyen (17) and Midori Lunde (15)

Aces:  Midori Lunde (5) and Alicia Nguyen (3)

Good Passes:   Kenna Scott (26) and Marissa Pease (22)

Digs:  Marissa Pease (16) and Kenna Scott (15)

2021 MATCH ANALYSIS

Northern (State Quarterfinals)

Magruder travelled to North Hagerstown for their toughest test of the season, playing the most talented opponent they had seen all season.  After a thrilling five set win over Damascus in the regional final, the Colonels were hoping to capture magic one more time.  Despite playing hard throughout the match, North Hagerstown's height at the net, varied offense and exceptional ball control was simply too much for Magruder.  Magruder finishes the 2021 season with a 13-9 record winning 7 of their last 10 contests and finishing the season on a high note.  

Damascus (Regional Finals)

In late September, Magruder travelled to Damascus and was swept easily by the Hornets, earning Damascus their county division title.  At the time the Colonels were decimated with injuries and illness and struggling to consistently play good volleyball.  A month and a half later the Colonels were healthy and playing their best volleyball of the season.  They again travelled to Damascus to play a very talented and well coached team that had only lost twice all year.  Both teams anticipated a much closer match and the teams combined to play an exciting and competitive championship match.  Both teams had streaks of high level volleyball and the match featured some incredibly long rallies.  There were some themes to the match.  Magruder got out to an early lead in each set.  At times both teams were able to score points in bunches.  In sets 1 and 3 Damsacus won the vast majority of the last 15-20 points in each set to take a close score and win these sets fairly easily.  There serving, defense and offense dominated.  In sets 2, 4 and 5 Magruder got runs of 5 points or more with three differenct servers.   During these runs, Magruder's outside hitters were also on a roll.  In the end it all came down to set 5 and again the teams saw wild swings.  Magruder got out to a 3-0 lead before a missed served.  Damascus then scored four straight points serving to take a 5-3 lead.  After a Magruder timeout, the Colonels got a kill.  Damascus then got a sideout, before Magruder again went on a scoring run to take a 13-6 lead, essentially sealing the match.  Joie Allen played perhaps the greatest match of her career, posting career highs in kills (23), points (29) and blocks (5), while adding 26 good passes and 17 digs.  Kendra Jimenez continued her incredible run through the playoffs with a career high in good passes (46) and had 26 digs and 4 aces (all team highs). 

Some match analysis is below:

Sideout data is not available for this match.  

Magruder hit .243 for the match with 60 kills and 22 attack errors.  Magruder's error rate was substantially lower than it was against Kennedy in the previous round. 

Magruder served 91% for the match, recording 12 aces and only 9 errors in five sets.  

Magruder passed 70.5% for the match. 

Magruder had 11 blocks and 80 digs.  

INDIVIDUAL LEADERS

Kills:  Joie Allen (23) and Kristen Jennings (17)

Blocks:  Joie Allen (5) and Kristen Jennings (2)

Assists:  MeKenna Scott (34) and Midori Lunde (24)

Aces:   Kendra Jimenez (7) and Marissa Pease (3)

Good Passes:   Kendra Jimenez (4) and several players with 2

Digs:  Kendra Jimenez (26) and Joie Allen (17)

Kennedy (Regional Semi-finals)

Magruder and Kennedy faced off for the 2nd time this season.  Magruder won the regular season matchup in a three set sweep, but Kennedy finished the season with a better regular season record so the match was played at Kennedy.  The Colonels showed some nerves in set 1 as the team made several unforced errors and Kennedy took advantage. The Colonels rallied to tie the set, but eventually lost 25-22.  Set two was a back and forth affair with Kennedy having a lead most of the set.  Magruder tied the score, but had a service error and unforced attack error and Kennedy took a 23-22 lead.  After a Magruder sideout senior captain Kendra Jimenez closed out the set with two straight aces.  From there the Colonels outplayed Kennedy winning set 3 25-19 and set 4 25-17.  The team passed as well as they have all year, served very well and made some very nice defensive plays.  The key was that Magruder sidedout consistently in these sets.  The win sends Magruder to the regional championship against Damascus.  Some match analysis is below:

Sideout data is not available for this match.  

Magruder hit .153 for the match with 44 kills and a season high 25 attack errors.  Close to 30% of Kennedy's points were scored on Magruder attack errors.  Nearly 10 of these were from blocks.  Kennedy did a great job blocking the ball.    

Magruder served 95.3% for the match, recording 19 aces and only 6 errors.

Magruder passed 72.8% for the match. 

Magruder had 7 blocks and 81 digs.  

INDIVIDUAL LEADERS

Kills:  Joie Allen (17) and Kristen Jennings (12)

Blocks:  Joie Allen and McKayla Dean (2 each)

Assists:  MeKenna Scott (22) and Midori Lunde (19)

Aces:   Kendra Jimenez (7) and Marissa Pease (3)

Good Passes:   Kendra Jimenez (39) and Joie Allen (28)

Digs:  Kendra Jimenez (27) and Joie Allen (22)

WATKINS MILL (Regional Quarterfinals)

Magruder opened the 3A West playoffs with a resounding win over Watkins Mill 25-15, 25-15, 25-5.  The first set was tied at 11, then Magruder won 64 of the next 80 points.  Serving dominated the night as the Colonels registered 18 aces.  Senior Kendra Jimenez led the serving assault with a career high 9 aces, including 7 in the final set.  During that set she served 12 straight points.  Senior Joie Allen added 4 aces (also 7 kills and 6 digs).  Kristen Jennings returned to the lineup with 12 kills, while the trio of juniors Christma Kabongo, Mikayla Ralston and Taylor Collins each added 3 kills.  Kenna Scott (15 assists, 6 digs, 2 aces) and Midori Lunde (12 assists) ran the offense well.  Some match analysis is below:

Sideout data is not available for this match.  

Magruder hit .311 for the match with 33 kills and 9 errors.  

Magruder served 92.3% for the match, recording 18 aces and only 4 errors.

Magruder passed 75.6.2% for the match. 

Magruder had 3 blocks and 33 digs.  

INDIVIDUAL LEADERS

Kills:  Kristen Jennings (12) and Joie Allen (17)

Blocks:  three players with 1

Assists:  MeKenna Scott (14) and Midori Lunde (12)

Aces:   Kendra Jimenez (9) and Joie Allen (4)

Good Passes:   Kendra Jimenez (21) and Joie Allen (14)

Digs:  Kendra Jimenez (13) and Joie Allen (6)

Richard Montgomery

Magruder concluded their 2021 regular season honoring seniors Joie Allen and Kendra Jimenez for their contributions to the Magruder volleyball program.   The match did not start well as Magruder did very little right, losing 25-9.  Nearly every facet of their game was off and Richard Montgomery was too good of a team not to take advantage.  The first part of set 2 was also a struggle for the Colonels.  Typically at this point, teams have two options:  get demoralized, lose focus and lose the match quickly or fight back.  The Colonels fought back and had a chance to win set 2.  The team had set point, but a missed serve and two unforced attack errors doomed their changes.  Again the team rebounded and fought back, playing their best set of the night winning 25-21.  Set 4 was a hard fought affair between both teams that featured some incredibly long rallies with great digs and sprawling defense plays by both teams.  Again, Magruder had some unforced errors.  With the set tied the Colonels missed 3 of 4 serves, giving RM easy sideouts. RM capitalized by making several good plays while they were serving to take a several point lead.  Magruder again rallied to close to one point (24-23), but was unable to return RM's final serve.  Both Joie Allen (17 kills, 15 digs and 2 blocks) and Kendra Jimenez (41 good passes, 25 digs) played exceptionally well througout the match. 

Magruder won 45% of the points Richard Montgomery served.  Richard Montgomery won 57% of the points Magruder served.  

Magruder hit .201 for the match with 49 kills and 14 errors.  

Magruder served 85.5% for the match, recording 12 aces and 13 errors. This is the second time the team has had more errors than aces.  

Magruder passed 67.2% for the match. 

Magruder had 5 blocks and 67digs.  

INDIVIDUAL LEADERS

Kills:  Kristen Jennings (20) and Joie Allen (17)

Blocks:  Joie Allen (2)

Assists:  MeKenna Scott (31) and Midori Lunde (16)

Aces:  Kenna Scott and Kendra Jimenez (4 each)

Good Passes:   Kendra Jimenez (41) and Joie Allen (28)

Digs:  Kendra Jimenez (25) and Joie Allen (15)

Gaithersburg

Magruder won their 5th out of last 7 matches with a 3 set sweep over Gaithersburg in their 32nd matchup since 1996 (2nd most of any team Magruder has played).  The victory not only got the Colonels back in the win column, but clinched their 23rd straight winning season in school history.  This is the longest streak in MCPS volleyball and believed to be the longest winning streak in Magruder history.  The match also continued some of the Jeckyll and Hyde play that has plagued the team all season.  After taking a 9-2 lead, several mental errors allowed Gaithersburg to take advantage and score 5 points in a row.  After a timeout the Colonels had a nice side out play and eventually won the set.  A similar pattern emerged in set 3 after Kenna Scott served for 14 straight points.  Gaithersburg then scored 7 straight points before Christma Kabongo's key kill stabilized the team.  Magruder would go on to win set 3. 

Some match analysis is below:  

Serve receive is not available for this match.  

Magruder hit .164 for the match with 27 kills and 15 errors.  

Magruder served 93.1% for the match, recording 10 aces and 5 errors.

Magruder passed 68.2% for the match. 

Magruder had 2 blocks and 42digs.  

INDIVIDUAL LEADERS

Kills:  Kristen Jennings (11) and Joie Allen (7)

Blocks:  Kristen Jennings and MeKenna Scott (1 each)

Assists:  Midori Lunde (19) and Alicia Nguyen (6)

Aces:  Kenna Scott (4) and Marissa Pease and Kristen Jennings (2 each)

Good Passes:   Joie Allen (15) and Kendra Jimenez (14)

Digs:  Joie Allen (16) and Kendra Jimenez (8)

Sherwood

The history of the Sherwood/Magruder volleyball rivarly is an interesting one.  Since 1996 Sherwood and Magruder have played more matches against each other than any other opponent.  Entering the 2021 season Magruder had won 23 of the 37 matches, but the rivarly has been filled with each school winning numerous matches in a row.  From 1996-2000 Sherwood won 6 straight, then Magruder won the vast majority of the matches from 2001-2010.  Sherwood dominated the series from 2011-2015, winning all of those matches.  Most recently Magruder had won the last three matchups (2017-2019). 

The team that serves and serve receives most efficiently typically has a major advantage in a volleyball match.  That concept was on full display as Magruder was swept by Sherwood.  Magruder easily had their worst serving and passing night of the season.  Magruder served close to their season low at 82% and for the first time this year had more service errors (8) than aces (6).  Sherwood's team featured several strong servers and they did major damage to Magruder's serve receive.  Magruder was aced a season high 21 times (or 28% of the total points Sherwood scored).  The disparity in aces (+15 for Sherwood) led to a season low for Magruder in siding out (33%).  Magruder's passing struggles also put pressure on their offense as they hit a season low .071. 

Some match analysis is below:  

Magruder won only 33% of the points Sherwood served.  Sherwood won 58% of the points Magruder served.  

Magruder hit .071 for the match with 18 kills and 15 errors.  

Magruder served 82.2% for the match, recording 6 aces and 8 errors.

Magruder passed a season low 61.5% for the match.  

Magruder had 4 blocks and 36 digs.  

Blake

Magruder won their 29th match in school history against Blake (against only 2 defeats).  Despite 18 attack errors (35% of the points Blake scored), Magruder was able to sweep the match behind 27 kills and 17 aces.  Magruder sided out well over 60% in sets 1 and 2, but was only able to side out at 40% in set 3 (Magruder won this set 25-23).  Freshmen Alicia Nguyen played well, leading the offense with 12 assists and adding 2 aces.  Junior Penney Lin led the defense with 12 digs and also added 2 aces.  Marissa Pease continued her hot serving streak with a team high 4 aces.  Some match analysis is below:  

Magruder won only 52% of the points Blake served.  Blake won 32% of the points Magruder served.  

Magruder hit .156 for the match with 27 kills and 18 errors.  

Magruder served 91.8% for the match, recording 17 aces and 7 errors.

Magruder passed 69.6% for the match. 

Magruder had 2 blocks and 37digs.  

INDIVIDUAL LEADERS

Kills:  Kristen Jennings (9) and Joie Allen (6)

Blocks:  Christma Kabongo and Mikayla Ralston (1 each)

Assists:  Alicia Nguyen (12) and MeKenna Scott (9)

Aces:  Marissa Pease (4) and Joie Allen (3)

Good Passes:   Penney Lin (12) and Kenna Scott (11)

Digs:  Penney Lin (11) and Joie Allen (7)

Blair

Magruder played a talented Blair team in a long, hard fought 5 set match that featured some incredibly long rallies and great plays by both teams.  The teams played 202 total points with Blair winning 102 and Magruder winning 100.  Blair won sets 1 (25-19), 3 (25-17) and 5 (16-14) and lost sets 2 (25-13) and 4 (25-23).  This was the third time during the season Magruder has gone to a deciding set and lost by two points.  Magruder now has a 1-3 record in deciding sets this year.  Moving forward, the coaching staff and players will need to find ways to score the needed points at key situations in these matches.  

The match featured streaks were both teams sided out consistently for periods of time, only to give up a streak of four or more points.  In the five sets there were 16 streaks where one team scored four or more points in a row.  While both teams sided out regularly at times, the struggles in serve receive/serve receive offense held both teams under 50% efficiency.  

Set one was close throughout until Blair scored 7 straight points to take the score from 16-16 to 23-16.  In set 2, behind the serving of Marissa Pease, Magruder had scoring streaks of 4 and then 6 to finish out the set. Set 3 was similar with the score tied at 13, Blair scored four straight points, then scored 6 straight points to close out the set.  Set four featured some great play and also some mental errors by both teams.  But the streaks continued.  Magruder fell behind, but a four point run tied the set at 8.  Magruder then edged out to a lead, but Blair scored 7 straight points to take the lead.  Magruder then won 6 of the next 7 points to retake the lead and hold on to win.  Set 5 saw Magruder up 10-8, but a four point Blair run gave them a 12-10 lead. Magruder recovered to take a 14-13, but Blair executed a perfect side out play to tie the score.  Magruder couldn't do the same for the next two points and lost 16-14. 

Some match analysis is below:      

Magruder won only 47% of the points Blair served.  Blair won 49% of the points Magruder served.  Neither is a great percentage.  

Magruder hit .186 for the match with 46 kills and 13 error.  Blair played great defense, holding the Magruder offense in check.  

Magruder served 92% for the match, recording 10 aces and 8 errors.

Magruder passed 65.2% for the match. This is a percentage that is hard to win at. 

Magruder had 3 blocks and 71 digs.  

INDIVIDUAL LEADERS

Kills:  Kristen Jennings (22) and Joie Allen (10)

Blocks:  McKayla Dean (2) and Joie Allen (1)

Assists:  Midori Lunde (29) and MeKenna Scott (10)

Aces: Marissa Pease (3) and Kenna Scott (2)

Good Passes:   Kendra Jimenez (31) and Joie Allen (27)

Digs:  Joie Allen (17) and Kendra Jimenez/MEKenna Scott (16 each)

Watkins Mill

Magruder finished their 2021 division play with a 3 set sweep of Watkins Mill.  Despite 17% of their attacks ending as attack errors (a very high rate), Magruder was able to control the match through a very strong service game.  Sophomore Marissa Pease put on perhaps the best serving perforamce in school history.  During the first set she served the last 15 points of the set and registered 9 aces (believed to be a school record).  She finished the match with 12 aces, which sets a new school record.  Kendra Jimenez added 4 aces and Penney Lin added 3.  Magruder finished with 23 aces for the match (or 30% of the points they won).  Magruder won the 2nd and 3rd sets 25-16, 25-20. 

Some match analysis is below:      

Serve receive in not available for this match.

Magruder hit .172 for the match with 22 kills and 12 errors (not a very good ratio)

Magruder served 86.1% for the match, recording 23 aces and 11 errors.

Magruder passed 78.6% for the match. 

Magruder had 3 blocks and 23 digs.  

INDIVIDUAL LEADERS

Kills:  Mikayla Ralston and McKayla Dean (7 each)

Blocks:  Kristen Jennings (2) and Joyce Magnon (1)

Assists:  Alicia Nguyen (12) and Midori Lunde (10)

Aces: Marissa Pease (12) and Kendra Jimenez (4)

Good Passes:   Kendra Jimenez and Marissa Pease (11 each)

Digs:  Cassidy Nguyen and Penney Lin (4 each)

Kennedy

Magruder swept division rival Kennedy (6-2) to post their second straight win and improve their overall record to 7-3 and their division record to 3-1.  The Colonels started slowly, missing 4 serves in their first five rotations.  The team was serving the ball way too high over the net and missing quite long.  Late in set 1, the team finally locked in their service game and the Colonels pulled away to win 25-18.  Magruder continued to dominate in sets 2 and 3 winning 25-14, 25-10.  The team played well in most facets of the game, passing over 70%, attacking close to .300 and registering 14 aces. 

Some match analysis is below:      

Magruder won 63% of the points Kennedy served.  Kennedy won 35% of the points Magruder served.  

Magruder hit .294 for the match with 33 kills and 11 attack errors  

Magruder served 87.6% for the match, recording 14 aces and 9 errors (5 were in set 1)

Magruder passed 70.2% for the match. 

Magruder had 7 blocks and 52 digs.  

INDIVIDUAL LEADERS

Kills:  Kristen Jennings (11) and Kenna Scott (8)

Blocks:  Joyce Magnon (3) and Mikayla Ralston (2)

Assists:  Midori Lunde (20) and Alicia Nguyen (5)

Aces: Midori Lunde (4) and Taylor Collins (3)

Good Passes:   Kenna Scott (15) and Kendra Jimenez (14)

Digs:  Kendra Jimenez (12) and Kristen Jenning (11)

Springbrook

Magruder swept Springbrook in 3 sets with an inconsistent but at times devastating service game.  The team recorded a season high 21 aces, but also served only 82%.  Joie Allen led the team with 5 aces, while Kendra Jimenez had 4.  Freshmen Alicia Nguyen electrified the crowd with three aces in set 3 behind a strong top spin jump serve.  Kenna Scott also added three aces.  Magruder was much more efficient attacking the ball with 26 kills and only 9 errors, hitting .286 for the match. 

Some match analysis is below:      

Serve receive data for this match is not available.  

Magruder hit .286 for the match with 26 kills and only 9 errors.   

Magruder served 82.1% for the match, their lowest of the season, but also recorded 21 aces, one of their highest totals of the season.   

Magruder passed 71.4% for the match, their highest of the season.  

Magruder had 3 blocks and 21 digs.  

INDIVIDUAL LEADERS

Kills:  Joie Allen (10) and Kenna Scott (6)

Blocks:  Mikayla Ralston and Midori Lunde (1 each)

Assists:  Alicia Nguyen (12) and Midori Lunde (10)

Aces: Joie Allen (5) and Kenna Scott (4)

Good Passes:   Kristen Jennings (11) and Marissa Pease (10)

Digs:  Kendra Jimenez and Penney Lin (4 each)

Damascus

Magruder travelled to Damascus for their annual rivalry match against the other traditional 3A powerhouse in MCPS.  Damascus may have been the best team Magruder has seen all season as they served tough, played good defense and successfully utilized several different attackers throughout the match.  The match started well for Magruder in set one as they were up 10-7 behind several kills from Kristen Jennings.  However, Magruder's serve receive fell apart as they got aced 5 times and won only 5 of the next 23 points to lose the set 25-15.  The struggles continued as Magruder fell behind 13-3 to start set 2.  The team played some of their best volleyball of the match from this point outscoring Damascus for the remainder of the set but unable to catch up, eventually losing 25-17.  Set 3 was the closest of all the sets with the score tied at 20-20, but Damascus won 5 of the last 6 points to win the match. 

Some match analysis is below:      

Magruder won a season low 41% of the points Damascus served.  Damascus won 59% of the points Magruder served.  This is the highest percentage Magruder has allowed. 

Magruder hit .171 for the match with a season.  The team had 25 kills and 12 attack errors.  

Magruder served 93% for the match with only 6 aces  and 4 errors.

Magruder passed 63.8% for the match, their lowest of the season.  

Magruder had 4 blocks and 33 digs.  

Poolesville

Despite struggling with inconsistent play throughout the night, Magruder rallied for one of the greatest comebacks in school history.  Poolesville outplayed Magruder during the first two sets, using a strong service game (Magruder got aced 7 times in set 1) and took advantage of Magruder's attack errors (season high 27 on the season).  But in a true team effort, after dropping the first two sets and falling behind 17-12 and 23-20 in set #3 it looked that Magruder was going to be swept.  However, the Colonels staged a rally late in set 3.  After a Kristen Jennings kills, Kenna Scott served four straight points (including two aces) to give Magruder their first lead at 24-23.  After teams traded sideouts, Magruder was able to win 28-26.  In set 4, both teams had small leads before Magruder earned a sideout to go up 21-19.  Penney Lin then served two straight aces to give Magruder a 23-19 lead and Magruder would eventually win 25-22.  Set three started with junior Midori Lunde serving four straight points and holding that lead until 12-8.  A Magruder attack error and two Poolesville aces caused Magruder to take a timeout.  Jennings then added a kill to get to the 13th point and Magruder eventually won 15-12. 

Some match analysis is below:      

Magruder won 115 total points in the match and sided out at a 51% rate.  Poolesville won 112 points in the match and sided out at a 50.4% rate.  Not much difference.  

Magruder hit .162 for the match with a season, their lowest of the season.  While they had a season high 53 kills they also had a season high 27 attack errors (or 24% of Poolesville's points).  

Magruder served 89.1% for the match with 19 aces and 12 errors.  

Magruder passed 64.9% for the match, their lowest of the season.  

Magruder had 5 blocks and 86 digs.  

INDIVIDUAL LEADERS

Kills:  Kristen Jennings (14)  and Kenna Scott (6)

Blocks:  Kristen Jennings (3) and Kenna Scott (1)

Assists:  Midori Lunde (20) and Kendra Jimenez (3)

Aces: Midori Lunde (2)

Good Passes:   Kenna Scott (23) and Kendra Jimenez (18)

Digs:  Kenna Scott (9) and Kendra Jimenez (7)

NORTHWEST

Magruder played their last out of division contest for several weeks against arguably one of the best teams they will play all season.  Northwest entered the match ranked #9 in the DC area by the Washington Post and featured two very athletic and dynamic left side attackers.  This posed a challenge for the Colonels that they mostly met.  While Magruder lost the match in 5 long sets (5th set was 18-16), the match could not have been closer.  Each team won exactly the same number of points (110) and sided out at the exact same rate (53%).  Both teams made some spectacular plays and won long rallies and both teams had unforced errors at times.  Magruder won the first set 25-19 playing some of their best volleyball of the season.  Northwest won set 2 25-21. Northwest raised their level of play from set 1 and Magruder made several unforced errors.  In set 3 both teams played fairly well throughout with the Colonels winning 25-23.  This likely was the best played set of the match.  Set four had Northwest winning throughout as Magruder made several mental errors and Northwest is simply too good not to capitalize.  Magruder did start to play better and made a late run before losing 25-23.  The 5th set started slowly with both teams missing serves, but ended with some of the most intense, well played and extended rallies of the season.  Each team had one match point before Northwest was able to capitalize and win the match. 

Some match analysis is below:      

Each team won exactly 53% of the points the other team served.  This is highly unusual.  the 53% rate is very good against good teams. 

Magruder hit .178 for the match with a season high 51 kills and 24 attack errors.  The hitting percentage was mainly due to solid Northwest defense.  

Magruder served 90.4% for the match with 12 aces and only 10 errors (2 per set).  

Magruder passed 65.8% for the match, their lowest of the season.  

Magruder had 6 blocks and 68 digs.  

INDIVIDUAL LEADERS

Kills:  Kristen Jennings (21)  and Joie Allen (16)

Blocks:  Christma Kabongo and Joyce Magnon (2 each)

Assists:  Midori Lunde (41) and Kenna Scott (10)

Aces: Midori Lunde (5) and Kendra Jimenez (3)

Good Passes:   Kenna Scott (41) and Joie Allen (24)

Digs:  Marissa Pease (21) and Kenna Scott (17)

QUINCE ORCHARD

Magruder continued the out of division 4A contests against a good Quince Orchard team who was on a three game match win streak.  The match featured some great play by both teams along with some inconsistent play at times.  In the end Quince Orchard scored two more points than Magruder in the match, but Magruder was plagued by numerous unforced errors such as passing free balls over the net, communication errors and other mental gaffes.  Quince Orchard played a cleaner match overall, especially at the end of each set.  The first set was indicative of this as both teams played outstanding points, but Quince Orchard didn't make some of the mistakes Magruder made.  In the second set Magruder played some of the their best volleyball of the season winning 25-15.  In set 3 Magruder was up 13-7 and 19-17 before finally losing 25-21.  Magruder missed three serves in a row and had a few mental errors.  In set 4 Magruder fell behind and wasn't able to catch up.  

Some match analysis is below:      

Magruder won 53% of the points Quince Orchard served.  Quince Orchard won 55% of the points Magruder served.  

Magruder hit .247  for the match with a season high 44 kills and 18 attack errors.  

Magruder served 85.4% for the match with 13 aces and a season high 13 errors.  

Magruder passed 67.6% for the match.

Magruder had 4 blocks and 64 digs.  

INDIVIDUAL LEADERS

Kills:  Kristen Jennings (20)  and Joie Allen (9)

Blocks:  Kristen Jennings (2)

Assists:  Midori Lunde (30) and Kenna Scott (10)

Aces: Kristen Jennings (5) Kenna Scott (3) 

Good Passes:   Kenna Scott (26) and Joie Allen (25)

Digs:  Joie Allen (17) and Kenna Scott (16)

WALTER JOHNSON

After playing their first five contests at home Magruder travelled to Walter Johnson for their first out of division contest against the larger 4A schools.  The match started exceptionally well with Magruder dominating 25-7.  Junior outside hitter Kristen Jennings recorded several of her match high (and career high) 25 kills as the team recorded a season high 10 kills in transition.  The team played some of their best volleyball of the season.  In between sets the Colonels completely lost their focus.  The result was a very quick 6-0 Walter Johnson lead that energized the Wildcats.  The second set was a fight the entire time with WJ eventually staging a comeback to win 26-24.  Magruder rebounded and played much more determined volleyball in sets 3 and 4.  Junior Kenna Scott had 5 of her 9 aces in this set.  The 9 aces were a career high.  Magruder then won set 4 25-15.  Junior Mikayla Ralston had 4 kills and a block.  Sophomore Midori Lunde ran the offense with 30 assists and added 9 digs.  Sophomore Marissa Pease played great defense with 10 digs.  The Colonels continued to serve the ball very efficiently, serving well over 90% for the 2nd match in a row to go with 18 aces.  

Some match analysis is below:      

Serve receive data for this match is not available.

Magruder hit .293  for the match with a season high 48 kills and 12 attack errors.  

Magruder served 94.7% for the match with 18 aces and a very low 5 errors.  

Magruder passed 68.4% for the match.

Magruder had 4 blocks and 46 digs.  

INDIVIDUAL LEADERS

Kills:  Kristen Jennings (25) and Joie Allen (10)

Blocks:  Kenna Scott (2)

Assists:  Midori Lunde (30) and Kenna Scott (7)

Aces:  Kenna Scott (9) and Kendra Jimenez (3)

Good Passes:   Kenna Scott (28) and Joie Allen (26)

Digs:  Kenna Scott (11) and Marissa Pease (10)

ROCKVILLE

Magruder opened their 2021 fall regular season with a resounding 3 set win over a young Rockville team.  Magruder was very consistent in each set winning 25-12, 25-11, 25-11.  The team dominated at the net with Joie Allen recording 13 kills, McKayla Dean 9 and Kristen Jennings 8.  Sophomore Midori Lunde (13 assists) and junior Kenna Scott (6 kills, 15 assists) both ran the offense smoothly.  Senior captain Kendra Jimenez returned to play her first match of the season and recorded 5 aces on 15 of 16 serving.  Marissa Pease (10 good passes, 8 digs) anchored the back row. 

Some match analysis is below:      

Magruder won 63% of the points Rockville served.  Rockville won 35% of the points Magruder served.  

Magruder hit .333 for the match with 38 kills and 11 attack errors.  

Magruder served 93.1% for the match with 18 aces and a very low 5 errors.  

Magruder passed 66.6% for the match.

Magruder had 3 blocks and 31 digs.  

INDIVIDUAL LEADERS

Kills:  Joie Allen (13) and McKayla Dean (9)

Blocks:  Three players with 1 each

Assists:  Kenna Scott (15) and Midori Lunde (13)

Aces:  Kristen Jennings and Kendra Jimenez (5 each)

Good Passes:   Joie Allen (18) and Kristen Jennings (15)

Digs:  Joie Allen (9) and Marissa Pease (8)

MHS INVITATIONAL

The Varsity team opened their 2021 season by posting a 2-2 record at the 23^rd Magruder Invitational.  The team swept matches against Blake and Wheaton and lost in 3 sets to both Leonardtown and Clarksburg.  Despite a strong pre-season the team was tentative and uncertain through much of the day.  Even in the wins, the team struggled with simple errors and at times focus.  Often the team would play 2-3 very good points before some type of error took place.  However in the final match against the day facing a very good Leonardtown team the Colonels finally played some very good volleyball.  While they fell a little short in the deciding game, the Colonels displayed some of the quality volleyball and energy the coaching staff saw in the pre-season.  Kristen Jennings and Joie Allen led the team in attacking, both posting over 25 kills on the day.  Kristen also led the team in aces with a total of 17 on day.  Marissa Pease anchored the defense with a team high 36 digs for the day.  Kenna Scott turned in a solid day with 8 aces, 48 good passes, 21 digs and 18 assists.  Her ability to play a variety of roles on the team will be an asset throughout the season.  Midori Lunde ran the offense well leading the team 41 assists.  McKalya Dean and Mikayla Ralston turned in solid days in the middle.  Dean had 10 kills and 3 blocks on the day while Ralston added 10 kills and a block.  At the end of the tournament Joie Allen was named to the all-tournament team. 

Season Preview

Like many schools and teams across the country, the Magruder Varsity Volleyball team begins their 2021-22 season excited to return to the court in a relatively normal setting.  Magruder had abbreviated 2020-2021 "fall/spring" season where the Colones won four matches before having their last match cancelled due to a COVID outbreak for both teams.  Of note, their last win over Gaithersburg was win #500 for the program. Much of that team returns for the current season and Magruder has added several new players.  

The team is anchored by two seniors, Joie Allen and Kendra Jimenez.  Both played vital roles on the 2019 state championship team appearing in all the playoff matches.  Joie is one of the area's strongest attackers and has greatly improved her ball control skills.  Kendra is a talented server who provides solid passing and defense. She will help anchor the Colonel backcourt.

Magruder returns several juniors.  MeKenna Scott is the most versatile player on the team.  Her primary position is setter, but she will also hit/pass for the Colonels this year.  Kristen Jennings was a starter on the 2019 team as a middle hitter and is now an outside/opposite.  She had a great sophomore season as an outside and is developing into an all-around player.  Mikalya Ralston was a member of the team as sophomore, but was hurt all season.  She returns better than ever and will mainly play as a middle hitter.  Taylor Collins is another player who can play multiple positions.  She will hit (mainly as an opposite) and also do some setting for the Colonels.  She also has a very solid serve.  Cassidy Nguyen is blessed with a very strong attacking arm and returns as an outside hitter.  Christma Kabongo returns as middle hitter and continues to improve as a hitter/blocker.  

Magruder also returns three very talented sophomores.  McKayla Dean had an outstanding freshmen year, leading the team in blocking and was among the team leaders in kills.  Marissa Pease is a strong defender who is an outstanding server.  She will help anchor the team defense.  Midori Lunde was hurt some of last season, but returns as a very talented and improving setter.  She started several matches as a freshman and was among the team leaders in assists.

Magruder has several players new to the varsity.  Junior Penelope Lin is a defensive specialist who has a strong serve. She played as a freshman on JV and has played club volleyball for years.  Sophomore Joyce Magnon played JV as a freshman. She is relatively new to volleyball, but may be the best athlete on the team.  She will play middle hitter.  Finally, freshman Alicia Nguyen joins the varsity as a setter/defensive specialist.  She is a dynamic athlete and brings high energy to the court.  

The season will feature a normal schdule.  Magruder opens the season with the 23rd annual MHS Invitational.  This ten team tournament features several of the top teams in MCPS this year and should be a great way to open the season.  Magruder has a 14 game regular season schedule and will compete in the MCPS 3A/2A division.  Big division games include Poolesville and Damascus.  Magruder also has several big out of division contests against the larger 4A schools.  These include matchups with Northwest, Sherwood, Quince Orchard, Blair, WJ, Gaithersburg and Richard Montgomery. 

2020-2021 MATCH ANALYSIS

GAITHERSBURG

Magruder hosted Gaithersburg for senior night where the Colonels were joined by senior Alex Campero, a three year varsity player who wasn't able to play this season.  Magruder also celebrated their talented senior captain Damaris Rodriguez, who has been the clear leader of the 2020-2021 team and is amont the most talented liberos in MCPS this year.  

After Magruder celebrated their two seniors, the team played a dominant first set winning 25-15.  Behind three different scoring streaks of four points, the Colonels piled up points in most rotations.  Freshmen Midori Lunde (17 of 20 serving with 2 aces, 15 assists) served for four straight points twice in the set.  In set two Gaithersburg raised their level of play and forced Magruder into several unforced errors.  The set was tied 20-20 and freshmen Marissa Pease (10 for 10 serving with an ace and 2 digs) came off the bench to serve three straight points giving the Colonels a 23-20 lead and it looked like Magruder was in control.  However Gaithersburg recorded an ace and later a kill to tie the set at 24.  Each team sided out once and then Damaris Rodriguez delivered the winning serve and Joie Allen (12 kills, 14 good passes, 4 digs) delivered the final kill.  In set three the Colonels used strong serving to control the set.  Sophomore Kenna Scott did most of the damage with 2 aces as the team scored 9 points while she was serving.  Scott continues to impress with her all-around performance.  She filled the stat sheets with 14 assists, 4 kills, 5 digs, 4 good passes, 2 aces and 1 block.  Kristen Jennings finished the match with a double/double 11 kills and 10 digs and McKayla Dean added 4 kills and a block.  Senior Damaris Rodriguez celebrated senior night with a team high in good passes (28), digs (10) and was a perfect 13/13 serving.  The win improved Magruder to 4-0 and their overall record against Kennedy since 1996 to 19-12.  

Some match analysis is below:      

Serve recieve data is not available for this match.  

Magruder hit .277 for the match with 33 kills and 10 attack errors.  

Magruder served 85.6% for the match with 9 aces and 11  errors.  

Magruder passed 69.8% for the match.

Magruder had 4 blocks and 34 digs.  

INDIVIDUAL LEADERS

Kills:  Joie Allen (12) and Kristen Jennings (11)

Blocks:  Four players with 1 each

Assists:  Midori Lunde (15) and Kenna Scott (14)

Aces:  Kristen Jennings and Kenna Scott (2 each)

Good Passes:   Damaris Rodriguez (28) and Joie Allen (14)

KENNEDY

Magruder travelled to Kennedy for their third match of the season against one of the fastest improving programs in MCPS.  Kennedy featured a veteran team of six seniors coming off of Kennedy's first winning season in many years.  Magruder opened the match playing nearly flawless volleyball.  Despite this being the only set Magruder recorded no aces, their Colonels offense ran smoothly as outside hitters Kristen Jennings (team high 20 kills) and Joie Allen (15 kills) dominated at at the net.  In set two Kennedy raised their level of playing serving tougher and picking up their team defense.  Kennedy took a 11-10 lead, when freshman McKayla Dean made a key kill for a sideout and Jennings ran off a streak of 7 straight points including two of her team high 3 aces.  Magruder would win this set 25-17.  Set three started poorly as Kennedy scored the first five points, three on aces.  Magruder struggled to put together good points on a consistent basis and never caught up, eventually losing 25-22.  In set 4 the Colonels played perhaps their best set of the night, winning 25-15.  Setters MeKenna Scott and Midori Lunde ran the offense very well, getting all of Magruder's key hitters involved in the offense as the Colonels won 25-15.  

Outside hitters Kristen Jennings and Joie Allen continue to establish themselves as a dominant pair of all around outside hitters, totalling 25 kills, over 60 good passes and over 30 digs.  Jennings 20 kills were a career high and the most ever by a Magruder sophomore.  Allen's 15 kills were a career high as well.  Freshman McKayla Dean continues to impress totalling her first double digit kill night (10 total) and added two blocks.  Libero Damaris Rodriguez was an anchor all night leading the team in good passes with 42 (5th highest total in school history) and 22 digs.  The win improved Magruder to 3-0 and their overall record against Kennedy since 1996 to 25-1. 

Some match analysis is below:      

Serve recieve data is not available for this match.  

Magruder hit .249 for the match with 57 kills and 19 attack errors.  

Magruder served a season high 90.5% for the match with 11 aces and 9 errors.  

Magruder passed 71.4% for the match.

Magruder had 5 blocks and 65 digs.  

INDIVIDUAL LEADERS

Kills:  Kristen Jennings (20) and Joie Allen (15)

Blocks:  McKayla Dean (2) 

Assists:  Kenna Scott (30) and Midori Lunde (23)

Aces:  Kristen Jennings (4) and Marissa Pease (3)

Good Passes:   Damaris Rodriguez (42) and Kristen Jennings (26)

BLAIR

Magruder hosted their first home game of the 2020-21 season facing off against an always tough and challening Blair team.  Blair's team featured several high level travel players with the match promising to be a good one.  Magruder had defeated Blair in four last season.  

The match opened with Magruder dominating, playnig by far their best volleyball of the season either in practice or a match.  Led by oustanding serving from Kristen Jennings (2 aces in this set and also generated three free balls), Magruder's offense was dangerously efficient as the team won 25-12.  Blair struggled in this set with serve receive and unforced errors.  Set two was literally a mirror image of set one, but with teams reversed.  Blair served numerous aces, Magruder had some unfocused attack errors and Blair crushed Magruder 25-11.  With each team having played one very good and one very poor set, the match settled down with each team playing well.  Blair is one of the toughest serving teams around and they used this and their strong outside attack to keep Magruder off balance, while the Colonels firepower at the net had Blair on defense much of the night.  Magruder was able to control set 3 most of the way taking a small lead and holding on 25-22.  Set four was similar, but with Blair holding a small lead until sophomore Taylor Collins came off the bench to serve four straight points giving the Colonels a two point lead.  After a Magruder sideout, the Colonels were able to close out the set with a kill. The win improved Magruder to 2-0 on the season and improved their record against Blair since 1996 to 17-4. 

Some match analysis is below:      

Serve recieve data is not available for this match.  

Magruder hit .197 for the match with 35 kills and 15 attack errors.  The attack errors accounted for almost one-third of Einstein's points.     

Magruder served 86.5% for the match with 12 aces, and 10 errors.  

Magruder passed 74.4% for the match.

Magruder had 4  blocks and 23 digs.  

INDIVIDUAL LEADERS

Kills:  Kristen Jennings (15) and Joie Allen (7)

Blocks:  McKayla Dean (3) and Christma Kabongo (1)

Assists:  Kenna Scott (23) and Midori Lunde (7)

Aces:  Damaris Rodriguez (4) and Marissa Pease (2)

Good Passes:   Damaris Rodriguez (31) and Kristen Jennings (18)

EINSTEIN

For the first time in nearly a year and a half the Magruder Varsity Girls Volleyball team took the court for a game.  The 2020 season was cancelled in August, then brought back in late February for a short 6 week, five match season.   Though disappointed that the fall season was lost, all the participants are thrilled to be able to have a chance to compete for Magruder this year.

Due to injuries and COVID concerns, this is by far the youngest varsity team in school history.  On opening night the team had one senior (Captain Damaris Rodiguez) and one junior (Joie Allen), 5 sophomores and 3 freshmen on the active (healthy) roster.  Several upperclassmen either are sitting the season out or have been injured and are unavailable to play.  

The team began the first set very tentative and nervous and their play showed.  Despite making few errors, the team struggled to put together well played points.  With the set tied at 11, the Colonels took a timeout.  Soon after senior Damaris Rodriguez went on a serving run.  The team played some of their best volleyball of the night and scored 7 consecutive points and two were from Rodriguez aces.  In set two Magruder took an early lead and played perhaps their best overall set of the night.  Freshman McKayla Dean announced her presence with 3 kills and 2 blocks during the set.  Freshmen Marissa Pease (3 digs) and Midori Lunde (7 assists) also debuted and played well.  In set three, Magruder fell behind 2-0, but quickly took control of the set going up by almost double digits as the Colonels cruised to a 25-16 win.  Sophomore Kristen Jennings (team high 15 kills, 2 aces) and junior Joie Allen (7 kills, 14 good passes and 5 digs) led the team offensively and each passed well throughout the match.  Dean finished with a team high 3 blocks.  Sophmore MeKenna Scott filled the stat sheet with 4 kills, 23 assists, 3 digs and 2 aces.  

Taylor Collins (2 kills, 3 assists and 1 ace), Christma Kabongo (4 kills, 1 ace), Cassidy Ngyuen (3 kills) all played well in their varsity debut.  

The win was the 21st consecutive year Magruder won their first match of the season.  This is the longest streak in MCPS girls volleyball.  Magruder's last loss on opening day was in 1999 to Watkins Mill.

Some match analysis is below:      

Serve recieve data is not available for this match.  

Magruder hit .277 for the match with 40 kills and 15 attack errors.  The attack errors accounted for almost one-third of Einstein's points.     

Magruder served 86.5% for the match with 12 aces, and 10 errors.  

Magruder passed 74.4% for the match.

Magruder had 4  blocks and 23 digs.  

INDIVIDUAL LEADERS

Kills:  Kristen Jennings (15) and Joie Allen (7)

Blocks:  McKayla Dean (3) and Christma Kabongo (1)

Assists:  Kenna Scott (23) and Midori Lunde (7)

Aces:  Damaris Rodriguez (4) and Marissa Pease (2)

Good Passes:   Damaris Rodriguez (31) and Kristen Jennings (18)

2020-21 Season PREVIEW

In late February of 2020 the 2019 Varsity Girls Volleyball team travelled to Annapolis Maryland to be honored by the Maryland House of Delegates and the Maryland Senate for their undefeated state championship season.  At the time the returning players were excited about the 2020 season and the opportunity to defend that title.  Within weeks, the world as we all knew it changed dramatically for everyone.  Schools closed, society shut down and sports seasons were cancelled.  In late August of 2020, the fall 2020 season was cancelled with hopes of perhaps playing in the spring.

Those hopes came to life in March of 2021 as MCPS announced there would be a short fall season lasting about 7-8 weeks.  With the COVID pandemic still very much part of daily life, the 2020-21 season will look very different.  Several Magruder veteran players elected to sit out this season, the team will play only 5 matches, no spectators will be allowed and all participants are in masks each day.  Still all participating are grateful for the opportunity.

The 2021 roster may be the youngest in school history and certainly in Coach Zanni's 25 years coaching at Magruder.  The roster consists of 1 senior, 2 juniors, 5 sophomores and 3 freshmen.  Still it is a very talented group of players that already has formed a tight bond and a desire to play for each other (something all good teams possess).  The coaching staff is excited about the opportunity to play this year and very excited for the future of the program.

Senior Damaris Rodriguez is the unquestioned leader of the team and the team captain.  A key player in the success of 2019 she is one of Magruder's toughest players, both physically and mentally.  Damaris will be the team libero.Junior Kendra Jimenez returns for her third season at Magruder and 2nd season on varsity.  She is a talented defensive player, who is currently recovering from knee surgery.  Junior Joie Allen returns for her second year at Magruder.  She will play as an outside hitter/opposite  Sophomore Kristen Jennings is also back for her second season. She will move to the outside hitter position.  Both Joie and Kristen should enjoy break out seasons this year.  Also returning is sophomore Mekenna Scott, a talented player who will set and hit for the Colonels.

The team has three new sophomores Cassidy Nguyen (an attacker who is one of the hardest attackers on the team), Mikayla Ralston (a middle/opposite who has greatly improved in the last year) and Taylor Collins (a setter/hitter who play JV last year).

There are three freshmen on varsity this year. Each will have an importnat role during the season They include McKayla Dean (a middle hitter, who will eventually be an opposite), Marissa Pease (a defensive specialist) and Midori Lundi (a setter).  All three currently play for the same club team, so they will be seeing much of each other!

The season opens on Monday, March 22nd with an away match at Einstein.  Check back to this page the day after each contest for analysis. 

2019 Match Analysis

Northern (State Finals)

The 2019 season finished with history being made by Magruder High School.  The team faced Northern High School, a talented and well coached team with a rich history of success in Maryland volleyball.  The highly anticipated match between the only two undefeated teams in the state of Maryland started off as a very close fought contest.  Magruder and Northern traded small leads in set one until Magruder held an 11-9 lead.  Then the wheels fell off for Magruder.  The Colonels made error after error, often many unforced and Northern was simply too good to not take advantage.  Northern pounded Magruder winning 16 of the last 20 points to claim the first set 25-15.  Magruder finished the first set with an unsightly 14 attack errors.  Clearly not playing their best the Colonels spent the time between sets regrouping and urging each other on.  Game two started with both teams again trading short leads.  However in the middle the 2nd set Magruder slowly began to pull away.  During this set the Colonels began sideout with great consistency.  They finished set 2 with 14 side outs in 20 attempts (a ridiculously high 70% rate).  Magruder's offense began to click as well.  After having more errors that kills in set one, Magruder hit .240 in set 2 (10 kills and only 4 errors).  This theme would repeat itself each of the next two sets.  Northern continued to play at a high level, siding out around 50% of the time, but the Colonels were clicking and continued to side out at a 60% rate.  Magruder's offense continued to get stronger, hitting .290 in set 4 (against a very good blocking and defensive team).  In the end Magruder was able to control sets 2, 3 and 4 and build 5-6 point leads.  Northern made small runs in each of these sets that the Colonels were able to answer.  More importantly the Colonels were able to continue to sideout at the end of each set to close out.   The final point was ended by a pass from Kaliyah Moss to setter Tonessa Jhingory who set Maya Scott for the final kill of her career that clinched Magruder's first ever state title.  

The win over a very good Northern team required a true team effort.  Maya Scott played an outstanding match.  She had a team high 21 kills, added 8 digs and was impressive all night in serve receive.  She may have been the best player on the court all night.  Kaliyah Moss shook off a tough start to finish with 19 kills and 8 digs.  These two faced double blocking most of the night and yet were able to consistently earn Magruder points with devastating attacking.   Sarah Schaupp played a great match, contributing 6 kills, may at key points of the match and had a team high 3 aces.  She was Magruder's best server all night and helped close out several sets.  Tonessa Jhingory continued her incredible season with 46 assists, using her talents to know when set Magruder's main attackers and when to throw off the defense with sets to other places on the court.  Alex Campero was the quiet, determined by rock solid passer and defender she was all season.  She led the Colonels in passing, had a team high 15 digs and served well all night.  Joie Allen had 5 kills, several were key sideouts and added two blocks along with many good touches against some of Northern's best attackers.  Freshmen Kristen Jennings played like a seasoned veteran, especially in set 2 when the Colonels most needed it.  She finished with 3 kills, 2 blocks and many good touches at the net.  Her ability to take away some of Northern's middle attacks was a key to Magruder's turnaround.  Junior Damaris Rodriguez fought through an ankle injury making several key good passes and digs before she was unable to continue.  Sophomore Kendra Jimenez came off the bench, serving well and providing back row stability when needed.  In the end the victory was a true symbol of the season.  The 2019 team played well together all year and when pushed and facing adversity would always respond as a team instead of a collection of individuals.  

The win clinched the best season in school history.  The 2019 team finished the season with a perfect 25-0 record (first time in school history), lost only 5 sets all year (school record) and set numerous team records.  The team won their 13th county division title, their 13th MHS Invitational, the 4th regional title in school history and finished with the first state volleyball title in school history.  It surely will be a season to remember for all involved.  

Bel Air (State Semi-Finals)

Magruder started slowly in their state semi-final match against Bel Air.   Several attack and passing errors gave Bel the opportunity to take an early lead and they seized on it.  Despite being down 7-3 to start the match the Colonels rebounded and controlled the match.  It started with junior Alex Campero who served for 6 straight points with 3 aces to give Magruder the lead.  The match got tied again at 10, but the Colonels pulled away winning 15 of the next 22 points.  The combination of Maya Scott (15 kills, 1 block, 5 digs) and Kaliyah Moss (13 kills, 1 block, 2 aces) dominated at the net and the Colonels won set 1 25-17.  Set 2 started better for Magruder as they took a a big 8 point lead.  Magruder sided out an incredible 13 of 16 times (81%) in this set to pull away and win 25-17.  A Kristen Jennings kill started set 3 and Magruder then scored six more points with Tonessa Jhingory (31 assists, 3 aces, 5 digs) before Bel Air won a point.  The set finished in similar fashion with Kaliyah Moss serving the last ten points as Magruder won 25-5.  The Colonels had a very efficient night hitting .312 , serving well over 90% and siding out 67% of the time.  Some match analysis is below:      

Magruder won 67% of the points Bel Air served.  Bel Air won 34% of the points Magruder served

Magruder hit .312 for the match with 39 kills and 14 attack errors.    

Magruder served 92.1% for the match with 9 aces, and only 5 errors.  

Magruder passed 73.4% for the match.

Magruder had 2 blocks and 35 digs.  

INDIVIDUAL LEADERS

Kills: Maya Scott (15) and Kaliyah Moss (13)

Blocks:  Several with 1

Assists:  Tonessa Jhingory (31) and Sarah Schaupp (2)

Aces:  Alex Campero (4) and Tonessa Jhingory (3)

Good Passes:   Alex Campero (22) and Maya Scott (15)

Northeast (State Quarterfinals)

With the change in the state playoff system, high schools now host the state quarterfinals.  Due to an undefeated record Magruder earned the right to host visiting Northeast in a state quarterfinal matchup.  Set one started with Magruder and Northeast both siding out well.  After 5 rotations, the score was only 9-6.  From that point Magruder continued to side out well (finishing the set 11 for 15), but Magruder was able to score several points serving including a 6 point run to eventually win the set 25-14.  Set two was a battle.  Both teams saw their side out rates drop (Magruder went from a likely unsustainable 73% to 54%) and Northeast dropped slightly to 50%.  The game was tight throughout.  Kaliyah Moss scored five straight points serving, including two aces to give Magruder a 20-16 lead and it looked like Magruder had finally opened the edge they needed.  A Northeast sideout and a serve that no Magruder player touched made it 20-18.  A Magruder kill followed by two straight service points from Sarah Schaupp gave Magruder another big lead at 23-18.  A Northeast kill, another ace that wasn't touched and a hitting error made the score 23-21.  Northeast won the next two points before a net error gave Magruder the serve with a 24-23 lead.  Magruder won the final point to close the set.  In set three the Colonels ran away early with a 6 point scoring run from Alex Campero that gave Magruder an 11-5 lead.  Magruder continued to side out well allowing Kendra Jimenez the opportunity to serve the last five points of the set.  Magruder won 25-12.  Maya Scott had a match high 16 kills.  Sarah Schaupp had 5 kills and added a match high 5 aces.  Kaliyah Moss scored 19 points with 15 kills, 1 block and 3 aces.  The win improved the Colonels to 23-0 (2nd most wins in school history) and more importantly advanced the team to the state semi-finals against Bel Air.  Some match analysis is below:     

Magruder won 61% of the points Northeast served.  Northeast won 43% of the points Magruder served

Magruder hit .363 for the match with 42 kills and 10 attack errors.    

Magruder served 90.5% for the match with 14 aces, and 7 errors.  

Magruder passed 69.1% for the match.

Magruder had 5 blocks and 35 digs.  

INDIVIDUAL LEADERS

Kills: Maya Scott (16) and Kaliyah Moss (15)

Blocks:  Kristen Jennings 92)

Assists:  Tonessa Jhingory (39) and Alex Campero (2)

Aces:  Sarah Schaupp (5) and Kaliyah Moss (3)

Good Passes:   Alex Campero (21) and Maya Scott (12)

Damascus (Regional Finals)

Magruder advanced to their first regional finals since 2016 (Northern), but this time as the favorite to claim their first regional title in 10 years.  Magruder and Damascus played the first match of the year in early September.  Both teams had clearly improved since then and surely Damascus came ready for a rematch, bringing high energy into the match.  However, the Colonels matched that and played some of their best volleyball of the season winning the first set 25-6.  Damascus scored one point serving this game and Magruder had three different scoring streaks of 4 or more while serving.  The Colonels passing, defense and offense all clicked.  However, the Colonels also knew that Damascus wasn't going to go quietly.  Magruder again took a large lead in game 2. Maya Scott had 5 aces in this set and got Magruder to a 13-4 lead.  A late rally by Damascus caused Magruder to take a timeout, but the Colonels won 25-19.  Set three started all for Damascus.  After an early sideout for Damascus, they aced Magruder three straight times, clearly attempted a more aggressive serving tactic.  And it worked.  Damascus had a early 5 point lead.  Magruder rallied to tie the set and then went on a scoring run with Damaris Rodriguez serving.  Magruder later extended their lead to 6 points.  Damascus again rallied, but the Colonels held on to win 25-21.  The win was significant for two reasons.  First and most importantly, the win gave the Colonels the 2019 Regional Championship.  This was Magruder's 4th regional title overall and first since 2009.  Second, the team improved to 22-0, tying the 2nd most wins for a Magruder team (the 2009 team had 24 wins).  Some match analysis is below:    

Magruder won 61% of the points Damascus  served.  Damascus won 39% of the points Magruder served

Magruder hit .298  for the match with 44 kills and 12 attack errors.    

Magruder served a low 87% for the match with 17 aces, and 9 errors.   Six of those errors came in set 3.  

Magruder passed 67.5% for the match.

Magruder had 1 blocks and 33 digs.  

INDIVIDUAL LEADERS

Kills: Kaliyah Moss (21) and Maya Scott (11)

Blocks:  Kaliyah Moss (1)

Assists:  Tonessa Jhingory (38) and Maya Scott (2)

Aces:  Maya Scott (7) and Tonessa Jhingory (3)

Good Passes:   Alex Campero (21) and Maya Scott (14)

Watkins Mill (Regional Semi-Finals)

Magruder advanced to the regional semi-finals after a first round bye and faced Watkins Mill.  The Colonels had defeated Watkins Mill in 3 sets earlier in the season and hadn't played a match in well over a week.  The combination led to a fairly lackluster performance by the Colonels, who made 14 attack errors in 3 sets and also made numerous passing and defensive errors throughout each set.  Still the Colonels prevailed and advanced, mainly behind the strong serving of the team.  The Colonels served over 90% for the match and had 19 aces (and only 5 service errors).  Sarah Schaupp (7 aces, 5 kills), Tonessa Jhingory (5 aces, 22 assists) and Alex Campero (4 aces, 19 good passes) led the serving attack.  The victory improved the Colonels to a record of 21-1 and advanced to the regional finals for the first time since 2016.  Some match analysis is below:    

Magruder won 62% of the points Watkins Mill served.  Watkins Mill won 36% of the points Magruder served

Magruder hit a season low .146 for the match with 25 kills and 14  attack errors.    

Magruder served 91% for the match with 19 aces, but only 5 errors.  

Magruder passed 68.7% for the match.

Magruder had 1 blocks and 22 digs.  

INDIVIDUAL LEADERS

Kills: Kaliyah Moss (10) and Sarah Schaupp (5)

Blocks:  Kaliyah Moss (1)

Assists:  Tonessa Jhingory (22) and MeKenna Scott (2)

Aces:  Sarah Schaupp (7) and Tonessa Jhingory (5)

Good Passes:   Alex Campero (20) and Sarah Schaupp (10)

    Digs:  Alex Campero (4) 

Northwest

Magruder and Northwest faced off in what was perhaps the most anticipated regular season matchup in MCPS this year.  Magruder entered the match with a 19-0 record while Northwest was 13-1 and ranked #3 in the DC area by the Washington Post.  Yet both teams came into the match less than perfectly healthy.  Northwest was without the services of starting OH Isabel Neumann and Magruder's Maya Scott was returning from a hyper-extended knee that limited her mobility and jumping.  In front of a (somewhat disappointingly) small, but raucous crowd, both teams played some high level volleyball throughout the night featuring strong hitting, good blocking, solid ball control and at times spectacular defense and rallies.  Northwest controlled most of the first set.  Their serving and ball control were slightly better and they gave away fewer points.  With Magruder down 23-18, they rallied to score the next 7 points to win the set.  Northwest had some of their own serve receive struggles and everal key digs by Magruder Alex Campero and blocks by Joie Allen were key to the run.  On game point, Magruder got a block, which Northwest covered, but hit the next swing out of bounds giving Magruder the first set.  In set two Northwest took an early lead, but the Colonels finally locked down their serve receive and began to side out better.  Magruder took a small lead in the set and won 25-22.  Sarah Schaupp had several key side-out kills in this set and Campero continued to play solid defense.  In set three, Magruder finally took a lead in the set behind the serving of sub Kendra Jimenez generated two aces and two free balls in a five point run.  That 7-2 lead would remain for much of the set.  Magruder opened a lead by as much as 8, but Northwest valiantly fought back (their libero dug almost EVERYTHING) to cut the lead to 3 at 18-15.  The Colonels sided out more consistently and eventually closed the set and the match with a 25-20 win.  Led by Kaliyah Moss, Maya Scott and Sarah Schaupp, Magruder's play at the net was a significant factor throughout each set.  The trio combined for over 30 kills with 7 blocks and only a team total of 10 attack errors all night.  The win marked the 3rd time in school history the Colonels finish the regular season with an undefeated 20-0 record.  Some match analysis is below:   

Coach Zanni stupidly recycled the scoresheets.  No serve receive stats tonight.   

Magruder hit .267 for the match with 39 kills and 10  attack errors.    

Magruder served 89% for the match with only 7 aces, but only 7 errors.  

Magruder passed 69.4% for the match.

Magruder had 10 blocks and 49 digs.  

INDIVIDUAL LEADERS

Kills: Kaliyah Moss (17) and Maya Scott (13)

Blocks:  Kaliyah Moss and Joie Allen (3 each)

Assists:  Tonessa Jhingory (33) and Maya Scott (2)

Aces:  Alex Campero (3) and Kendra Jimenez (2)

Good Passes:   Alex Campero (29) and Maya Scott (17)

    Digs:  Alex Campero (20) and Maya Scott (11)   

LaPlata

Magruder travelled to play perenial Charles County power LaPlata High School in their 2nd regular season out-of-county match.  This decade LaPlata has won numerous SMAC (their local conference) and regional championships and their 2019 team featured several explosive attackers leading a team to their conference championship match next week.  Magruder swept the match, getting stronger as the match went on.   In the first set Magruder took an early lead behind strong serving and attacking.  Several unforced errors gave LaPlata the chance to take advantage which their powerful hitters did.  However, the Colonels held on and won 25-19.  In set two, Magruder made fewer mistakes and LaPlata had some passing breakdowns in the middle of the set.  What started as a small LaPlata lead quickly turned into a larger Magruder lead before the Colonels won 25-15.  In set three the Colonels dominated winning 20 of the first 26 points behind numerous good blocks and a solid offense.  The win sealed the match for Magruder who improved to 19-0. Some match analysis is below:   

Serve receive is not available for this match.  

Magruder hit .333 for the match with 32 kills and only 7 attack errors.    

Magruder served 90.6% for the match with 14 aces and 7 errors.

Magruder passed 70.7% for the match.

Magruder had 7 blocks and 31 digs.  

INDIVIDUAL LEADERS

Kills: Kaliyah Moss (13) and Maya Scott (11)

Blocks:  Sarah Schaupp and Kaliyah Moss (2 each)

Assists:  Tonessa Jhingory (29) and Kaliyah Moss (2)

Aces:  Damaris Rodriguez (4) and Alex Campero and Kaliyah Moss (3 each)

Good Passes:   Alex Campero (19) and Maya Scott (11)

Digs:  Alex Campero (3)   

Watkins Mill

Magruder and Watkins Mill play in the same 3A West Region, but aren't in the same division.  As a result the teams were scheduled a late season match.  The match started out close with the set tied at set.  Then the gym experienced a brief rain delay during the first inning set.  After play resumed Magruder pulled away winning 25-10, 25-15 and 25-9.  The win was important in that the victory clinched the #1 seed for the regional playoffs.  Magruder used a strong service and attack game to control the match.  Kaliyah Moss had a team high 13 kills.  Sarah Schaupp continued her serving onslaught leading the team with 5 aces.  Kristen Jennings and Joie Allen each had 6 kills.  Some match analysis is below:   

Serve receive data is not available for this match. 

Magruder hit .3561 for the match with 35 kills and 10 attack errors.    

Magruder served 91.1% for the match with 12 aces and 7 errors.

Magruder passed 73.3% for the match.

Magruder had 7 blocks and 20 digs.  

INDIVIDUAL LEADERS

Kills: Kaliyah Moss (13) and Joie Allen/Kristen Jennings (6 each)

Blocks:  Sarah Schaupp (3)

Assists:  Tonessa Jhingory (20) and MeKenna Scott (13)

Aces:  Sarah Schaupp (5) and Tonessa Jhingory (4)

Good Passes:   Alex Campero and Damaris Rodriguez (10 each)

Digs:  Alex Campero (3)

Northwood

Magruder travelled to Northwood for their final division match of 2019 and came away with a three set win.  The Colonels serving game dominated as 22 of the 75 points they won came from service aces.  Sarah Schaupp (8) and Kristen Jennings (6) led the team serving, combining to make 41 of 42 serves with 14 aces.  Schaupp added a team high 7 kills and Kaliyah Moss added 5.  Sophomore Kendra Jimenez led the team defensively with a team high 10 good passes and 3 digs.  Some match analysis is below:   

Serve receive data is not available for this match. 

Magruder hit .402 for the match with 26 kills and only 5 attack errors.    

Magruder served 90% for the match with 22 aces and 7errors.

Magruder passed 69.3% for the match.

Magruder had 2 blocks and 14 digs.  

INDIVIDUAL LEADERS

Kills: Sarah Schaupp (7) and Kaliyah Moss (4)

Blocks:  Alex Campero and Sarah Schaupp (1 each)

Assists:  Tonessa Jhingory (14) and MeKenna Scott (10)

Aces:  Sarah Schaupp (8) and Kristen Jennings (6)

Good Passes:   Kendra Jimenez (10) and Damaris Rodriguez (7)

Digs:  Kendra Jimenez (3)

North Hagerstown

North Hagerstown travelled to Magruder in what has become an annual match between two of the top 3A teams in the state of Maryland.  Last year these two teams played a five set marathon at North Hagerstown with Magruder winning a very close match where many of the sets were closely contested.  This year the match went five sets again and certainly was closely contested and hard fought, but oddly none of the five sets were close at all.   It seemed both teams alternated between playing incredibly well and struggling with their play.  In set one both teams sided out at very high rates.  North Hagerstown won an incredibly high 70% of the points Magruder served while Magruder won 56% of the points North Hagerstown served (also a high rate).  It would be the only set where both teams sided out well and the only set to go two full rotations.  Magruder lost 25-20.  In set 2 Magruder continued to side out well (63%) and North Hagerstown struggled at 41%.  Magruder won the set 25-16 with three runs of four points during the set.  In set three Magruder came out firing and it's was North Hagerstown's set to struggle.  The Colonels took a commanding 16-3 lead before winning 25-8.  Magruder didn't lose a point when North Hagerstown served, siding out all 9 times.  Set four was the opposite of set 3.  North Hagerstown came out firing with Magruder struggling.  North Hagerstown took an 11-3 lead behind a 9 point scoring run early in the set.  Magruder fough back to get close at 16-13, then passing errors and several North Hagerstown kills widened the gap again before Magruder lost 25-15.  That led to the Colonels first fifth and deciding set of the season.  Both teams sided out well early in the set as it was tied at 6.  Then Magruder scored 9 of the last 11 points to win 15-8.   Both teams had some great streaks throughout the match and series of points where they struggled.  Some match analysis is below:  

Magruder won 56% of the points North Hagerstown served.   North Hagerstown won 46% of the points Magruder served.  

Magruder hit 244 for the match with 54 kills and a season high 19 attack errors (or nearly 4 per set). 

Magruder served a season high 94.5% for the match with 19 aces and only 6 errors.

Magruder passed 66.9% for the match, one of their lowest marks of the season.  

Magruder had 7 blocks and 74 digs.  

INDIVIDUAL LEADERS

Kills:  Kaliyah Moss (23) and Maya Scott (20)

Blocks:  Kristen Jennings and Maya Scott (2 each)

Assists:  Tonessa Jhingory (45) and Maya Scott (3)

Aces:  Kaliyah Moss (6) and Maya Scott, Alex Campero and Damaris Rodriguez (3 each)

Good Passes:   Alex Campero (46) and Maya Scott (35)

Digs:  Alex Campero (23) and Maya Scott (19)

Sherwood

Magruder and Sherwood faced off for the third straight year with a county division title on the line.  These two talented teams came into the match with a combined 26-3 record and both among the top teams in MCPS.  The teams played in the semi-finals of the Magruder Invitational with the Colonels winning a close 2 set match.  The match was highly anticipated as both schools brought a large and vocal crowd to the match.  Magruder came out firing on all cylinders using a strong service game to generate point scoring opportunities and a strong blocking scheme at the net to minimize Sherwood's primary outside attackers.  The results were clear as Magruder took a 15-3 lead in set one.  Sherwood rallied, taking advantage of some Magruder errors to close the gap, but Magruder won 25-15.   In set two, Magruder was a sideout machine with Sherwood only scoring two points while they served.  This was a theme for the night as Magruder sided out at a very high rate (68%).  Despite this Sherwood was able to hang close for the first rotation.  Magruder was only up 10-6.  The teams exchanged sided outs for a few more rotations and Magruder held a 13-10 lead. However Magruder won 12 of the next 13 points to close out the set 25-11.  Junior Damaris Rodriguez served 9 straight points to close out the set.  Set 3 saw Sherwood take their first lead and they held a slight advantage 9-7 after 5 rotations.  Then Magruder scored 4 straight points to take the lead and slowly pulled away winning 25-17.  The win clinched Magruder's 13th MCPS division title and their 3rd straight.  The win also improved Magruder to 15-0 on the season.  Some match analysis is below:  

Magruder won 68% of the points Sherwood served.  This is a very high rate against a good team.  Sherwood won 38% of the points Magruder served.  

Magruder hit .385 for the match with 34 kills and only 6 errors.   

Magruder served 88.9% for the match with 10 aces and 9 errors.

Magruder passed 70.6% for the match.

Magruder had 4 blocks and 36 digs.  

INDIVIDUAL LEADERS

Kills:  Kaliyah Moss (17) and Maya Scott (11)

Blocks:  Joie Allen (2)

Assists:  Tonessa Jhingory (27) and Maya Scott (2)

Aces:  Maya Scott (4) and Sarah Schaupp (3)

Good Passes:   Alex Campero (26) and Maya Scott (11)

Digs:  Alex Campero (12) and Maya Scott (11)

Blake

Magruder travelled to Blake for a division matchup and came away with a three set victory.  Magruder used a strong service game (20 total aces and only 6 errors) to control the match.  Junior Damaris Rodriguez led the way serving making 20 of 21 serves with a team high 7 aces.  Senior Tonessa Jhingory also served  well making all 13 serves and tallying 6 aces.  Magruder passed and attacked well all night as well.  Some match analysis is below: 

Magruder won 77% of the points Blake served.  Blake won 33% of the points Magruder served.  

Magruder hit .237 for the match with 21 kills and 6 errors 

Magruder served a season high 91.8% for the match with 20 aces and 6 errors.

Magruder passed 71.4% for the match.

Magruder had 6 blocks and 15 digs.  

INDIVIDUAL LEADERS

Kills:  Kaliyah Moss (9) and Sarah Schaupp (5)

Blocks:  Sarah Schaupp (2) 

Assists:  Tonessa Jhingory (20) and Kenna Scott (4)

Aces:  Damaris Rodriguez (7) and Tonessa Jhingory (6) 

Good Passes:   Alex Campero (17) and Damaris Rodriguez (11)

Digs:  Alex Campero (5) and Maya Scott (3)

Rockville

Magruder continued their MCPS division play with a matchup against Rockville, a team with only one division loss to date. As such the match was critical for Magruder to win.  The match started somewhat slowly for the Colonels as they had 5 hitting errors in the first 20 points (Magruder would only commit 6 more attack errors the entire match).  The match was tied at 9.  From their Magruder dominated the match winning 25-14, 25-8 and 25-18.  Senior setter Tonessa Jhingory continues to improve and registered 23 assists and a team high 4 aces.  Tonessa had two scoring streaks serving where Magruder scored 8 or more straight points.  Seniors Kaliyah Moss and Maya Scott combined for 22 kills and 6 blocks.  Sophomore Joie Allen scored 7 points with 5 kills and 2 blocks and made a career high 13 of 14 serves.  Sophomore Kendra Jimenez, who had been fighting a bad back, saw her most extensive court time this year, making all 7 serves (with an ace) and had 6 good passes and 3 digs.  All are career highs.  Some match analysis is below: 

Magruder won 74% of the points Rockville served.  Rockville won 35% of the points Magruder served.  

Magruder hit .283 for the match with 34 kills and 11 errors 

Magruder served a season high 91.6% for the match with 10 aces and 6 errors.

Magruder passed 73.5% for the match.

Magruder had 9 blocks and 27 digs.  

INDIVIDUAL LEADERS

Kills:  Kaliyah Moss (12) and Maya Scott (10)

Blocks:  Kaliyah Moss (5) and Joie Allen (2)

Assists:  Tonessa Jhingory (23) and Kenna Scott (7)

Aces:  Tonessa Jhingory (4) 

Good Passes:   Alex Campero (17) and Damaris Rodriguez (12)

Digs:  Alex Campero and Damaris Rodriguez (5)

Blair

Magruder travelled to Blair for their 4th division match of the season against a talented Blair team with an 8-2 record.  Their only two losses were at the MHS Invitational to 2 very good teams (Mount De Sales and Sherwood).  They had a chance to win both those matches.  The MHS coaching staff warned the players that Blair was going to be ready to play in their home gym and Blair certainly was.  Fielding a talented ball control lineup with several effective hitters, the Blazers destroyed a Magruder team that clearly wasn't ready to play.  Magruder made numerous silly mental errors and Blair took advantage pounding the ball into the Magruder defense for point after point.  Magruder lost 25-12 giving up four streaks of three points or more. Magruder recovered in set 2, playing better, but continued to struggle throughout the match, never finding a great rhythm.  This was the theme for the last three sets.  Magruder would play well for points of each set, but never look totally comfortable.   Magruder won set 2 25-22, won set 3 with a similar score and pulled away to a bigger lead in set 3 before a late rally brought Magruder's lead down to 25-19.  The win moved Magruder to 12-0, but perhaps more importantly taught the Colonels a lesson in being prepare to start a match.   Some match analysis is below: 

Each team won a similar percentage of points while the other team served.  Almost never see this!

Magruder hit .264 for the match with 56 kills and 21 errors 

Magruder served 86.6% for the match with only 7 aces and 10 errors.

Magruder passed 65.5.3% for the match, by far their season low.  

Magruder had 6 blocks and 63 digs.  

INDIVIDUAL LEADERS

Kills:  Maya Scott (23) and Kaliyah Moss (17)

Blocks:  Kristen Jennings (3) and Sarah Schaupp (2)

Assists:  Tonessa Jhingory (48) and Alex Campero (2)

Aces:  Maya Scott (3) and Alex Campero (2)

Good Passes:  Maya Scott (41) and Alex Campero (40)

Digs:  Alex Campero (23) and Maya Scott (21)

Springbrook

Less than two days after winning the Magruder Invitational, the Colonels returned to the court against Springbrook for their second division match of the season.  Magruder was without Kaliyah Moss (illness), but cruised to a three set win.  Seniors Maya Scott, Sarah Schaupp and sophomore Joie Allen combined to dominate at the net with 16 kills and 3 blocks.  Scott and Schaupp also combined for 9 aces.  Magruder's service game was effective all night.  The team served nearly 91% with 22 aces (of their 75 points scored). 

MHS Invitational

Magruder set out to attempt to win their third straight Magruder Invitational tournament with a challenging array of teams playing this year.  Local power Sherwood returned for the first time in several years (after playing the Westminster tournament in previous years).  Additionally, Baltimore's top private school Mount De Sales was there along with strong teams from Clarksburg, Quince Orchard and Blake.  Magruder began their day with a match against rival Gaithersburg.  Unfortunately Gaithersburg had numerous starters injured or sick for the tournament.  As a result the match wasn't as close as many of their past encounters as Magruder swept handily.  Anastasiya Ivanova had a solid match with 2 aces, 2 good passes, 2 kills and a dig.  Virginia Gomez had 4 good passes and 2 digs.  Magruder's 2nd match of the day was against Clarksburg, the 2018 finalist.  Set one was close as Magruder struggled with some unforced attacking errors, but Magruder rebounded in set 2 with a convincing 25-12 win.  Alex Campero had an outstanding match leading the Colonels in aces (5), good passes (19) and digs (14).  Joie Allen had 3 kills and 2 blocks.  Next up Magruder played Quince Orchard a team that traditionally has given them trouble.  However, Magruder played well and swept.  Tonessa Jhingory led the team serving with 3 aces and added 27 assists.  Kristen Jennings had 4 kills and a block. Magruder's final match was against Pallotti and again Magruder swept.  Sarah Schaupp had 3 kills and 2 aces.  Kendra Jimenez saw her most significant playing time since hurting her back and had 3 good passes and 2 digs.  Damaris Rodriguez led the team with 10 good passes and 6 digs.  MeKenna Scott had 9 assists, 1 ace and 2 digs.  The win gave Magruder 1st place in their pool and they advanced to play Sherwood (the second place team in Pool B).  Magruder prevailed 25-19, 25-21, using a dominating net game combined with strong passing/defense.  Set 1 Magruder controlled most of the way. However in set 2 Sherwood had a lead through much of the game before Magruder ran of a string of points to close out the set and win.  Seniors Maya Scott and Kaliyah Moss and Sarah Schaupp combined for 26 kills and 8 blocks.  With the win, the Colonels moved to the championship match against Clarksburg (who had upset a very good Mount De Sales team).  Magruder rolled through the finals winning in convincing fashion. Jhingory led the with 6 aces and had 21 assists.  Scott turned in a well rounded performance with 8 kills (no errors only 17 swings), 4 aces, 2 blocks, 6 digs and an assist.  Moss was again dominating at the net with 9 kills.  Kristen Jennings added 5 kills and 3 blocks.  Throughout the playoffs the back row tandem of Alex Campero and Damaris Rodriguez passed with and played solid defense.  In the playoffs they combined for 50 good passes and 30 digs.  In the end Magruder won all 6 matches without dropping a set.  Kaliyah Moss was named to the all-tournament team (third time honored at the tournament) and Maya Scott was named the tournament MVP.  The Colonels are now 10-0. 

Paint Branch

Magruder travelled to Paint Branch for their first MCPS division match of the year and came away with a 3 set win.   Magruder's servers racked up 16 aces, just a little over 5 per set (they also had a season high 12 service errors).  The servers also generated many free balls which Magruder used to run their offense. As a team they hit .235 for the night.  Senior Sarah Schaupp put on a serving clinic, recording a career high 10 aces (tied for 2nd highest total in school history) on 21 total serves (only 2 errors).  Sarah also led the team in kills with 7.  Sophomore Joie Allen had 6 kills as did senior Maya Scott.  Some match analysis is below:

Magruder won 69% of the points Paint Branch served.  Paint Branch won 28% of the points Magruder served.  

Magruder hit .235 for the match with 28 kills and 12 errors 

Magruder served a season low 84.4% for the match with 15 aces and 12 errors.

Magruder passed 71.3% for the match.

Magruder had 2 blocks and 6 digs.  

INDIVIDUAL LEADERS

Kills:  Sarah Schaupp (7) and Maya Scott/Joie Allen (6 each)

Blocks:  Maya Scott and  Sarah Schaupp (1 each)

Assists:  Tonessa Jhingory (15) and MeKenna Scott (9)

Aces:  Sarah Schaupp (10) and Virginia Gomez (2)

Good Passes:  Damaris Rodriguez (8) and Joie Allen/Damaris Rodriguez (6 each)

Digs:  Kenna Scott and Damaris Rodriguez (2 each)

Walter Johnson

The match against Walter Johnson in Derwood on Friday night was sort of a family reunion night.  Walter Johnson's head coach Jackie Krampf previously coached JV at Magruder for three seasons.  Meanwhile Magruder assistant head coach Geoff Demitz has a niece (Cara) that plays for Walter Johnson.  Both teams came into the match with undefeated 2-0 records and both teams have talented rosters.  As expected the match was hard fought and close.  Set one was a unique high school battle.  Magruder sided out  54% of the points Walter Johnson scored and yet lost 25-21.  Walter Johnson sided out an incredibly high 67% of the points Magruder served.  Magruder never found its groove.  Despite hammering numerous kills throughout the set, the botched several easy free ball attempts.  Meanwhile Walter Johnson converted many of their true scoring opportunities.    Yet there were few "real points" scored (winning the point when your team serves).  At the end of the set the "real points scored" was 9-7 in favor of WJ.  Set 2 was the exact opposite.  Neither team sided out well.  Magruder was better winning 47% of the points WJ served and WJ won only 38% of the points Magruder served.  Magruder scored 7 points in a row in the middle of the set to pull away.  Set 3 was a back and forth affair with Magruder pulling ahead only to hit perhaps their only bad streak of passing during the match, giving WJ easy chances to score, which they did.  The set ended up tied at 21, but Magruder won four of the last five points to close out.  Set four was another nail biter. Magruder took an early 7-1 lead, but couldn't maintain it.  WJ scored five points in a row in the middle of the set to pull close and from there it was a back and forth affair with neither team getting more than 2 points ahead.   Finally Magruder prevailed 27-25.  Both teams played great defense throughout and WJ made slightly fewer unforced errors (and made some incredible digs). In the end Magruder's dominance at the net (Kaliyah Moss and Maya Scott combined for nearly 40 kills) and slightly better serve receive (Magruder's stats had WJ with 5 aces and Magruder with 9) enabled the Colonels to pull away from the Wildcats.  Magruder's Maya Scott filled the stat sheet with a great all-around match.  She had 14 kills (only 4 errors), 17 digs, 3 blocks, 3 assists and an ace.  Some match analysis is below:

Magruder won 53% of the points WJ served.  WJ won 48% of the points Magruder served.  

Magruder hit .221 for the match with 47 kills and 23 errors (too high)

Magruder served 87.3% for the match with 9 aces and 12 errors.

Magruder passed 72.3% for the match.

Magruder had 8 blocks and 61 digs.  

INDIVIDUAL LEADERS

Kills:  Kaliyah Moss (23) and Maya Scott (14)

Blocks:  Maya Scott (3), Sarah Schaupp and Kristen Jennings (2 each)

Assists:  Tonessa Jhingory (39) and Maya Scott (3)

Aces:  Sarah Schaupp, Tonessa Jhingory, Alex Campero and Damaris Rodriguez (2 each)

Good Passes:  Damaris Rodriguez (8) and Alex Campero (6)

Digs:  Alex Campero (21) and Maya Scott (17)

Kennedy

Magruder won their home opener against Kennedy High School in convincing fashion with a well played 3 set win.  This was the first matchup between these teams in nearly a decade (and the first time Magruder and Kennedy have played since long time Kennedy varsity coach Wanda Hsiung became the Head JV coach at Magruder).  Magruder opened set one with a dominating 25-7 win.  Kaliyah Moss had 5 of her 9 kills and Maya Scott had 2 kills.  Set two was more of the same with Scott registered four aces and freshman Kristen Jennings serving for 3 of her five aces.  Junior defensive specialist Damaris Rodriguez played a solid match leading the team in passing (8) and 2nd in digs (3).  Set three saw the debut of freshman setter MeKenna Scott who registered a career high 4 assists and an ace.  Some match analysis is below:

Magruder won 65% of the points Kennedy served.  Kennedy won 24% of the points Magruder served.  

Magruder hit .333 for the match with 19 kills and only 3 errors

Magruder served 89.1% for the match with 19 aces and  errors.

Magruder passed 74.3% for the match.

Magruder had 2 blocks and 14 digs.  

INDIVIDUAL LEADERS

Kills:  Kaliyah Moss (9) and Maya Scott (2)

Blocks:  Maya Scott and Kristen Jennings (1 each)

Assists:  Tonessa Jhingory (10) and Maya Scott (2)

Aces:  Sarah Schaupp (4) and MeKenna Scott (4)

Good Passes:  Damaris Rodriguez (8) and Alex Campero (6)

Digs:  Alex Campero (5) and Damaris Rodriguez (3)

Damascus

Magruder opened their season with a sweep of traditional county power and 3A rival Damascus.  125 Total points were played with Magruder winning 60% of them (75-50).  Magruder directly ended almost 56% of those points will kills, attack errors, aces or service errors.   While Magruder served exceptionally well (89% of serves made and 17% ace rate), their offense struggled at times.   While the kill ratios were high (34%) the attack error percentages were too high (15%).  The exception to this was set two where Magruder made few attack errors (and won 25-12).  Damascus played some great defense throughout the night also thwarting some of the Magruder's best attacks.  In the end the Colonels had too much offense and their serving was a decided factor as well.  Some match analysis is below:

Serve receive for this match is currently unavailable (hopefully soon!)

Magruder hit .202 for the match with 34 kills and only 14 errors.    

Magruder served 89.3% for the match with 14 aces and 8 errors.

Magruder passed 71.2% for the match.

Magruder had 5 blocks and 21 digs.  

INDIVIDUAL LEADERS

Kills:  Kaliyah Moss (13) and Maya Scott (8)

Blocks:  Sarah Schaupp (2)

Assists:  Tonessa Jhingory (29) and Maya Scott (2)

Aces:  Sarah Schaupp (4) and Maya Scott (3)

Good Passes:  Alex Campero (17) and Maya Scott (12)

Digs:  Alex Campero (7) and Maya Scott (5)

2018 Match Analysis

Westminster (Sectional Finals)

Magruder travelled to Westminster in a highly anticipated matchup of state powers in what felt more like a state matchup than a sectional final.   Both teams entered the match with only one regular season loss and playing good volleyball.  Both teams have some of the best players in the state at their positions and have dominated their area throughout 2018.  Set one established a theme that would play out through all three sets.   When serving, Magruder would score most of their points through blocking at the net (Magruder had 11 total blocks for points), but would struggle to score points digging and transitioning to attack.  When serving, Westminster did their damage by creating points (aces) and scoring opportunities (free balls) and doing a better job digging to transition to their offense.  In each game, Magruder's vaunted service game was neutralized by outstanding passing.  For example, in set 1, despite serving 100% for the set and serving several very tough serves, Magruder's servers generated zero aces and zero free balls.  Westminster's passers consistently kept their team in system, while Magruder's passers passed well, but gave up several aces each set.  So while Magruder at times dominated at the net and was better scoring points blocking, Westminster was able to consistently pass, set and attack more often that Magruder.  Over the course of each set this remained true.  Magruder kept set one close for a period of time before a late run by Westminster closed the set.  Set two was close throughout.  Magruder got an ace and two free balls this set (still a low result) and scored five points blocking.  However, they also missed 5 serves in this set before losing 25-23.  In set three Magruder fell behind early and never got closer than 13-9 before losing.  Westminster played at a very high level all night and posted one of the best performances a team has played against Magruder in the last 20+ years.  Magruder also played well, limiting their attack errors, serving nearly 90% and blocking very well, but in the end it wasn't enough.  Magruder finishes 2018 with their best season since 2012, posting a 20-2 record, winning their county title and advancing to the sectional finals. 

Rockville (Sectional Semi-Finals)

Magruder and Rockville played two weeks ago in their last regular season match and faced off again in the sectional semi-finals.  Rockville advanced by defeating Watkins Mill and Magruder received a bye.  The rematch was similar to the first with Magruder sweeping all three sets behind strong serving and attacking.  Magruder opened the match scoring the first 8 points with Kira Ng serving and never looked back, winning set 1 25-8.  Maya Scott had several of her 7 kills.  Set two started similar and Magruder got a little sloppy in the middle of the set before closing out set 2 winning 12 of the last 15 points.  Magruder won set 3 25-10.  The win marked the Colonels 20th total win of the season, the first time this has happened since 2012 and the 10th time since 2003.   Some match analysis is below:

Magruder won 67% of the points Rockville served.  Rockville won 24% of the points Magruder served. 

Magruder hit .293 for the match with 28 kills and only 11 errors.    

Magruder served 9427% for the match with 21 aces and 4 errors.

Magruder passed 73.2% for the match.

Magruder had 7 blocks and 31 digs.  

INDIVIDUAL LEADERS

Kills:  Kaliyah Moss (13) and Maya Scott (7)

Blocks:  Kaliyah Moss (3) and Sarah Schaupp (2)

Assists:  Kira Ng (9) and Nichole Bright (8)

Aces:  Sami Perkins (6) and Sarah Schaupp (4)

Good Passes:  Alex Campero (21) and Maya Scott (11)

Digs:  Alex Campero (7) and many with 2

 Rockville

Magruder had much to celebrate in their last regular season match of the season. Before the match Magruder celebrating their 6 outstanding seniors as each was honored. Additionally, between sets 2 and 3 Magruder recognized 2004 graduate and former All-County/All-Met setter Caitlin George. Caitlin is being inducted into the MHS Athletic Hall of Fame this weekend. During the match, the seniors played some outstanding volleyball to lead the team to victory. Kira Ng played three different positions and finished with a team high 9 digs and 5 aces while also registering 10 assists. Sami Perkins filled the stat column with a team 8 kills and 2 blocks and also added 4 aces, 6 good passes and 3 digs. Katie Stevens-Donati also filled the stat columns with 9 good passes, 7 digs, 5 kills and 2 aces. Nichole Bright led the team in assists with 20, but also had a career high 5 kills. Jade Guiao led the team in passing with 17 good passes and added 4 digs and an ace. Lindsay Nyunja led the team in blocking with 2 and also had 6 kills and 1 ace. With the win the team finishes the regular season with a 19-1 record, tied for the 2nd best in school history. Some match analysis is below:

Magruder won 69% of the points Rockville served.  Rockville won 22% of the points Magruder served. 

Magruder hit .486 for the match with 39 kills and only 4 errors.    

Magruder served 91.7% for the match with 17 aces and 6 errors.

Magruder passed 78.2% for the match.

Magruder had 3 blocks and 26 digs.  

INDIVIDUAL LEADERS

Kills:  Sami Perkins (8) and Lindsay Nyunja (6)

Blocks:  Sami Perkins (2) and Lindsay Nyunja (1)

Assists:  Nichole Bright (20) and Kira Ng (9)

Aces:  Kira Ng (5) and Sami Perkins (4)

Good Passes:  Jade Guiao (17) and Katie Stevens-Donati (9)

Digs:  Kira Ng (9) and Jade Guiao (4)

Damascus

Magruder and Damascus played perhaps the longest rally scoring match in the history of the two schools (in 2001 Magruder won a nearly three hour five set match with traditional scoring). The match featured several long and well played rallies, but with consistent themes throughout. Magruder controlled and ended a majority of the points, but not always in a positive way as they piled up kills, but also ended more points in errors than Damascus. Damascus didn't end as many points positively as Magruder did (they still ended plenty positively), but also successfully avoided ending points with errors much more than Magruder did. Both teams had outside hitters that the other team struggled to control as the match became a battle of outside/pin attackers. Set one was a close affair. Damascus took an early lead, but Magruder rallied and had a lead in the middle of the game. Neither team got very far ahead of the other. Damascus closed with a kill and a Magruder pass out of bounds ended the set. Set two was Magruder's to win and they failed to. Magruder had a 20-15 lead. After a timeout, Magruder missed a serve, passed the next Damascus serve over the net and made an attack error. Damascus then scored three more points, several on solid kills to take a 21-20 lead. Magruder eventually got a side-out, but botched a free ball and Damascus took advantage with yet another kill. Magruder eventually lost 25-23. This set loss would come back to haunt them. Set three was similar to set one, but this time Magruder won 25-23. It was a back and forth affair and may have been the best played set of the match, with several great saves by each team and both teams registering kills throughout the set. Set four Magruder controlled throughout, taking a lead and eventually winning 25-19. Damascus struggled in the middle of the set. They made a few more errors than normal and had problems passing. Magruder took advantage and controlled the set throughout. Set five was a battle, but not always a well played one. Both teams took small leads and at times gave the opponent opportunities to catch up, which they took. Magruder had three match points and lost each, two on errors. Damascus also had three match points, but converted on the third to win the fifth set 20-18. Overall Magruder actually won more points, but volleyball isn't scored that way. A total of 220 points were played. Magruder won 116 and Damascus won 114. Overall Damascus played more consistently throughout the match, including the end of many of the sets. Some match analysis is below:

Serve receive data is not available for this match, but the teams had to have nearly equal percentages.   

Magruder hit .242 for the match with 61 kills and 24 errors.  This is the 2nd match in a row Magruder had roughly a set worth of attack errors.    

Magruder served 86.7% for the match with 10 aces and 14 errors. Several of the errors were near the end of sets. 

Magruder passed 69.2% for the match.

Magruder had 8 blocks and 76 digs.  

INDIVIDUAL LEADERS

Kills:  Kaliyah Moss (31--NEW SCHOOL RECORD) Maya Scott (23--CAREER HIGH)

Blocks:  Kaliyah Moss (4) and Maya Scott (2)

Assists:  Kira Ng (54---TIES SCHOOL RECORD) and Maya Scott and Nichole Bright (3 each)

Aces:  Sarah Schaupp (3) and Sami Perkins and Alex Campero (2 each)

Good Passes:  Alex Campero (28) and Maya Scott (21)

Digs:  Alex Campero (24) and Maya Scott (17)

Gaithersburg

Magruder and Gaithersburg have played at least once a year since 2000, sometimes twice a year (with playoff matches). Over that time the teams have played some long, epic matches. The 2018 match was certainly long and both teams had streaks of playing some very good volleyball. However, at times each team struggled as well. Magruder took control of set 1 with a 13-4 lead and looked to be in complete control. Then the Colonels had several passing and setting errors and Gaithersburg nearly tied the set. The Colonels then took control behind some strong serving and won 25-18. Set two featured a blizzard of errors from the Colonels. The errors that didn't end the point put no pressure on Gaithersburg and they converted many kills throughout the set. Still the set was close before Gaithersburg prevailed 28-26. Set three was another error prone set for the Colonels and Gaithersburg again limited their errors and won 25-20. During this set Magruder starting making several substitutions that began to stabilize the team play. This proved beneficial in sets 4 and 5 as Magruder's level of play improved and was helped by Gaithersburg's struggles to serve consistently. Magruder won set 4 25-19 and set 5 15-10. Throughout the match Magruder struggled with errors. As a team they compiled 27 attack errors, a season high that was nearly 30% of all the points Gaithersburg scored. Both teams had numerous mental errors as well. Yet, there were streaks of well played points by each team. In the end Magruder won 111 points to Gaithersburg 98 and prevailed. Some match analysis is below:

Magruder won 47% of the points Gaithersburg served.  Gaithersburg won 42% of the point Magruder served.  Both are low. 

Magruder hit .167 for the match with 48 kills and 27 errors.  This is Magruder's worst attack performance of the season. 

Magruder served 91% for the match with 14 aces and only 10 errors.

Magruder passed 66.2% for the match.

Magruder had 2 blocks and 50 digs.   The two blocks are a season low. 

INDIVIDUAL LEADERS

Kills:  Kaliyah Moss (25) and Sarah Schaupp and Maya Scott (8 each)

Blocks:  Maya Scott, Sarah Schaupp (1 each)

Assists:  Nichole Bright (25) and Kira Ng (15)

Aces:  Maya Scott (6) and Kaliyah Moss (4)

Good Passes:  Alex Campero (28) and Maya Scott (21)

Digs:  Alex Campero and Maya Scott (14 each)

Georgetown Visitation

Magruder continued the out-of-county portion of their schedule hosting DC area private school Georgetown Visitation.  This is the 6th match between the two schools.  Magruder swept the match behind strong serving and attacking.  Sami Perkins (5 aces), Kira Ng (4 aces) and Katie Stevens-Donati (3 aces) led the serving attack while Maya Scott (9 kills), Lindsay Nyunja (8 kills) and Kaliyah Moss (5 kills) led the offense.  Setters Nichole Bright (19 assists) and Kira Ng (10 assists) led a balanced attack with some solid setting.   Some match analysis is below:

Magruder won 71% of the points Georgetown Visitation served.  Visitation won 31% of the point Magruder served.  

Magruder hit .378 for the match with 32 kills and 9 errors.  

Magruder served 83% for the match with 21 aces and 13 errors.

Magruder passed 72.5% for the match.

Magruder had 3 blocks and 18 digs.  

INDIVIDUAL LEADERS

Kills:  Maya Scott (9) and Lindsay Nyunja (8)

Blocks:  Maya Scott, Sarah Schaupp and Lindsay Nyunja (1 each)

Assists:  Nichole Bright (19) and Kira Ng (10)

Aces:  Sami Perkins (5) and Kira Ng (4)

Good Passes:  Alex Campero (12) and Maya Scott (9)

Digs:  Alex Campero (4) and Kaliyah Moss (3)

North Hagerstown

Magruder traveled to North Hagerstown for one of their annual out-of-county matches.  This was against one of the top programs in the Maryland.  North Hagerstown has won three state titles this decade and is always among the top teams in their area.  Magruder swept the match last year in three sets at home, but knew they were in for a tougher match this year.  The first set did not go well.  The team wasn't ready to play and North Hagerstown was quite ready to play.  Numerous passing and setting errors combined with several mental lapses contributed to a 25-11 loss (Magruder's) as did some stellar play from North Hagerstown, who used numerous free balls to efficiently run their offense and rack up kills.  Set two was much better from Magruder. After falling behind the first few points, Magruder tied the set at 9 and then slowly pulled away to win 25-20.  Maya Scott piled up kills in this set and Alex Campero played some great defense.  Set 3 was similar to set 2 with North Hagerstown scoring the first few points, then Magruder tied the set and took control with a 20-17 lead.  Two service errors and 2 North Hagerstown aces quickly turned the tide and North Hagerstown was able to win 27-25.  Set four again found Magruder in control with a 17-13 lead at North Hagerstown's first timeout.  This time the team finished the set with several kills and prevailed 25-18.  Set five was a back and forth affair with each team having a lead only to see the other team fight back and rally.  With the set tied at 13, North Hagerstown scored a point with a kill, but Magruder tied the set at 14 with a Maya Scott kill.  After the teams traded sideouts to tie the score at 15, Magruder won the final two points to clinch the match with a 17-15 win.  Scott had a career high 21 kills and 26 points scored (3 aces and 2 blocks). She also had 15 digs.   Kaliyah Moss had 16 kills, 5 blocks and 2 aces.  Sarah Schaupp had her 2nd 10 kill match of the season.  Kira Ng had 51 assists, good for the 2nd most in school history.  Some match analysis is below:

Magruder didn't have a scorekeeper at the match so serve receive data is unavailable, but the teams should have sided out at nearly a similar rate (what that rate would be is unknown).

Magruder hit .301 for the match with 61 kills and 18 errors.  

Magruder served 91% for the match with 12 aces and 9 errors.

Magruder passed 68.5% for the match.

Magruder had 10 blocks and 59 digs.  

INDIVIDUAL LEADERS

Kills:  Maya Scott (21) and Kaliyah Moss (16)

Blocks:  Kaliyah Moss (5) and Maya Scott and Lindsay Nyunja (2 each)

Assists:  Kira Ng (51) and Nichole Bright (2)

Aces:  Kira Ng and Maya Scott (3 each)

Good Passes:  Alex Campero (39) and Maya Scott (30)

Digs:  Alex Campero (19) and Maya Scott (15)

Sherwood

Sometimes you have to find a way to win.  Magruder faced it's most difficult challenge from a talented and very fired up and determined Sherwood squad.  Playing in front of 300+ fans, two very good MCPS teams battled for nearly 200 points in a five set, two plus hour thriller.   Sherwood played some outstanding defense all night and passed well in serve receive.  They also received some timely attacking and served well to keep Magruder out of their offense.  The teams battled for some extraordinary points and each gave their large fan base something to cheer (loudly) about.  It was a great rivalry night between two talented teams. Magruder, a team that has battled injuries all season, continued with a litany of health issues.  The Magruder trainer may have been the team MVP.  Sophomore Alex Campero, still unable to jump and with only one day practice returned to the lineup for the first time in a month.  Senior Sami Perkins played on a sprained knee that was injured near the end of practice the day before.  Senior Kira Ng suffered a severe nose bleed during warmups and missed the entire first set and junior Kaliyah Moss sprained an ankle during set 4, only to later return in set 5 to make several key plays.  Each of these four players pushed through and were a key part in the Colonels win.  The match didn't start well for Magruder as Sherwood took a lead early in set one.  The Colonels were error prone and struggled to get going.  They battled back to nearly tie the set before numerous mental errors doomed the Colonels and Sherwood was too good not to capitalize and take the first set 25-18.  Sherwood served very well in set one and took Magruder out of their offense.  In set two and three the Colonels took control winning both sets 25-16.  In set 2 Magruder had a 22-9 lead before a Sherwood rally closed the gap some. At this point Magruder appeared to be cruising to a four set win.  However, Magruder was plagued by service errors in this set (missing 9 serves).  Sherwood was simply too good not to take advantage and they scored several points near the end of the set to win 25-22.  In set 5 Magruder's serving recovered and they dominated at the net with 3 blocks and several key kills.  In the end 195 points were played with Magruder winning 105 and Sherwood winning 90.  Magruder had a season high 52 kills, led by Moss with a career high 21 kills.  She also had a team high 6 blocks and an ace.  Maya Scott recovered from a slow start to finish with 20+ good passes, 16 kills and 15 digs.  Alex Campero anchored the defense with a team high 31 good passes and 19 digs.  Kira Ng finished with 36 assists.  Most importantly the win clinched Magruder's 2nd straight MCPS division title and their 12th since 2001.   

Some match analysis is below:

Magruder won 56% of the points Sherwood served, a very good percentage against a very good team.  Sherwood won 46% of the points Magruder served, the best percentage anyone has posted against Magruder this year.  However, both teams percentages were likely impacted by a large number of serves both teams missed. 

Magruder hit .232 for the match with  52 kills and only 19 errors.  

Magruder served only 83.% for the match with only 6 aces and a season high 19 errors.  9 of those errors were during set 4, when Magruder served 59% for the set.  

Magruder passed 67% for the match.  

Magruder had 14 blocks and 59 digs.  

INDIVIDUAL LEADERS

Kills:  Kaliyah Moss (21) and Maya Scott(16)

Blocks:  Kaliyah Moss (6) and several with 2 

Assists:   Kira Ng (36) and Nichole Bright (11)

Aces:  Sarah Schaupp and Maya Scott (2 each)

Good Passes:  Alex Campero (31) and Maya Scott (29)

Digs:   Alex Campero (19) and Maya Scott (15)

Blair

Magruder faced off against Blair in a key division match where both teams entered the match undefeated in division play.  The entire match featured some great rallies and individual plays but each team struggled with inconsistent play and Magruder made a number of uncharacteristic errors giving Blair several free points each set.  Blair took advantage taking a lead in each set before Magruder rallied to win. Neither team appeared to be able to pass their opponent's serve on a consistent basis.  Blair gave up very few aces, but passed the ball so far off the net that Magruder regularly got free balls or Blair was only able to set one attacker.  Magruder had more consistent passing to the net, but also uncharacteristically sprayed the ball all over the gym in serve receive for segments of each set.  In the end Magruder's firepower at the net was simply too much.  Despite all the ball control issues, Magruder still hit .301 for match.  When they were able to get their ball to their hitters good things happened, but this didn't occur consistently enough.  Magruder pulled set one out 28-26.  They closed with a Kaliyah Moss kill and Katie Stevens-Donati served twice, generating a free ball to help win the 27th point, then serving an ace for the final 28th point.  In set 2 Magruder was down 17-13.  Another Moss kill and several serves from Maya Scott gave Magruder a slight lead and they won the set 25-22.  In the third set Magruder raced to an 8 point lead, but couldn't handle the prosperity as a series of serve receive errors, poor blocking and attack errors nearly tied the set before Magruder won 25-21.  Some match analysis is below:

Serve receive data is not available for this match, but neither team sided out consistently.  

Magruder hit .301 for the match with 37 kills and only 12 errors.  

Magruder served 88.4% for the match with 8 aces and 9 errors.  

Magruder passed 59% for the match, a horrific mark.  

Magruder had 5 blocks and 32 digs.  

INDIVIDUAL LEADERS

Kills:  Kaliyah Moss (12) and Maya Scott(8)

Blocks:  Kaliyah Moss Lindsay Nyunja (2 each)

Assists:   Kira Ng (31)

Aces:  Kaliyah Moss, Sami Perkins and Sarah Schaupp (2 each)

Good Passes:  Maya Scott (22) and Sarah Schaupp (16)

Digs:   Maya Scott (9) and Sarah Schaupp (8)

Blake

Magruder and Blake have perhaps played more than any two teams in MCPS over the last four years. When Magruder's enrollment dropped dramatically, they were moved to the 3A state playoff system four years ago. Since that point, one could argue their biggest rival has been Blake. The teams met twice each of the last three seasons, each time once during the regular season and once in the playoffs. While Magruder won all 6 matches, two were five set marathons (one that required a major comeback by Magruder) and 2 were four set matches. The two programs have clearly been among the top 3A programs in the area during this time. However this year the teams met with very different situations. Magruder entered the match undefeated and ranked in the DC area while Blake entered the match winless. Despite the apparent difference, Blake played with great heart and turned in a very good defensive performance led by their libero. Magruder prevailed in three sets, but the match had many well played points. In the end the Colonels dominant play at the net and strong serving were the difference. The team only registered 13 aces, but generated another 20 free balls. At the net the Colonels were plagued by a high rate of attack errors (17%), but also had a high kill rate (41%). The team totaled 37 kills on the match, more than 12/set, which is a high number. Some match analysis is below:

Serve receive data is not available for this match. 

Magruder hit .245 for the match with 37 kills and only 15 errors. 

Magruder served 91.4% for the match with 13 aces and 6 errors. 

Magruder passed 65% for the match, their 2nd straight match struggling passing. 

Magruder had 3 blocks and 21 digs.  

INDIVIDUAL LEADERS

Kills:  Kaliyah Moss (9) and Lindsay Nyunja and Maya Scott(7 each)

Blocks:  Kaliyah Moss (2) and Lindsay Nyunja (1)

Assists:   Tonessa Jhingory (13) and Kira Ng (12)

Aces:  Kaliyah Moss and Katie Stevens-Donati (8 each)

Good Passes:  Sarah Schaupp (17) and Maya Scott (15)

Digs:   many with 3

Northwood

Magruder defeated Northwood in straight sets for their 12th win of the season and 3rd straight division win.  Magruder unleashed a devastating service game, totaling a season high 25 aces and still serving over 90% (91%).  Senior Katie Stevens-Donati and junion Kaliyah Moss each had 8 aces.  Katie had 7 in the first set and served for 12 straight points, while Kaliyah served for 11 straight in set 2.  Junior Sarah Schaupp added 4 aces (and 6 kills).  Magruder also had a great night attacking the ball as they hit a combined .457 for the match.  Senior middle Lindsay Nyunja had a great night with a team high 8 kills on only 11 attacks.  Nichole Bright (14 assists) and Tonessa Jhingory (13 assists) did a great job setting.  Some match analysis is below:  

Magruder won 56% of the points Northwood served.  Northwood won 27% of the points Magruder served.

Magruder hit .456 for the match with 27 kills and only 6 errors.  Their kill rate was over 50%.

Magruder served 91% for the match with 25 aces and 6 errors. 

Magruder passed 67% for the match, not a great night. 

Magruder had 2 blocks and 20 digs.  

INDIVIDUAL LEADERS

Kills:  Kaliyah Moss  and Lindsay Nyunja (8 each)

Blocks:  Kaliyah Moss and Lindsay Nyunja (1 each)

Assists:   Nichole Bright (14) and Tonessa Jhingory (13)

Aces:  Kaliyah Moss and Katie Stevens-Donati (8 each)

Good Passes:  Sarah Schaupp (9) and Damaris Rodriguez (7)

Digs:   Damaris Rodriguez (4) and many with 3. 

Springbrook

Magruder faced Springbrook for the 2nd time in a week and this time around both teams played a much better match.   Magruder scored points in bunches, but earned them.  Magruder had 20 total aces, giving Springbrook fits serving.  However, if Springbrook was able to get Magruder's serve's in the air, they made very few errors throughout the match, forcing Magruder to earn points.  They did.  Magruder had 37 kills, their highest total for a three set match this year.  Combined with the 20 aces, that was 57 of their 75 points.  Five of Magruder's players totaled 6 or more kills.  Kaliyah Moss led the team with 9, but Maya Scott and Lindsay Nyunja each had 7, while Sami Perkins and Sarah Schaupp each had 6.  All three setters totaled 10 or more assists.  Kira Ng led the team with 13 while Tonessa Jhingory and Nichole Bright each had 10.  Kira Ng and Scott led the team serving with 5 kills each.  In the end Magruder won the match 25-14, 25-8, 25-14 for their 11th straight win to start the season.   Some match analysis is below:

Sideout data is not available for this match. 

Magruder hit .324 for the match with 37 kills and 13 errors.  Their kill rate was exactly 50%.

Magruder served 88% for the match with 20 aces and 8 errors. 

Magruder passed 73.1% for the match, a very good outing

Magruder had 2 blocks and 21 digs.  

INDIVIDUAL LEADERS

Kills:  Kaliyah Moss (9) and Maya Scott and Lindsay Nyunja (7 each)

Blocks:  Kaliyah Moss and Lindsay Nyunka (1 each)

Assists:  Kira Ng (13) Nichole Bright and Tonessa Jhingory (10 each)

Aces:  Maya Scott and Kira Ng (5 each)

Good Passes:  Maya Scott (14) and Kira Ng (11)

Digs:  Maya Scott (6) and Damaris Rodriguez (4)

Paint Branch

Magruder limped into their match against Paint Branch missing three players to injury/illness resulting in only 9 active players for the match. However, the team continued to play well in a 25-13, 25-11, 25-9 victory over Paint Branch. Maya Scott led the team in hitting with 11 kills (on only 16 swings) while Katie Donati-Stevens led the team in aces with 7 and added 5 kills of her own. Setters Nichole Bright (12 assists and 5 aces) and Tonessa Jhingory (9 assists, 1 ace) both played well in the win. Some match analysis is below:

Sideout data is not available for this match. 

Magruder hit .306 for the match.  Their kill rate was exceptionally high (27 kills on 49 swings) as was their error rate (12 errors or 24.4%).

Magruder served 86% for the match with 19 aces and 11 errors. 

Magruder passed 72.1% for the match, a very good outing

Magruder had 3 blocks and 20 digs.  

INDIVIDUAL LEADERS

Kills:  Maya Scott (11) and Katie Stevens-Donati (5)

Blocks:  Lindsay Nyunj (2) and Maya Scott (1)

Assists:  Nichole Bright (12) and Tonessa Jhingory (9)

Aces:  Katie Donati-Stevens (7) and Nichole Bright (5)

Good Passes:  Sarah Schaupp (12) and Maya Scott (11)

Digs:  Maya Scott (9) and Damaris Rodriguez (4)

Magruder Invitational

Magruder won their 21st Annual Invitational ending their day similar to the way it started, playing a determined and up and coming Clarksburg team.  However, throughout the day the Colonels battled inconsistent play and a consistently juggled lineup with injuries.  Already missing key contributor Alex Campero (sprained ankle), Magruder lost setter/libero Kira Ng (bone contusion) and Maya Scott played through a injury.  Yet, when the team needed to play their best, as a group they rose to the occasion.  The day started with a match against Clarksburg.  Magruder struggled the entire first set, never playing with the same sense of urgency or determination they had shown against Churchill.  Yet, they found a way to win a close set.   Sarah Schaupp led the team in serving with 4 aces and added 4 kills and a block.  Magruder's 2nd match of the day was against Covenant Life, a private school right down the road from Magruder.  They came to play and gave Magruder a great match before losing 26-24 and 25-17.  Nicole Bright had a career high 6 aces in the match while senior Lindsay Nyunja had 3 kills and a block.  The third match of the day was against  Springbrook and Magruder won in two sets.  Senior Katie Stevens-Donati turned in a strong match scoring 7 points (4 aces and 3 kills).  Junior Tonessa Jhingory set much of the match finishing with a career high 9 assists and added an ace.  The final match of pool play was against Wise and Magruder played their best match of pool play winning 25-15, 25-11.  This was the one match in pool play where Magruder limited their errors throughout the match.  Jade Guiao scored 8 straight points serving and played flawless defense (4 digs).  Kaliyah Moss had 7 kills on 10 swings (no errors) and Maya Scott added 7 kills on 13 swings (2 errors).  Having won their pool Magruder faced Quince Orchard in the semi-finals and played a pretty flawless match winning 25-13, 25-19.  Maya Scott added a career high 7 aces (to go with 3 kills and 10 digs).  In the other semi-final Clarksburg upset a good Blair team that was undefeated on the day setting up a rematch of pool play.  It started similarly, with Magruder struggling and Clarksburg taking advantage.  Magruder missed 8 serves in the first set and never scored more than 3 points in a row.  Losing the entire set, Magruder rallied behind Stevens-Donati's serving to take a one point lead, before a missed serve and poor passing gave Clarksburg one last opening.  Unlike the first match in the morning, this time Clarksburg took advantage and closed out the first set. This was the first set Magruder lost all year and more importantly put their back to the wall as another loss would clinch the tournament championship for Clarksburg.  Magruder responded by winning set two 25-9 and set 3 15-5, playing their best volleyball of the day.  Sami Perkins served for 10 straight points in set two and finished with 5 aces for the match.  The tandem of Kaliyah Moss and Maya Scott also took over the match.  Kaliyah dominated at the net with 9 kills and a block, while Maya Scott played a great all-around match adding 7 kills and played a great passing and defensive match (15 good passes, 10 digs).  Schaupp also turned in a great final match with 5 kills and solid defense/passing.  Nichole Bright played her best volleyball of the year, replacing Kira Ng who was injured and ran a flawless offense in sets 2 and 3.  She finished with a career high 21 assists.  Sophomore Damaris Rodriguez played solid defense all night, making many great plays anchoring the defense and finished the day with over 20 digs.  Sami Perkins was the serving star of the day totaling nearly nearly 20 aces and adding double digit kills for the day.  Kaliyah Moss was the offensive star of the day leading the team in kills and blocks and was among the team leaders for the day in aces and serving percentage.  For her outstanding play the coaches at the tournament named Kaliyah to the all-tournament team.  After struggling early in the day, Maya Scott filled the stat sheet with a great all-around performance.  She finished 2nd on the team in kills and blocking, led the team in passing and digs and also added double digits in aces (13) and nearly double digits in assists (9).  The coaches named Maya the tournament MVP.  With the six wins, Magruder finished the day with an overall record of 9-0 and a regular season record of 3-0.  Congratulations to all the players for a job well done!

 Churchill

Over the past two seasons Magruder and Churchill have been among the elite teams in MCPS combining to win 74 matches while losing only 14.  Each of the past two years the teams have played incredibly hard fought, close competitive contests with Churchill winning each in 5 sets.  Coming into the match Magruder held the overall lead in head to head matchups having won 9 of 12, but Churchill had won the last three.  Magruder expected a long hard, fought match from a very tough well respected opponent.  Churchill certainly played hard, but Magruder matched their intensity and made fewer errors throughout the match enabling a surprising three set sweep of the Bulldogs.  The key to the match for Magruder was their serving and their ability to sideout consistently out of 5 of their 6 rotations.  Magruder served 91% for the night and generated nearly 30 aces and free balls during the match.  In set 1, Magruder had a run of 6 straight points and followed it up with a run of 9 straight points to start set 2.  Set three was close early until Magruder had a run of 10 straight service points.  Facing defeat, Churchill played valiantly and made a late run, but several key kills from Magruder closed the match at 25-20.  Magruder was able to sideout at a rate higher than 50% at 5 of their 6 rotations as well. The combination enabled Magruder to control the match throughout.  Some match analysis is below:    

Magruder won 51% of the points Churchill served.  Churchill won 35% of the points Magruder served. 

Magruder hit .202 for the match.  Their kill rate was very high (29 kills on 74 swings) as was their error rate (14 errors on 74 swings).

Magruder served 91% for the match with 11 aces and 7 errors. 

Magruder passed 682.1% for the match, a solid outing. 

Magruder passed a 1.85 in serve receive, a very good rate. 

Magruder had 3 blocks and 41 digs.  

INDIVIDUAL LEADERS

Kills:  Kaliyah Moss (9) and Maya Scott (8)

Blocks:  Maya Scott (2) and Sami Perkins (1)

Assists:  Kira Ng (27) and Maya Scott (1)

Aces:  Sam Perkins (5) and Katie Donati-Stevens (2) and Maya Scott (2 each)

Good Passes:  Maya Scott (21) and Sarah Schaupp (15)

Digs:  Maya Scott (15) and Damaris Rodriguez (9)

Watkins Mill

 Poolesville 

Magruder opened their 2018 season with a convincing three set victory over a scrappy and determined Poolesville team.  However the match didn't start out that way.  After scoring the first four points Magruder missed several routine plays and Poolesville took advantage to take a 9-7 lead.  After a quick timeout, the team played very well throughout the rest of the match winning 25-13, 25-11 and 25-21.  Serving was the key for the Colonels.  As a team Magruder served an incredible 97.3% of their serves in and generated 12 aces and 15 free balls from their serving.  The 97.3% may be the highest percentage in since Coach Zanni started coaching.  Impressive night serving.  Magruder also hit very efficiently registered 28 kills with only 8 errors (a very good ratio), good for an attack percentage of .256 (also very good for high school).  Some match analysis is below:  

Magruder won 65% of the points Poolesville served.  Poolesville won 40% of the points Magruder served.  

Magruder hit .256 for the match with 28 kills and 8 errors.

The team served 97.3% for the match with 12 aces and only 2 errors.  The 2 errors are likely the lowest total in school history.

Magruder passed 69.1% for the match.

Magruder passed a 1.70 in serve receive.

Magruder had 3 blocks and 38 digs.  

INDIVIDUAL LEADERS

Kills:  Kaliyah Moss (9) and Maya Scott (7)

Blocks:  Kaliyah Moss, Sarah Schaupp and Sami Perkins (1 each)

Assists:  Nichole Bright (11) and Kira Ng (9)

Aces:  Sarah Schaupp and Maya Scott (3 each)

Good Passes:  Sarah Schaupp (7) and Maya Scott (6)

Digs:  Kira Ng (10) and Alex Campero (8)

2017 Match Analysis

 WESTMINSTER

Magruder travelled to Westminster hoping to claim their 3rd straight sectional title.  The matchup featured two of the best 3A as they held a combined record over nearly 35 wins and only 3 losses.  After this match one of the favorites for the state title would be out.  Unfortunately it was Magruder.  Westminster did a much better job of limiting their physical errors and mental mistakes.  Magruder had 20 hitting errors in 3 sets (or 21% of the points Westminster scored).  Many of those attack errors were unforced.  Magruder started strong taking a 20-11 lead in the first set and appeared to be in control.  Six straight points by Westminster (several from unforced attack errors) made it 20-17 before Magruder got a sideout.  Westminster got the ball back on the next point and again went on a run to eventually tie the set and win 25-23.  This lost opportunity would come back to haunt the Colonels.  Magruder fell behind 11-5 in set 2. After a timeout it was Magruder's turn to rally.  Playing some of their best volleyball of the night the Colonels tied the set and went on to win 25-22.  However set 3 was a disaster for Magruder.  Again plagued with some attack errors, Magruder was out of position on defense several times and miscommunicated on several easy plays.  Westminster was too good not to take advantage and won this set handily by a score of 25-18.  Set four was again close, but Westminster led most of the way and Magruder couldn't score points consistently to rally.  The team had 4 of their 9 service errors in this set (or 36% of Westminster's sideouts).  The Colonels lost 25-22, ending their season much earlier than any of them wanted.  Magruder finished the year with a 19-3 record, their best since 2012 (and played a much harder schedule than the 2012 team), won the MHS Invitational and won their county title (again for the first time since 2012). 

BLAKE

For the 3rd straight year Blake and Magruder faced off in the playoffs, this time in the Sectional Semi-Finals.  In 2015 Magruder won the Sectional Finals against Blake in 5 hard fought sets and in 2016 repeated with a 4 set win over Blake.  Magruder played well all match sweeping Blake by scores of 25-14, 25-8, 25-11 to advance to the Sectional Finals for the 3rd straight year.  Magruder opened a big lead in each set with strong serving and attacking.  As a team Magruder had 24 aces and 28 kills (good for 52 of the 75 points scored).  Senior Alex Salas had a career night serving with a high of 8 aces, while junior Kira Ng and senior Kristen Martindell each had 4 aces.  Sophomore Sarah Schaupp and Kristen Martindell each led the team in attacking with 6 kills.  Noelle Waring ran the offense well with 26 assists.  Some match analysis is below:

Magruder won 72.7% of the points Blake served.  Blake won 26.7% of the points Magruder served.  

Magruder hit .322 for the match with 28 kills and 10 errors. 

The team served 92.9% with 24 aces and 5 errors.  

Magruder passed 73.1.7% for the match.

Magruder had 6 blocks and 28 total digs.

Individual Leaders:

Kills:  Sarah Schaupp and Kristen Martindell (5 each)

Blocks:   6 players with 1 each

Assists:  Noelle Waring (26)  and Nichole Bright (2)

Aces:  Alex Salas (8) and Kira Ng and Kristen Martindell (4 each)

Good Passes:  Kristen Martindell (11) and Alex Salas (10)

Digs:  Alex Salas (10) an Kira Ng (4)

GAITHERSBURG

Magruder won 55% of the points Gaithersburg served.  Gaithersburg won 35% of the points Magruder served.  

Magruder hit .231 for the match with 37 kills and 16 errors. 

The team served 88.7% with 10 aces and 8errors.  

Magruder passed 68.7% for the match.

Magruder had 7 blocks and 42 total digs.

Individual Leaders:

Kills:  Kaliyah Moss (10) and Maya Scott (8)

Blocks:   Kaliyah Moss (6)  and Kristen Martindell (1)

Assists:  Noelle Waring (33)  and Nichole Bright (4)

Aces:  Noelle Waring and Kira Ng (3 each)

Good Passes:  Alex Salas (15) and Kira Ng(8)

Digs:  Alex Salas (16) and Maya Scott (8)

GEORGETOWN VISITATION

Magruder travelled to Washington DC for their annual trip outside of Montgomery County. On a beautiful fall night the Colonels defeated a very scrappy Visitation team in 3 sets. Magruder again struggled serving making only 85% of their serves, but Sami Perkins (5 aces), Katie Stevens-Donati and Noelle Waring (3 aces each) combined to serve well over 90% with 11 total aces. At the net Kaliyah Moss dominated with 10 kills and 3 blocks while Kristen Martindell had 8 kills. Alex Salas (17 good passes, 13 digs) and Kira Ng (9 good passes and 7 digs) anchored the back row. The win improved the Colonels record to 17-2. Some match analysis is below:

Sideout data is not available for this match. 

Magruder hit .277 for the match with 39 kills and 14 errors. 

The team served 84.8% with 13 aces and 11errors.  

Magruder passed 68,5% for the match.

Magruder had 7 blocks and 40 total digs.

Individual Leaders:

Kills:  Kaliyah Moss (10) and Kristen Martindell (8)

Blocks:   Kaliyah Moss (3) and several with 1 

Assists:  Noelle Waring (34)  and Nichole Bright (4)

Aces:  Sami Perkins (5) and Noelle Waring/Katie Donati-Stevens (3 each)

Good Passes:  Alex Salas (17) and Kira Ng (9)

Digs:  Alex Salas (13) and Kira Ng (7)

DAMASCUS 

Magruder and Damascus entered their regular season matchup ranked among the top teams in Montgomery County and the Washington DC area.  Yet, this would be the only time they would play as Damascus is a 2A team in Maryland and Magruder is a 3A team (NOTE:   there was a time when both were in 4A, the largest state classification).  Magruder and Damascus were a combined 31-2 going into the match.  Damascus had won the last two matchups, but Magruder held an overall 13-7 record since 1996.  The matchup was a classic battle of different teams.  Magruder is a very young team (3 sophomores and 1 freshmen played key roles) that is among the strongest offensively in the area and has a very strong service game.  Damascus is a veteran team of juniors and seniors that has solid attackers, but they are among the best ball control teams in the area featuring very strong serve receive, defense and ball control.  The difference in styles made for a fun match where both teams looked in control at times.  Each team had one set they served poorly in.  In Set 1, Magruder struggled (and trailed) throughout, but Damascus missed a string of serves that kept Magruder in the set.  Magruder was eventually able to tie the set and then win 25-23.  Magruder returned the favor in set 4 as they missed 4 straight serves and 6 total for the set enabling Damascus to cruise to an easy 25-18 win. The remaining 3 sets were a battle. Magruder had five point lead in set 2, but a series of unforced errors quickly erased that lead and Damascus took advantage to win 26-24. The set ended with a flurry of kills from Damascus.   Magruder won set 3 with no aces (a hard thing to do!).  The vast majority of their points were scored in transition and serve receive, many from sophomore middle hitter Kaliyah Moss (18 kills and 4 blocks), who Damascus had no answer for all night.  Kaliyah hit .500 for the match, an outrageously high percentage against such a good defensive team.    In set 5, Damascus played their best defense of the night, digging several hard hit balls from Magruder and winning some key long rallies and winning 15-10.  In the end the deciding factor was Damascus's ability to control Magruder's service game and Damascus's ability to limit their errors while generating more chances to attack the ball than Magruder.  The Colonels had a season low of 6 aces (especially low considering the match was 5 sets).  Worse, the Colonels only 15% of the Colonels serves generated a free ball or ace, by far the lowest percentage of the season (even including Churchill, another stalwart defensive team).   Some match analysis is below:

The scoresheets for this match were accidentally thrown out so no serve receive data is available.  However, it's certain that Damascus won this battle, likely by 3-4% points (Damascus won 111 points for the match, Magruder won 102). 

Magruder hit .191 for the match with 57 kills and 25 errors.  The 25 errors are 22% of the total points Damascus scored. 

The team served 84.8% with 6 aces and only 15 errors.   This ace total and service percentage were the Colonels lowest of the season.  The low ace totals are mainly due to Damascus's outstanding serve receive. 

Magruder passed 66.8% for the match.

Magruder had 12 blocks and 72 total digs.

Individual Leaders:

Kills:  Maya Scott (19) and Kaliyah Moss (18)

Blocks:   Kaliyah Moss and Maya Scott (4 each)

Assists:  Noelle Waring (50) 

Aces:  Alex Salas (3) and Noelle Waring (2)

Good Passes:  Alex Salas (36) and Maya Scott (21)

Digs:  Alex Salas (24) and Maya Scott (18)

ROCKVILLE

Magruder played their last county division match of 2017 at Rockville on their Dig Pink/Lily's Foundation night. The event was a major success as Rockville brought a huge crowd, ran a fun serving contest and early estimates have them raising over $1000. It was a great night. On the court, Magruder won in 3 sets behind a strong service game. The "Alex's" (senior Alex Salas and freshman Alex Campero) made 23 of 24 serves with a combined 12 aces. Kaliyah Moss scored 14 points with 11 kills and 4 blocks (3 in set 1). The win improved Magruder's overall record to 16-1. Some match analysis is below:

Sideout data is not available for this match. 

Magruder hit .300 for the match with 31 kills and 10 errors. 

The team served 95.8% with 19 aces and only 3 errors.   The 95.8% is among the highest in school history.

Magruder passed 71.3% for the match.

Magruder had 4 blocks and 27 total digs.

Individual Leaders:

Kills:  Kaliyah Moss (11) and Maya Scott (7)

Blocks:   Kaliyah Moss (4)

Assists:  Noelle Waring (20)  and Nichole Bright (8)

Aces:  Alex Campero (7) and Alex Salas (5)

Good Passes:  Alex Campero (13) and Kira Ng (12)

Digs:  Kira Ng (6) and Katie Stevens-Donati and Maya Scott (4 each)

NORTH HAGERSTOWN

North Hagerstown travelled to Magruder for what is likely the first ever regular season match between two schools from Washington and Montgomery counties. The two teams have traditionally been among the top in their area for a long time and match was highly anticipated (and sadly, lightly attended by Magruder fans). The teams are also in the same state playoff region so it was possible preview of a later season match. Set 1 started with Magruder taking a dominating 15-4 lead and looking like they would win easily. It was not to be. A series of passing and attack errors gave North Hagerstown several easy points and North Hagerstown played some of their best volleyball of the night, defending well and transitioning for kills. North Hagerstown actually took a lead late in the set. Magruder rallied to take a 24-23 lead, but made two mistakes on set point and a North Hagerstown kill tied it. Magruder won the next two points to win the set. Set 2 started similarly to set 1, but this time Magruder closed with a flurry. With a 16-10 lead Sami Perkins served for 8 straight points and 6 of those were aces. Magruder eventually won 25-13. Set 3 was similar to set 2 as Magruder took a 13-6 lead behind the strong serving of Sarah Schaupp and eventually won 25-17. Some match analysis is below:

    Magruder won 50% of the points North Hagerstown served.  This is slightly below their season averages.  North Hagerstown won 36% of the points Magruder served

Magruder hit .167 for the match with 29 kills and 16 errors. The kills/set were relatively normal, but the error rate was much higher than normal.  Most of these errors were in set 1. 

The team served 94.7% with 16 aces and only 4 errors. 

Magruder passed 69.2% for the match.

Magruder had 13 blocks and 44 total digs.

Individual Leaders:

Kills:  Kaliyah Moss (8) and Maya Scott (7)

Blocks:   Kaliyah Moss (6) and Kristen Martindell (2)

Assists:  Noelle Waring (26)

Aces:  Sami Perkins (8) and Sarah Schaupp (3)

Good Passes:  Alex Salas (15) and Maya Scott (10)

Digs:  Alex Salas (15) and Kristen Martindell (8)

BLAIR

Magruder and Blair met for the 2nd time this year with results very similar to the first matchup. In the first matchup, Blair won the first set pretty handily and then Magruder rallied to win the next two and the match (tournament play). Last night, Magruder handily won the first two sets, outscoring Blair by a 2:1 ratio (25-9, 25-16). Yet Blair didn't give up and played a very strong 3rd and 4th sets they won by a total of 6 points. Set 4 was particularly thrilling as the teams each fought off set points, with Blair eventually winning 31-29. Blair played some great defense and Magruder struggled with some unforced errors. This set up another deciding game. Magruder came out strong serving well and running their offense more efficiently. The Colonels got leads of 6-2 and 10-4 before winning 15-8. The end result was an odd statistically anomaly where the winner scored 26 more points and won nearly 57% of the points played, but yet the match went a full five games. Blair displayed true resilience throughout the night and put themselves in position to win the match. The win earned the Colonels their 2017 county division title, the 11th in school history, but the first since 2012. Outside hitters Maya Scott and Kristen Martindell each turned in a rare triple double. Maya had 17 kills, 1 digs and 22 good passes, while Kristen had 12 kills, 16 digs and 19 good passes (along with 3 blocks, 4 aces and an assist). Some match analysis is below:

    Magruder won 54% of the points Blair served.  Blair won 45% of the points Magruder served

Magruder hit .228 for the match with 60 kills and 23 errors. Both are a season high. 

The team served 91.4% with 14 aces and 10 errors

Magruder passed 67.2% for the match.

Magruder had 8 blocks and 82 total digs.

Individual Leaders:

Kills:  Maya Scott (17) and Kristen Martindell (12)

Blocks:   Kaliyah Moss and Kristen Martindell (3 each)

Assists:  Noelle Waring (50)

Aces:  Sami Perkins (5) and Kristen Martindell (4)

Good Passes:  Alex Salas (37) and Maya Scott (22)

Digs:  Alex Salas (27) and Maya Scott (16)

SHERWOOD

Sherwood and Magruder were long time rivals in the MPSSAA 4A state classification until 2015 when Magruder's enrollment dropped and was moved to 3A. Before 2015, the teams had a long and often one sided rivalry. Since 1996 the teams had met 33 times (regular season, tournaments and playoffs) with Magruder holding a 19-14 edge. Yet the rivalry was often rather lopsided with Sherwood winning 9 matches in a row in the late 90's, Magruder winning 13 of 14 in the early to mid 2000's and Sherwood having won the last 5 in row. In fact Magruder's last win against Sherwood was in early 2011. Their 2017 regular season matchup had major importance to both teams. Not only are both playing for home court in the playoffs, but the winner would clinch at least a share of their MCPS county division title. There was a lot riding on the match. It didn't start well for Magruder. After taking an early lead, Magruder's ball control struggled and Sherwood's blocking and defense improved. The set was close the rest of the way (in part to at least one very favorable call Magruder received) and it was tied at 23-23. With Magruder serving, Sherwood executing a perfect pass-set-kill and then won the next point to win 25-23. Set 2 was close throughout as well. Magruder made a few matchup changes during this set and took a late lead behind the serving of freshman Alex Campero (4 straight points) to win 25-21. From there Magruder dominated the next two sets, outscoring Sherwood 50-28 (winning 25-9, 25-19). Magruder's ball control and service game took over and allowed them to run their offense on a more consistent basis. Noelle Waring posted a career high in assists (42). Alex Salas posted a career high in digs (26) and aces (7). Some match analysis is below:

    Serve receive is not available for this match. 

Magruder hit .207 for the match with 45 kills and 20 errors.

The team served only 91.5% with 21 aces and 9 errors

Magruder passed 68.6% for the match.

Magruder had 8  blocks and 60 total digs.

Individual Leaders:

Kills:  Maya Scott (15) and Kaliyah Moss (13)

Blocks:   Kaliyah Moss (3) and Kristen Martindell (2)

Assists:  Noelle Waring (42)

Aces:  Alex Salas (7) and Sami Perkins (5)

Good Passes:  Alex Salas (28) and Maya Scott (22)

Digs:  Alex Salas (26) and Maya Scott (16)

Springbrook

Blake

   Magruder won 60% of the points Blake served.  Blake won 41% of the points Magruder served.

Magruder hit .378 for the match with 35 kills and 10 errors, many of which were in set 1.

The team served only 85% for the match but did register 19 aces with 11 errors.

Magruder passed 67.6% for the match.

Magruder had 3 blocks and 33 total digs.

Individual Leaders:

Kills:  Maya Scott (10) and Kaliyah Moss (9)

Blocks:   Kaliyah Moss (2) and Kristen Martindell (1)

Assists:  Noelle Waring (28) and Nichole Bright (3)

Aces:  Katie Sami Perkins (4) and Alex Salas (4)

Good Passes:  Maya Scott (12) and Kristen Martindell (11)

Digs:  Noelle Waring (8) and Kristen Martindell (7)

Northwood

Magruder won their 8th straight match with a 3 set sweep against Northwood.  Serving did the most damage for the night as the team tallied 20 aces on the night (out of the 75 points scored).  However, set 1 started with Magruder missing 4 of their first 5 serves.  From that point on Magruder served incredibly well throughout the match.  Magruder also passed well and attacked well throughout the match.  Some match analysis is below:

   No serve receive data is available for this match.

Magruder hit .450 for the match with 20 kills and only 2 errors. 

The team served 86% for the match with 20 aces and 8 errors. 

Magruder passed 71.5% for the match.

Magruder had 3 blocks and 14 total digs.

Individual Leaders:

Kills:  Kaliyah Moss and Maya Scott (5 each)

Blocks:   Kaliyah Moss (2) and Lindsay Nyjunja (1)

Assists:  Noelle Waring (10) and Nichole Bright (6)

Aces:  Katie Stevens-Donati and Sami Perkins (4 each)

Good Passes:  Kira Ng (8) and Alex Campero (4)

Digs:  Kira Ng and Katie Stevens-Donati (3 each)

Paint Branch

Magruder played well in a solid 3 set victory against a 2-1 Paint Branch team.  Magruder dominated at the net and used a strong service game to create frequent scoring opportunities.  6 players had 3 or more kills and the team hit an impressive .339 for the night.  Serving was slightly below normal as the team only served 84%, but still notching 14 aces with 8 different players having at least one.  The victory improved Magruder to 3-1 for the season.   Some match analysis is below:

   Magruder won 69% % of the points Paint Branch served.  Paint Branch won 39% of the points Magruder served. 

Magruder hit .339 for the match with 29 kills and 9 attack errors. 

The team served 84% for the match with 14 aces and 12 errors. 

Magruder passed 68.5% for the match.

Magruder had 3 blocks and 13 total digs.

Individual Leaders:

Kills:  Kaliyah Moss and Alex Campero (6 each)

Blocks:   Kaliyah Moss (2) and Kristen Martindell (1)

Assists:  Noelle Waring (20) and Kira Ng (8)

Aces:  Noelle Waring (4) and Kira Ng (3)

Good Passes:  Alex Salas, Alex Campero and Kiera Trickey (6 each)

Digs:  many with 2

 Churchill

Magruder and Churchill faced off in a battle that featured one of the top 4A schools in the county (Churchill) and one of the best 3A schools in the county (Damascus). However, the teams are very different teams.  Churchill is perhaps the best defensive team in the county featuring possibly the best serve receive and defense around.  They also are a very experienced team featuring several seniors.  Magruder is among the most offensively talented teams in the county, featuring a very tall and talented front line, but also is among the youngest teams in the county, starting 3 sophomores last night. 

The match was well played by both teams, with Magruder winning the first two sets and Churchill winning the last three sets. Both teams sided out at very high rates (Magruder nearly 55% and Churchill nearly 60%). Both teams won long, hard fought rallies and both teams had streaks of very well played volleyball. Magruder won the first two sets by passing well, playing solid defense and establishing a devastating middle attack featuring Kaliyah Moss (who hit .500 for the match). However, in sets 3-5, Churchill was able to significantly improve their passing (44% perfect passing vs. 29% in sets 1-2 that they lost). This allowed them to stay in system more and Magruder struggled to score points while serving. In sets 3-5 Magruder scored only 18 "real points" while serving. Most significantly Magruder was out of system more during these sets and when in didn't set middle as much as the first two sets. The combination gave an advantage to Churchill. Some match analysis is below:

   Magruder won 54.7% of the points Churchill served.  Churchill won 59.5% of the points Magruder served. 

Magruder hit  .174 for the match with 49 kills and 24 attack errors. 

The team served an outstanding 90% for the match with 10 aces and only 10 errors. 

Magruder passed 63.5% for the match. This was a major weakness as the match went on. 

Magruder had 12 blocks and 54 total digs.

Individual Leaders:

Kills:  Sarah Schaupp (16) and Maya Scott (15)

Blocks:   Kaliyah Moss (7) and Kristen Martindell (2)

Assists:  Noelle Waring (41)

Aces:  Sami Noelle Waring, Alex Salas and Maya Scott (2 each)

Good Passes:  Alex Salas (31) and Kristen Martindell (30)

Digs:  Alex Salas (15) and Maya Scott (13)

Watkins Mill

Magruder won their 2nd match of the season in straight sets against an improved Watkins Mill team.   The Colonels opened a big lead in set one with a strong service game and continued to apply the pressure through the match, finishing with 28 aces and only 7 errors (90% serving for the night).  Junior outside hitter Sami Perkins led the team with 6 aces, while juniors Nichole Bright had 5.  Magruder won in straight sets 25-8, 25-10, 25-14.  Some match analysis is below: 

   Magruder won 71% of the points Watkins Mill served.  Watkins Mill won 34% of the points Magruder served. 

Magruder hit an outstanding .210 for the match with 15 kills and 6 attack errors. 

The team served an outstanding 90.8% for the match with 28 aces and only 7 errors. 

Magruder passed 71.6% for the match..

Magruder had 2 blocks and 13 total digs.

Individual Leaders:

Kills:  Kaliyah Moss (4), Sami Perkins, Kristen Martindell, Alex Campero and Sarah Schaupp (2 each)

Blocks:   Kaliyah Moss (2)

Assists:  Noelle Waring (8) and Kira Ng (5)

Aces:  Sami Perkins (6) and Nichole Bright (5)

Good Passes:  Alex Salas (5) and Kristen Martindell (5)

Digs:  Kiera Trickey and Kira Ng (3 each)

Poolesville

Magruder opened their 2017 season with a very well played 3 set win over Poolesville.  This was perhaps the longest pre-season (length of time) Magruder has experienced and the girls were ready to play.   Magruder opened up with a devastating attack as senior setter Noelle Waring got early kills from five different players on the court.  Magruder made few errors in set 1 and used a strong service game to generate point scoring opportunities.  The set ended with Magruder winning 25-7.  However Poolesville is a team that always plays hard and competes. Compete they did in set 2.  Poolesville improved their service game and created their own point scoring chances.  Magruder continued to dominate at the net.  At 16-13, Coach Zanni called timeout and the Colonels played much steadier volleyball winning 9 of the last 11 points.  In set 3, the Colonels used all 13 players in a true team effort to win 25-13.  Overall Magruder played a very error free match, passing at a high level, hitting with great efficiency and serving well in all 3 sets.    Some match analysis is below: 

   Magruder won 72% of the points Poolesville served.  Poolesville won 32% of the points Magruder served. 

Magruder hit an outstanding .355 for the match with 32 kills and only 7 attack errors.  The .335 is among the highest in school history.

The team served an outstanding 94.2% for the match with 15 aces and only 5 errors. 

Magruder passed 72.8% for the match..

Magruder had 6 blocks and 31 total digs.

Individual Leaders:

Kills:  Kaliyah Moss (11) and Maya Scott (9)

Blocks:   Kaliyah Moss (4) and Kristen Martindell (2)

Assists:  Noelle Waring (25) and Kira Ng (4)

Aces:  Kira Ng (5) and Alex Salas, Noelle Warking and Kristen Martindell (2 each)

Good Passes:  Alex Salas (17) and Kristen Martindell (8)

Digs:  Alex Salas (9) and Maya Scott (7)

2017 SEASON PREVIEW

After a very successful 18-4 season in 2016, the Magruder Girls Varsity Volleyball team is exciting for a challenging 2017 season.  Despite a youthful team last year (5 freshman and sophomores who all saw lots of court time), the Colonels had a 18^th straight winning season and posted their best win/loss record since 2012. For the 2^nd consecutive year, the team won the3A South section and advanced to the regional finals where they lost a close match to Northern, the defending state champions.  Only 11 players return to the entire JV and Varsity program and it’s one of the youngest in school history with only 8 upperclassmen.  The JV team has 12 players (6 freshmen and sophomores) and the varsity team has 13 (1 freshman, 4 sophomores, 5 juniors and 3 seniors).   

The Varsity team graduated 3 seniors, but returns many talented veterans.  Senior Noelle Waring will assume the setting duties and looks to be one of the more talented setters in MCPS.  Fellow senior Alex Salas returns as the libero and also is poised for a strong season.  Kristen Martindell is a veteran and is now in her 4^th season.  She is already among career leaders in kills and points scored.  All three seniors are team captains.   

The junior class consists of Opposite Sami Perkins, a key participant on the 2016 team, defensive specialist/setter Kira Ng, also a key piece of the 2016 success and newcomers Nichole Bright (setter), Lindsay Nyunja and Katie Stevens-Donati.

Three sophomores return this year as well.  Middle hitter Kaliyah Moss was a 2^nd team All-County selection as a freshman (the first in school history).  Outside hitter Maya Scott set a school record for kills as a freshman.  Sarah Schaup played middle and outside last year and will mainly play outside this year.  Joining these three is Kiera Trickey, a defensive specialist, who played JV last year. 

Finally, freshman outside Alex Campero is new to Magruder, but brings many years of club experience with her. 

 Magruder will again compete in the 3A state classification for the next two years, but this time will play the sectional and regional playoffs in the 3A West.  This region includes powerhouse North Hagerstown, a team Magruder will play during the regular season, along with traditionally strong Blake, Westminster and Manchester Valley.  Expect a tougher playoff path.   

Magruder will continue to play some of their 4A rivals from previous years such as Gaithersburg, Sherwood, Blair and Quince Orchard but will again face “newer” 3A rivals such as Blake, Damascus and others.

2016 Match Analysis

Northern (REGIONAL FINAL)

After winning the 2016 3A South Sectional title, the Colonels travelled to Northern for a rematch of the 2015 regional final.  Northern entered the match as heavy favorites, having only lost one match in the last two years and possessing a much more veteran team laden with playoff experience.  Magruder returned to the regional final, minus 7 players from 2015, and in their place were a young group of freshmen and sophomores. On paper it appeared a major challenge for the Colonels, but it was one they embraced and had been looking forward to all season.  The girls rose to the occasion and played one of their best matches of the season, but fell just short of winning. Despite losing in 3 sets, the match was hard fought and well played throughout, as the Colonels lost by a total of 8 points in the 3 sets.  Throughout the match there were 15 ties and 7 lead changes.  Magruder started slow, falling behind 7-2, then rallied to tie the first set 7-7.  This was a major theme throughout the match as one team would take a lead and the other would rally.  Set one was close throughout and tied at 20-20.  The teams exchanged points until Magruder finally got a set point leading 24-23.  However, it wasn't to be.  A Northern sideout got them point 24, and a Northern kill and ace ended the set.  Set 2 started with the team each going on short scoring runs to take a small lead until Northern took a 6 point lead in the middle of the set.  Magruder stormed back to tie the set before losing 25-22.  In set 3 Magruder and Northern again exchanged the lead several times, this time with Magruder taking a 19-16 lead, but after a Northern time-out they rallied to tie the set and eventually won again 25-22.  While the Colonels were able to push Northern and compete, Northern played slightly more consistently throughout the match and that was to their advantage.   The loss ended a remarkable season for the Colonels. Despite half their roster consisting of freshmen and sophomores, the team finished the season 18-4, their best record since the 2012 season.  They improved throughout the year to finish as one of the better teams in their county, region and 3A playoff bracket.  Four seniors Anna Grace Bladen, Fatimah Seyed-Ali, Ecaterina Tau and Alena Villanueva,  all played significant roles in the success of the 2016 season.  They will all be missed as each made a major impact on the younger players, a talented group that has a bright future. 

Blake (SECTIONAL FINAL)

Two years ago due to drastically declining enrollment (Magruder is now the 4th smallest school in MCPS), the Colonels were moved from the 4A state tournament to the 3A state tournament.  At the time this ended most of Magruder's long standing rivalries.  Since then, the Colonels and Blake Bengals have developed a new rivalry.  The teams have played 5 times in the past two years, including back to back matchups in the 3A South Sectional Final.  While Magruder had won the previous four matchups, each match has been hard fought and well played.  Last year's Sectional Final was a five set classic that Magruder barely captured.  These two teams  again squared off in 2016 for the 3A South Sectional title.Magruder prevailed in a true team effort. The first set started well with Magruder taking a 12-3 and looking like they were in complete control. It was a mirage. A combination of missed serves, poor ball handling decisions and unforced errors gave Blake an opening and they took it. Blake rallied to tie the set and then won 25-23. Magruder made some adjustments to their lineup and substitution patterns. The team was already missing Noelle Waring due to illness, but in sets 2 through 4 Magruder utilized every available player.  Ecaterina Tau (13 of 15 serving with an ace), Fatimah Seyed-Ali (6 good passes, 3 digs) and Sarah Schaupp (8 for 8 serving with an ace to clinch set 3) all came off the bench and filled valuably needed roles to contribute to the victory.  This helped turn the tide for Magruder as the Colonels controlled the next three sets, winning each 25-19. Middle hitter Lucy Webster had a career high 6 blocks (which is tied for the most in a playoff match in school history). Fellow middle Kaliyah Moss had 10 kills and 5 blocks. Setter Alena Villanueva (39 assists) recovered from a tough first set to play some exceptional volleyball including scoring 7 points in a row serving in set 4. The defense and passing was anchored by the trio of Alex Salas (match high 28 good passes and 11 digs), Kira Ng (14 good passes, 9 digs) and Anna Grace Bladen (11 good passes, 9 digs). They kept Magruder in several long rallies and extended points, giving the Colonels chances to win hard fought rallies. Meanwhile outside hitters Kristen Martindell (team high 11 kills, 1 block), Maya Scott (10 kills) and Sami Perkins (7 kills, 16 of 17 serving with 2 aces), outplayed the Blake outside hitters and each had key kills at various points of the match.   Match point ended with Kaliyah Moss crushing a back quick that Blake could not return. When the final whistle blew the girls erupted off the Magruder bench and celebrated a hard fought win and the 2016 3A South Sectional title.  Some match analysis stats are below:

Magruder won 52% of the points Blake served.  Blake won 44% of the points Magruder served. 

Magruder hit .176 for the match with 42 kills, but 23 attack errors.  The 23 attack errors accounted for 28% of the points Blake won. 

The team served 83.7% for the match with 9 aces and an uncharacteristic 16 errors (19.5% of the points Blake won). 

Magruder passed 68% for the match..

Magruder had 12 blocks and 49 total digs.

Individual Leaders:

Kills:  Kristen Martindell (11) and Maya Scott and Kaliyah Moss (10 each)

Blocks:   Lucy Webster (6) and Kaliyah Moss (5)

Assists:  Alena Villanueva (39)

Aces:  Alex Salas (8) Sami Perkins and Alena Villaneuva (2 each)

Good Passes:  Alex Salas (28) and Kira Ng (14)

Digs:  Alex Salas (11) and Kira Ng and Anna Grace Bladen (9 each)

Watkins Mill

After getting a first round bye in the 3A South Sectional, Magruder opened their playoffs with a convincing 3 set win over Watkins Mill.  Magruder totaled a season high 25 aces with junior Alex Salas leading the way with a team high 8.  Senior Alena Villanueva had 4 aces, while sophomores Sami Perkins and Kira Ng each had 3.  Freshman Maya Scott also had 3 aces, which were the last three points of the match.  Maya also led the team attacking with a team high 9 kills, while fellow freshman Kaliyah Moss added 5.  Setters Alena Villanueva and Noelle Waring combined for 22 assists.  Kira Ng led the team with 5 digs and also had 5 good passes.  The victory moves Magruder into their 2nd straight sectional championship match against Blake High School.  The two teams met last year with Magruder winning a tough 5 set match.   Some match analysis stats are below:

Side out data is not available for this match. 

Magruder hit .286 for the match with 22 kills and 8 errors.    

The team served 87.8% for the match with 25 aces and 9 errors. 

Magruder passed 65% for the match..

Magruder had 1 blocks and 15 total digs.

Individual Leaders:

Kills:  Maya Scott (9) and Kaliyah Moss (5)

Blocks:   Sarah Schaupp (1)

Assists:  Alena Villanueva (14) and Noelle Waring (8)

Aces:  Alex Salas (8) and Maya Scott, Sami Perkins and Kira Ng (3 each)

Good Passes:  Alex Salas (9) and Kira Ng (5)

Digs:  Kira Ng (5) and Alex Salas (4)

Wheaton

Magruder celebrated senior night with a well played victory led by senior Ecaterina Tau, Anna Grace Bladen, Fatimah Seyed-Ali and Alena Villanueva.  After a pre-game ceremony that honored the hard work and contributions of all four girls, Magruder swept Wheaton to improve their record to 16-3 as they finished the regular season.  Ecaterina led the offense with a team high (and career high) 5 kills.  She also was the highest point scorer for Magruder as she finished with a team high 4 aces (9 total points).  Anna Grace Bladen played as a libero and opposite and notched 3 kills, a team high 3 digs, 3 good passes and 2 aces.  Fatimah played two games as an outside hitter and one as a libero.  She finished the match with a team high 8 good passes, 3 digs, 2 kills and an ace.  Alena Villanueva played as a setter, libero and outside hitter.  She finished with 6 assists, 3 aces and a kill.   Eleven of the thirteen players had at least one kill and 10 of the 13 players had at least one ace.  Junior Noelle Waring had 12 assists while freshman Maya Scott added a career high 4 aces.  Some match analysis stats are below:

Side out data is not available for this match. 

Magruder hit .333 for the match with 21 kills and 6 errors.    

The team served 87.8% for the match with 22 aces and 9 errors. 

Magruder passed 67% for the match..

Magruder had 1 blocks and 8 total digs.

Individual Leaders:

Kills:  Ecaterina Tau (5) and Anna Grace Bladen and Kaliyah Moss (3 each)

Blocks:   Sarah Schaupp (1)

Assists:  Noelle Waring (12) and Alena Villanueva (6)

Aces:  Ecaterina Tau and Maya Scott (4 each)

Good Passes:  Fatimah Seyed-Ali (8) and Alena Villanueva (7)

Digs:  Anna Grace Bladen and Fatimah Seyed-Ali (3 each)

Quince Orchard 

Magruder travelled to Quince Orchard for a rematch against the talented 2016 Magruder Invitational champions.  In the time since that match Magruder's very young team has continued to improve and the Lady Colonels wanted a chance to test themselves again.  The match didn't start well for Magruder as the team was plagued by service errors (6 in set 1) and miscommunication.  After 2 time-outs Magruder began to play better, but Quince Orchard had taken advantage of the opportunities provided to them and had a large lead.  Two well executed side-outs in a row by Quince Orchard sealed the game as they won 25-21.  The score may have been closer than the actual set was as Quince Orchard played well and was never in danger of falling behind.  In between games Magruder simply focused in a few small adjustments but just trusting themselves to play better.  It seemed to work as Magruder won 20 of the first 28 points and cruised to an easy win.  Set three was a classic, take a lead and keep siding out to win game for Magruder.  Sophomore Sami Perkins registered four straight aces that gave Magruder a 3 point lead, which they later extended to 6 points.  Later in the set Quince Orchard found a real nice rhythm and was able to stop Magruder from scoring points by attacking very effectively.  But the damage was done as Magruder also continued to side out and won 25-20.  Set 4 appeared to be the identical version of set 3, but with the roles reversed.  Quince Orchard took an early lead and was up 20-15 and in control.  Then Magruder staged a comeback led by the serving (again) of Sami Perkins and the attacking of Kristen Martindell.  The Colonels tied the match at 20.  Both teams continued to side out well and Magruder finally scored a point to take a 23-22 lead.  Two sideouts by each team gave Magruder their first match point, but Quince Orchard registered a kill to tie the match.  Magruder got then got their 3rd sideout in a row, but Quince Orchard sided out on a Magruder attack error to tie the match.  After two more Magruder side outs (5 in a row at this point), Magruder was able to close out the match with a 28-26 win.   Some match analysis stats are below:

Side out data is not available for this match. 

Magruder hit .268 for the match with 50 kills and 13 errors.    

The team served 89% for the match with 11 aces and 11 errors. 

Magruder passed 68% for the match..

Magruder had 6 blocks and 59 total digs.

Individual Leaders:

Kills:  Maya Scott (17) and Kristen Martindell (16)

Blocks:   Kaliyah Moss (3) and three players with 1

Assists:  Alena Villanueva (45) and Alex Salas (1)

Aces:  Sami Perkins (5) and Kristen Martindell (2)

Good Passes:  Alex Salas (33) and Kristen Martindell (16)

Digs:  Alex Salas (22) and Alena Villanueva (9)

Watkins Mill

Magruder played their first Friday night match of the season at division and sectional rival Watkins Mill and came away with a convincing 3 set win.  Junior setter Noelle Waring led the team with 7 aces and 12 assists.  Senior Fatimah Seyed-Ali had 3 kills and 2 aces while fellow senior Anna Grace Bladen had 5 aces, 3 digs and 2 kills.  The team hit and served well all night.  Some match analysis stats are below:

Side out data is not available for this match. 

Magruder hit  .425 for the match with 19 kills and 2 errors.    

The team served 91% for the match with 21 aces and 7 errors. 

Magruder passed 78% for the match..

Magruder had 2  blocks and 21 total digs.

Individual Leaders:

Kills:  Kristen Martindell (6) and Fatimah Seyed-Ali (3)

Blocks:   Kaliyah Moss and Sarah Schaupp (1 each)

Assists:  Noelle Waring (12) and Alena Villanueva (6)

Aces:  Noelle Waring (7) and Anna Grace Bladen (5)

Good Passes:  Kira Ng (6) and Fatimah Seyed-Ali (4)

Digs:  Anna Grace Bladen (7) and Kristen Martindell and Fatimah Seyed-Ali (3 each)

Gaithersburg

The rivalry renewed at downtown Derwood. After two years of few people at what are traditionally large to huge crowds, Gaithersburg and Magruder renewed their annual rivalry. In front of hundreds of fans, the majority of them vocal Magruder students, Gaithersburg and Magruder played yet another match in their long history. From 2006-2012 Magruder had dominated the rivalry, winning 11 of 12 matchups, but Gaithersburg had dominated recently winning the last 3 times the teams have played. Thus posed an emotional hurdle for the varsity team as no current player had ever defeated Gaithersburg's varsity team. The Colonels rose to the challenge, starting on fire and playing one of their best sets of the season. Three rotations into the match Magruder was leading 11-2 behind several aces and strong kills at the net. The set continued with Magruder playing nearly flawless volleyball (minus 4 serving errors) and Magruder won 25-11. In between sets Coach Zanni told his team that the best from Gaithersburg was yet to come and it certainly did. Gaithersburg responded in set 2 by serving much tougher and forcing Magruder out of their offense more frequently. A 7 point run by Gaithersburg gave the Trojans a 16 to 10 lead. Magruder and Gaithersburg continued to trade points and Magruder 19 to 17, but never got closer, losing 25-20. Sets 3 and 4 were hard fought. In set 3 Magruder scored 5 straight points in their 3rd rotation to take a 10-6 lead and was able to maintain at least a 3 point lead the rest of the set, eventually winning 25-19. In set 4, Magruder raced ahead, taking a 14-6 lead and looking in complete control. However, strong serving from Gaithersburg again led to passing breakdowns from the Colonels and Gaithersburg tied the set at 14. However, Magruder re-asserted their dominance winning 11 of the next 17 points to close out the win. Some match analysis stats are below:

Magruder won 50% of the points Gaithersburg served.  Gaithersburg won 39% of the points that Magruder served.  Gaithersburg had a total of 37 points won (Side Outs), but 16 of them came from Magruder service errors.  Of the 77 serves Magruder made, they won nearly 73% of them (56). 

Magruder hit  .259 for the match with 36 kills and 11 errors.    

The team served 83% for the match with 14 aces and 16 errors.  The 83% is one of Magruder's lowest percentages for the year.

Magruder passed 69% for the match..

Magruder had  blocks and 39 total digs.

Individual Leaders:

Kills:  Kristen Martindell (11) and Kaliyah Moss (9)

Blocks:   Lucy Webster (3) and Kaliyah Moss (2)

Assists:  Alena Villaneuva (34) and Alex Salas (1)

Aces:  Alena Villanueva (7) and Alex Salas (4)

Good Passes:  Alex Salas (21) and Kristen Martindell (17)

Digs:  Alex Salas (19) and Alena Villanueva (5)

Visitation

After struggling with errors the last two matches Magruder played one of their most efficient matches of the season in defeating a solid Georgetown Visitation team. Magruder attacked well all night, finally limiting their errors. The team finished with 26 kills and only 10 errors for a hitting efficiency of .253. Freshmen Maya Scott (9 kills) and Kaliyah Moss (5 kills) led the offense. Serving was a strength as well as the team totaled 16 aces to only 9 errors. Senior Anna Grace Bladen (7 aces) and junior Noelle Waring (3 aces) led the serving attack. Passing and defense were also a strength. Alex Salas played one of her best matches of the season and finished with 14 good passes and 7 digs, both team highs. Finally Magruder sided out at a very high 64.3% rate only giving up 15 real points in the three set match. Some match analysis stats are below:

Magruder won 64% of the points Visitation served.  Visitation won 36% of the points that Magruder served.

Magruder hit  .253for the match with 26 kills and 10 errors.    

The team served 88.3% for the match with 16 aces and 9 errors.

Magruder passed 71% for the match..

Magruder had 3 blocks and 24 total digs.

Individual Leaders:

Kills:  Maya Scott (9) and Kaliyah Moss (5)

Blocks:   Kaliyah Moss (2) and Lucy Webster (1)

Assists:  Alena Villaneuva (17) and Noelle Waring (8)

Aces:  Anna Grace Bladen (7) and Noelle Waring (3)

Good Passes:  Alex Salas (14) and Kira Ng (7)

Digs:  Alex Salas (7) and Fatimah Seyed-Ali (4)

 Paint Branch

Magruder defeated Paint Branch in 3 sets, despite struggling attacking the ball all night. The team served well (total of 13 aces in 75 attempts, a high rate of 17%) and generally passed well most of the night (68% passing efficiency), yet as a team Magruder totaled 21 attack errors. Those 21 points were almost 40% of the points that Paint Branch scored (54 total points for Paint Branch). The end result was that while Magruder scored points well when serving they struggled to get on long scoring streaks as the hitting errors generally ended many of the points Magruder lost. The win was a significant won for the Colonels as it clinched the program's 20th straight winning season! Some match analysis stats are below:

Magruder won 54% of the points Paint Branch served.  Paint Branch won 39% of the points that Magruder served.

Magruder hit  .088 for the match with 29 kills and 21 errors.    This is the 2nd straight match Magruder struggled attacking the ball.  

The team served 86% for the match with 13 aces and 11 errors.

Magruder passed 67.6% for the match..

Magruder had 3 blocks and 24 total digs.

Individual Leaders:

Kills:  Maya Scott and Kristen Martindell (8 each)

Blocks:   Kristen Martindell, Lucy Webster and Kaliyah Moss (1 each)

Assists:  Alena Villaneuva (21) and Noelle Waring (6)

Aces:  Anna Grace Bladen (4) and Alena Villanueva (3)

Good Passes:  Alex Salas (23) and  Anna Grace Bladen (11)

Digs:  Alex Salas (5) and Fatimah Seyed-Ali and Anna Grace Bladen (4 each)

Damsacus

Magruder's match with Damascus was their most significant regular season match since 2012 when Magruder defeated Wootton to claim their 10th county division title in 12 years.  Since that time Magruder hadn't been in the hunt for any regular season championships, but with a strong start to the 2016 season, Magruder and Damascus were facing off with the winner almost certainly in position to claim the county title.  Faced with a great opportunity, Damascus rose to the occasion and Magruder did not. Magruder was outplayed in almost every aspect of the match, losing in three straight sets.  Magruder passed and hit for disastrously season lows and also struggled defensively and setting in transition.  Meanwhile Damascus, despite several unforced attack errors, dominated with their strong serving, passing and defense.  Interestingly Damsacus won a variety of ways.   Set one was a sideout affair, with Damascus winning 67% of the points Magruder served and Magruder winning over 50% of the points Damasus served, both efficient rates for good teams.  Set 2 was the opposite with both teams siding out below 50%, with Magruder winning a horrific 8 out of 24 points that Damascus served.  Set three was a mix of the first two sets.  Magruder freshman middle hitter Kaliyah Moss was one of the lone standouts for Magruder, finishing the night hitting .500 (6 kills with only one error).  Some match analysis stats are below:

Magruder won 37.8% of the points Damascus served.  Damscus won 54% of the points that Magruder served.

Magruder hit  .052 for the match with 23 kills and 15 errors.    This is one of the lowest rates Magruder has recorded. 

The team served 90% for the match with 5 aces and 5 errors.

Magruder passed 57.1% for the match. a rate that almost never wins a match.

Magruder had 2 blocks and 29 total digs.

Individual Leaders:

Kills:  Maya Scott and Kaliyah Moss (6 each)

Blocks:   Kristen Martindell and Kaliyah Moss (1 each)

Assists:  Alena Villaneuva (20) and Kira Ng (1)

Aces:  Five players with one each. 

Good Passes:  Alex Salas (13) and Kira Ng (9)

Digs:  Alex Salas (9) and Fatimah Seyed-Ali (6)

Poolesville

Blake

Sometimes you just find a way to win. With Magruder missing starting libero Alex Salas and fellow junior Kristen Martindell nursing a knee injury that prevented her from jumping, Magruder used every available player to defeat at talented and athletic Blake Bengal team in a key division and sectional matchup. The win was key in the battle for home court advantage during the sectional playoffs as Magruder moved two games ahead of Blake and now holds the tie-breaker as well. The match itself featured three close sets where Magruder won sets 1 and 3 and Blake won set 2. Set 4 Magruder controlled throughout eventually winning 25-14. With Magruder missing two of their key serve receivers for much of the match, Blake took advantage of the opportunity to score points off their serve and turn free balls into kills with their effective middle hitting attack. However over time Magruder's servers created numerous aces and free ball situations which Magruder was able to turn into kills from all three hitting spots on the court. Senior Anna Grace Bladen turned in her best serving performance of the season, making 24 of 25 serves with a career high 8 aces (tied for 7th most in school history), while freshman Kaliyah Moss had 7 blocks (good for the 2nd highest total in school history). Some match analysis stats are below:

Magruder won 54% of the points Blake served.  Blake won 43% of the points that Magruder served.  This is somewhat misleading as after the first 3 sets the difference was much smaller with Magruder winning 50% and Blake winning 48%. 

Magruder hit  .115 for the match with 34 kills and 23 errors.   The 23 errors were their highest total of the season.  

The team served 91% for the match, their highest rate of the season,  with 17 aces and 9 errors.

Magruder passed 63.0% for the match, a poor rate

Magruder had 12 blocks and 45 total digs.

Individual Leaders:

Kills:  Maya Scott (14) and Sami Perkins (9)

Blocks:   Kaliyah Moss (7) and Alena Villanueva (2)

Assists:  Alena Villaneuva (31)

Aces:  Anna Grace Bladen (8) and Alena Villanueva (4)

Good Passes:  Kira Ng (29) and Kristen Martindell (18)

Digs:  Anna Grace Bladen and Kira Ng (11 each)

Churchill

Magruder and Churchill played 194 points over two hours of volleyball in a classic 5 set match that featured long rallies, but also long streaks of points scored. In short, the servers won the match, while the serve receivers on each side struggled against a litany of strong servers from each side. Neither team was able to sideout consistently as none of the five sets went two full rotations. Both teams won less than 50% of the points the other team served and both teams consistently gave up large runs of points. In set 1 Churchill scored 8 straight points to turn a 12-9 deficit into a 17-12 lead. In set 2 Magruder scored 16 of the last 19 points to win the set. In set 3 Churchill had a run of winning 7 of the last 8 points. In set 4 Magruder had three different streaks of scoring 4 points in a row. Set 5 was no different with Churchill scoring 7 straight points to rally from 6-4 to 11-4. Neither team missed many serves (Magruder served nearly 90%, a season high) and both teams consistently struggled passing the ball in serve receive. In the end Churchill was a little better (wins side out points at 4% higher rate). Some match analysis stats are below:

Magruder won 44% of the points Churchill served.  Churchill won 48% of the points that Magruder served.  Both are fairly low for good teams. 

Magruder hit  .249 for the match with 49 kills and 18 errors.  

The team served 89% for the match, with 11 aces and 10 errors.

Magruder passed 61.0% for the match, a poor rate

Magruder had 6 blocks and  total digs.

Individual Leaders:

Kills:  Maya Scott (16) and Kristen Martindell (11)

Blocks:   Kaliyah Moss (2)

Assists:  Alena Villaneuva (46)

Aces:  Anna Grace Bladen (3)

Good Passes:  Alex Salas (36) and Kira Ng (25)

Seneca Valley

19th MHS Invitational

Magruder hosted their 19th annual tournament, getting to a large amount of volleyball in a short period of time.  For the incredibly young Lady Colonels this was an opportunity to test themselves against some quality teams from across MCPS and an opportunity to continue to grow as players and as a team.  The day started with a three set win against St. Mary's of Annapolis.  Magruder won a convincing first set 25-9, dominating with strong serving and attacking.  Set 2 was the complete opposite with Magruder struggling throughout to string well played points together (this would be somewhat of a theme for much of the day).  They lost 25-21 and then fell behind quickly in set 3.  After a timeout, Magruder won 14 of the last 18 points to capture the match.  Match two was against Clarksburg, a team Magruder has played infrequently.  Again, Magruder struggled, this time with their serving, which helped keep set 1 close (Magruder won).  In set 2 Magruder played a mostly complete set, taking a 22-13 lead behind consistent serving, passing and attacking at the net.  Then several mental errors and a general let down took place, giving Clarksburg a chance to recover.  And they did, playing well  before Magruder finally won 25-22.  Match 3 was against Einstein.  Magruder scored 17 of their 50 points on aces and won in 2 sets.  The last match of the day was against Blake, a very tall and athletic team, one that Magruder faced in the Sectional finals in 2015.  Magruder played their only nearly flawless match of the day, putting together several strings of well played points and won easily in 2 sets.  The win clinched 1st place in their pool and a place in the semi-finals.  However, against a strong serving Quince Orchard team, magruder's youth and inconsistency returned.  Quince Orchard easily won the serving/serve receive battle throughout the match.  Despite that Magruder was winning in set 1 23-22.  A defensive alignment error and an ace gave Quince Orchard a quick 24-23 lead and they won the next point to win the set.  In set 2, Quince Orchard's serving again gave Magruder fits and they won 25-17.  Magruder finished the day with a 4-1 record, improving their overall record to 7-1.  Senior Alena Villanueva was named to the All-Tournament team as Magruder finished 3rd in the tournament. 

Rockville

Magruder opened their 2016 home schedule and division schedule on the same night against a good Rockville team. Magruder continued to struggle serving, missing 8 serves in set one. As a team they finished the night with their 2nd straight match serving at 80% and also registered season lows in serving accuracy and efficiency. Magruder was able to pull away and win set 1 (25-18) thanks mostly to a nearly 80% sideout percentage for the set. In set 2, Ecaterina Tau gave Magruder a huge lift by stabilizing the serving. She served for 5 straight points and helped Magruder take an early lead. However, Rockville later scored 6 straight points in a row to close the gap, but Magruder held on to win 25-22. In set three, Magruder switched their lineup around and played their best set of the night, winning 25-11. Freshman Maya Scott had 7 of her match high 10 kills and Ecaterina Tau this time served for 7 straight points. Magruder setter Alena Villanueva continued to demonstrate why she's among the best setters in MCPS, as she finished with 29 assist, 3 digs and made several spectacular plays to keep Magruder in long rallies. Some match analysis stats are below:

Magruder won 64% of the points Rockville served.  Rockville won 41% of the points that Magruder served.  Of the 30 points Rockville won while Magruder served, nearly half (14) were from Magruder service errors.   This is the 2nd straight match Magruder has struggled with this. 

Magruder hit  .282 for the match with 34 kills and 12 errors.  

The team served 80% for the match, a very low percentage.  with 8 aces and 14 errors, not a good ratio.

Magruder passed 67.0% for the match, a  good rate. 

Magruder had 5 blocks and  24 total digs.

Individual Leaders:

Kills:  Maya Scott (10) and Kristen Martindell (7)

Blocks:   Kaliyah Moss (4) and Lucy Webster (1)

Assists:  Alena Villaneuva (29) and Kristen Martindell (1)

Aces:  Ecaterina Tau and Alex Salas (2 each)

Good Passes:  Alex Salas (24) and Kristen Martindell (12)

Thomas Johnson

Magruder travelled to Thomas Johnson for their 2nd away match of the season and came away with a convincing 3 set win. Magruder controlled the entire first set behind strong serving, defense and attacking. Junior outside hitter Alex Salas had both of her aces and also had 3 kills in the set. Set two started poorly as Thomas Johnson served well and Magruder struggled to run their offense. Magruder lost 8 of the first 9 points to fall behind 8-1. Magruder won 20 of the next 25 points that included 6 straight side outs (a season high) and won the set 25-15. Set three was back and forth with Magruder finally pulling ahead behind the serving of senior defensive specialist Fatimah Seyed-Ali (5 straight points with an ace). Magruder won that set 25-17. Some match analysis stats are below:

 Magruder won 56.5% of the points Thomas Johnson served.  Thomas Johnson won 41.6% of the points that Magruder served.  Of the 30 points Thomas Johnson won while Magruder served, half (15) were from Magruder service errors.   

Magruder hit  .227 for the match with 35 kills and 15 errors.  

The team served 80% for the match, a very low percentage.  with 15 aces and 15 errors, not a good ratio.

Magruder passed 69.2% for the match, a very good rate. 

Magruder had 7 blocks and  25 total digs.

Individual Leaders:

Kills:  Kristen Martindell (12) and Sami Perkins (5)

Blocks:   Kaliyah Moss, Lucy Webster and Alena Villanueva (2 each)

Assists:  Alena Villaneuva (15) and Noelle Waring (12)

Aces:  Alex Salas (3), Alena Villanueva, Anna Grace Bladen, Kira Ng and Kristen Martindell (2 each)

Good Passes:  Alex Salas and Kristen Martindell (15 each)

Digs:  Alex Salas (7) and Anna Grace Bladen (6)

Northwood

Magruder opened their 2016 season with their 17th consecutive season opening victory (their last season opening loss was in 1999 to Watkins Mill). All 13 players made contributions to the win. Magruder struggled passing all night which led to an inconsistently run offense. Setters Alena Villanueva (17 assists, 3 aces) and Noelle Waring (7 assists, 2 aces) did an outstanding job of running down errant passes and giving the Magruder hitters a chance to attack the ball. Magruder was led by a very strong service attack, one that generated a total of 36 aces or free balls. The team was able to convert those into point scoring opportunities. Some match analysis stats are below:

 Serve Receive data is unavailable for this match. 

Magruder hit  .191 for the match with 26 kills and 13 errors.  

The team served 88.1% with 18 aces and 9 errors.

Magruder passed 60.2% for the match, a really low percentage. 

Magruder had 5 blocks and 11 total digs.

Individual Leaders:

Kills:  Maya Scott (8) and Kristen Martindell (5)

Blocks:   Kaliyah Moss (2) and several with 1

Assists:  Alena Villaneuva (17) and Noelle Waring (7)

Good Passes:  Kira Ng (10) and Kristen Martindell (8)

Digs:  Alex Salas (4) and Kristen Martindell (3)

2016 SEASON PREVIEW

After a 13-8 season in 2014 (which had their most losses since the 1990s) Magruder rebounded with a great 2015 season.  The team finished 18-5 on the season, winning the 3A South section and advancing to the regional finals (state Elite 8) for the first time since 2012.  The 18-5 record was also Magruder's 19th straight winning season, the longest such streak for any Magruder varsity team.  As usual, the off-season featured some changes.  However, the changes this year were fairly major.  Head JV Coach Tori Kenno took the MC-Rockville job and was replaced by Kennedy Varsity Coach Wanda Hsiung (Wanda has over 35 years experience coaching volleyball).  Additionally only 15 players return to the entire program.  Eleven freshmen have joined the program making it the largest freshmen class in school history.  Three freshmen have made the varsity team, which is also a school record.  All three should play a significant role on the 2016 team. 

 Magruder enters their 2nd year as a 3A school for the regional and state playoffs.  This is a major change from the previous 15+ years where Magruder was a $A school and one of the largest in MCPS.   Over the past decade Magruder has dropped enrollment from 2250 to approximately 1500 and is now the 5th smallest school in MCPS.  During that time, this is the largest drop of student enrollment (without a change in boundaries) in MCPS and Maryland.

As a result many of Magruder’s “traditional” rivals over the last 15+ years are no longer teams Magruder will play in the regular season or the playoffs.  This year Magruder will play the same opponents as last year, but at the alternate site.  Magruder’s new “rivals” are now mainly 3A teams.  These include Blake (3A South Sectional Finalist), Damascus (3A West Regional Champion), Poolesville (3A West Sectional Finalist) and Rockville (2015 MHS Invitational 2nd place).  Magruder will have several 4A matchups against traditional strong programs Gaithersburg, Quince Orchard and Churchill, but these are non-division matches and teams Magruder won't see in the playoffs.     Come playoff time, Magruder will participate in the 3A South, Section 2 region.  The winner of Section 2 will play the winner of Section 1, which consists of teams from the southern part of the state (Calvert, Charles, etc.). 

Additionally, the roster has undergone some major changes.  Gone are seven seniors to graduation with two playing in college (Nicole Rios and Lillian Miller are playing at MC-Rockville). They have been replaced by a talented group of new players, that includes 3 freshmen (a school record), 2 sophomores, 5 juniors and 3 seniors.  This is the youngest team in school history.  Senior captain Alena Villanueva returns for her senior season and is one of the best setters in MCPS.  She's closing in on 1000 assists and 50 wins for her career.  Junior outside hitter Kristen Martindell and senior defensive specialist Anna Grace Bladen have also been named team captains. Veterans Alex Salas (junior outside hitter), Fatimah Seyed-Ali (senior defensive specialist), Lucy Webster (junior middle hitter), Sami Perkins (sophomore opposite) and Noelle Waring (junior setter) are the returning veterans.  New additions include junior defensive specialist Ecaterina Tau, sophomore defensive specialist/setter Kira Ng, freshman middle hitter Kaliyah Moss, freshmen middle/outside Sarah Schaupp and freshman outside hitter Maya Scott. 

2015 Match Analysis

   Northern

Magruder's season came to an end, but true to form the team battled the entire time.  Facing an undefeated Northern squad that had previously dropped only one set in 2015, Magruder started off horribly.  Magruder lost the first set 35-9, giving up two streaks of 9 or more points.  The combination of passing errors, attacking errors and serving errors coupled with some stellar play by Northern doomed Magruder in this set.  However, the Colonels came back and battled in set 2.  The teams exchanged side out and kills throughout the first six rotations and the score was tied at 10.  Magruder took a slight lead at 14-12, which caused Northern to take a timeout.  They responded with 6 straight points as Magruder struggled to sideout out.  Magruder lost this set 25-17.  Set three started identically as both teams rotated around once (6 rotations) and the score was again tied, this time at 9.  The teams continued to stay close with Magruder leading 12-11, then Northern leading 14-13, then another tie at 15, before Northern went on a 5 point run to go up 18-14.  Another run by Northern made it 22-16, but the Colonels didn't quit.  After winning a hard fought sideout, Anna Grace Bladen scored an ace to make it 22-18.  A Northern sideout was followed by a four point run with Isabel Salas serving, but another Northern sideout made it 24-22.  Magruder got a kill and a Northern error to tie the set and then won their 25th and unfortunately last point of the season.  Northern won the next three and the match.  However, the Colonels showed some great heart by batting through the entire match and demonstrating how to stay focused and play hard in the face of adversity.    Magruder ends their 2015 season with an 18-5 record and some very nice accomplishments.  The team won the MHS Invitational, posted Magruder's 15th season 10 win regular season (all in the last 16 years), claimed the #1 seed in the 3A South Section II, won their first sectional title and advanced to the regional final for only the 2nd time since 2009.  In short the season was success as Magruder played some great volleyball and won several meaningful matches.  The 7 seniors (Sasha Laurenzo, Lily Miller, Bunmi Odubayo, Marissa Post, Nicole Rios, Isabel Salas and Allie Walsh) did a great job of leading the team the entire season.  While their Magruder careers have ended, they left behind a great legacy.

Blake

ESPN has used the term "instant classic" to describe hard fought, intense sporting events. The term certainly applied Wednesday night in Derwood, MD as Magruder and Blake played a two hour, five set marathon where each team scored exactly 99 points in the match. Magruder won the first set behind some strong serving, solid defense and the ability to set all three positions on the court. Alex Salas (7 kills, 20 good passes, 10 digs) and Sasha Laurenzo (47 good passes, 31 digs, 5 aces) led the team from the service line. In set 2 and set 3, Blake raised their level of play. They improved their passing and were able to get numerous good sets to their array of strong attackers. Blake won both sets 25-17. Set 4 started the same as Magruder found themselves down 6-1. After an early timeout and some defensive adjustments Magruder came out a different team. While Blake continued to pass well and sideout well, Magruder's level of play improved and were once again able to set all three positions on the court. This made a huge difference in the Colonels offense. Magruder tied the match at 9, took a lead of 17-12 and eventually won 25-22. Marissa Post (7 kills and a block) and Bunmi Odubayo (14 kills, 3 blocks) each made key plays throughout the set. Set 5 started well for Magruder as they took 7-3 lead. Isabel Salas (26 good passes, 15 digs) made several key defensive plays and Allie Walsh (4 kills, 1 block) played well at the net. However, Blake earned five straight side outs without Magruder scoring a point, which enabled them to tie the match at 12. A Magruder sideout, followed by a Kristen Martindell kill (14 kills) and a Blake error gave Magruder a 15-12 set and match win. AG Bladen had a perfect night serving (11 for 11 with an ace). Alena Villanueva played an outstanding match, making several great saves to keep Magruder in points they otherwise would have lost. She also ran the offense well, registering a career high 44 assists. Some match analysis stats are below:

Magruder won 50% of the points Blake served.   Blake won 51% of the points Magruder served.  The teams won the identical number of points 99, but Blake received serve more than Magruder (Magruder served 3 of the 5 sets), hence their higher side out %.

Magruder hit  .184 for the match with 50 kills and 23 errors.  

The team served 89.5% with 11 aces and 11 errors.

Magruder passed 69% for the match.

Magruder had 7 blocks and 77 total digs.

Individual Leaders:

Kills:  Kristen Martindell and Bunmi Odubayo (14 each)

Blocks:   Bunmi Odubayo (3) and Marissa Post (2)

Assists:  Alena Villaneuva (44)

Good Passes:  Sasha Laurenzo (47) and Isabel Salas (26)

Digs:  Sasha Laurenzo (31) and Isabel Salas (15)

Watkins Mill

Conventional wisdom suggests it's hard to beat a team three times in the same season and this was certainly true in the sectional semi-finals. Watkins Mill and Magruder faced off for the third time in 2015 (the first two meetings were at the MHS Invitational and during the regular season). Magruder started off strong, taking a 10-1 lead in set one and was able to cruise to a solid first set win. The next two sets were hard fought. Watkins Mill clearly improved as the season progressed and used a strong serving attack to regularly force Magruder out of system. Watkins Mill also played some great defense throughout the night making some very nice digs and emergency saves. Watkins Mill won set 2 25-16 winning 13 of the last 19 points. Set 3 didn't start much better with Watkins Mill taking an early lead before Magruder rallied to tie the set and eventually win 25-22. In this set Magruder was plagued by 6 service errors, which accounted for two-thirds of Watkins Mill sideout points. In set 4, Magruder played some of their best volleyball of the night taking control of the set relatively early and building a 20-13 lead before finally winning. The win advances Magruder to the sectional championship match (the first time Magruder has advanced this far since Maryland switched to the sectional format three years ago). Some match analysis stats are below:

Magruder won 51% of the points Watkins Mill served.   Watkins Mill won 44% of the points Magruder served. 

Magruder hit  .162 for the match with 40 kills and 22 errors.  

The team served 85.9% with 15 aces and 13 errors.

Magruder passed 67% for the match.

Magruder had 2 blocks and 35 total digs.

Individual Leaders:

Kills:  Kristen Martindell (14) and Bunmi Odubayo (7)

Blocks:   Bunmi Odubayo and Allie Walsh  (1 each)

Assists:  Alena Villaneuva (30)

Good Passes:  Sasha Laurenzo (30) and Isabel Salas (22)

Digs:  Sasha Laurenzo (13) and Isabel Salas (8)

Northwood

The last regular season match of the year was senior night at Magruder and as they have all year long, the seniors led the team throughout the match, playing hard, playing well and making solid volleyball plays. Set 1 was close until the mid way point. Northwood's best attacker had three early kills. Combined with some early service errors and the first set was tied at 10. Magruder fought through that and played very well the rest of the night. The trio of Sasha Laurenzo, Isabel Salas and Lilly Miller led the team's passing and defensive effort. Nicole Rios, Allie Walsh, Bunmi Odubayo and Marissa Post led the team hitting and blocking. Alex Salas was again stellar serving a perfect 22 for 22 with 6 aces. Some match analysis stats are below:

Magruder won 68% of the points Northwood served.   Northwood won 38% of the points Magruder served. 

Magruder hit  .240 for the match with 31 kills and 18 errors.  

The team served 89.5% with 18 aces and 8 errors.

Magruder passed 74% for the match.

Magruder had 4 blocks and 18 total digs.

Individual Leaders:

Kills:  Kristen Martindell (10) and Nicole Rios (5)

Blocks:   Bunmi Odubayo (2) and Allie Walsh and Alena Villanueva (1 each)

Assists:  Alena Villaneuva (2) and Noelle Waring (3)

Good Passes:  Isabel Salas and Lilly Miller (12 each)

Digs:  Sasha Laurenzo (6) and Isabel Salas (4)

 Paint Branch

Until last week this had been one of the more focused and determined teams at Magruder in the last 5-6 years. For the first time last year the team struggled with focus/effort. After a great Saturday practice, the team came out fired up and played hard throughout the match winning in 3 sets against Paint Branch. A strong service game, some great defense and strong passing carried the team to victory. Magruder struggled attacking the ball at times (especially against a much bigger Paint Branch team), but their ball control enabled the Colonels to win a majority of the long rallies. Anna Grace Bladen (5 good passes and 5 digs) was the serving star of the night, making all 18 serves and leading the team with 5 aces. Lucy Webster made her first career start and finished with a career high 3 kills. Lily Miller had 2 aces, 8 good passes and 6 digs, including some of the best digs of the night.  Some match analysis stats are below:

Magruder won 61% of the points Paint Branch served.   Paint Branch won 43% of the points Magruder served. 

Magruder hit  .128 for the match with 31 kills and 21 errors.  

The team served 89% with 14 aces and 7 errors.

Magruder passed 73% for the match.

Magruder had 2 blocks and 29 total digs.

Individual Leaders:

Kills:  Kristen Martindell (10) and Nicole Rios (6)

Blocks:   Bunmi Odubayo and Marissa Post (1 each)

Assists:  Alena Villaneuva (27) and Noelle Waring (1)

Good Passes:  Sasha Laurenzo (25) and Lilly Miller (8)

Digs:  Sasha Laurenzo (10) and Lilly Miller (6)

Georgetown Visitation

Magruder travelled to Georgetown Visitation for their only afternoon match of the year. After the JV team finished their 9-2 season with a thrilling 3 set win (16-14 third set), the Varsity team opened up on fire winning 13 of the first 17 points. It would be the last such streak of the night. The combination of the Colonels letting up emotionally and improved play by Georgetown Visitation made the rest of the evening an emotional roller coaster. Magruder won the first set, but then struggled through the entire 2nd set before losing 26-24. For the first time this year Magruder really struggled serving the ball (85% made serves). Set 3 began even worse as Visitation took a 13-6 lead before Magruder went on several small scoring runs to tie and eventually win the set 25-22. Magruder was more in control of set 4 taking an early lead and maintaining it throughout before winning 25-21. Senior Nicole Rios had a great night offensively registering a career high 10 kills with only 2 errors on 21 swings, including several kills at key points of the match. Junior Fatimah Seyed-Ali entered the match in set 4, scoring several points serving and making two key defensive plays. With the win Magruder improved to 14-4. Some match analysis stats are below:

Magruder won 50% of the points Visitation served.   Visitation won 45% of the points Magruder served.   

Magruder hit  .173 for the match with 39 kills and 20 errors.  

The team served 85% with 20 aces and 15 errors.

Magruder passed 66% for the match, among the worst performances of the season. 

Magruder had 7 blocks and 56 total digs.

Individual Leaders:

Kills:  Kristen Martindell (14) and Nicole Rios (10)

Blocks:   Bunmi Odubayo (4) and several with 1

Assists:  Alena Villaneuva (33) and Noelle Waring (5)

Good Passes:  Sasha Laurenzo (39) and Isabel Salas (25)

Digs:  Sasha Laurenzo (16) and Isabel and Alex Salas (11 each)

Gaithersburg

Gaithersburg and Magruder renewed their annual rivalry under rather different circumstances than the previous 10-15 years. With the two schools in different county divisions and state playoff regions, for the first time in a long time this match had no direct bearing on the regional playoff seeding between the two teams. Additionally, it likely was played in front of the smallest and quietest crowd in well over a decade. While neither team appeared to play their best volleyball, Gaithersburg had more energy and focus throughout the match than Magruder and seized their opportunities to score points much more consistently. Set 1 wasn't really ever close with Gaithersburg taking early leads and riding it to a 25-15 win. Magruder answered at the start of set two, taking an early lead and playing their best volleyball of the night. Both teams sided out well in this set. The set was tied at 18 and then Magruder made two nice plays, but had attack errors. After a timeout, Gaithersburg had an ace, taking a 3 point lead and eventually winning 25-21. Set 3 was again close at the start with the match tied at 10. However, Gaithersburg won 15 of the last 20 points to close out the match.  Despite serving well, Magruder's offense struggled all night.  Inconsistent passing and setting put the attackers in bad positions and Gaithersburg capitalized frequently from this.  Three of Magruder's five main attackers finished the night with more hitting errors than kills.    As a team Magruder hit a season low .035.   Some match analysis stats are below:

Magruder won 41% of the points Gaithersburg served.   Gaithersburg won 56% of the points Magruder served.   The side-out differential was Magruder's worst of the season. 

Magruder hit  .035 for the match with 22 kills and 19 errors.  

The team served 87.8% with 7 aces and 7 errors.

Magruder passed 65% for the match, among the worst performances of the season. 

Magruder had 2 blocks and 21 total digs.

Individual Leaders:

Kills:  Kristen Martindell (8) and Allie Walsh (4)

Blocks:   Bunmi Odubayo and Marissa Post (1 each)

Assists:  Alena Villaneuva (20)

Good Passes:  Sasha Laurenzo (21) and Isabel Salas (11)

Digs:  Sasha Laurenzo (7) and Alena Villanueva (4)

Blake

Magruder defeated Blake in a matchup between the two top seeded 3A South Section 2 seeded teams (side note: Magruder is still getting used to the concept of being in 3A). Both teams entered the match with 3 regular season losses, making this a key matchup for home court advantage throughout the sectional playoffs. Magruder played a near flawless first set, taking a 9-2 lead behind the strong serving of Alex Salas and Sasha Laurenzo and some great defense from Isabel Salas and Alena Villanueva. Five different Colonels had kills in the set and Magruder won 25-13. In set 2 Magruder again took an early lead, but Blake slowly rallied, won several well played points and forced Magruder into a time out. However, Anna Grace Bladen finished the set with 3 straight aces. Magruder then won set 3 25-21. Magruder played some great team defense all night, blocking well at the net and making many solid defensive plays. Some match analysis stats are below:

Magruder won 58% of the points Blake served.   Blake won 39% of the points Magruder served.   

Magruder hit  .273 for the match with 33 kills and 12 errors.  

The team served 91% with 12 aces and 7 errors.

Magruder passed 70% for the match. 

Magruder had 7 blocks and 37 total digs.

Individual Leaders:

Kills:  Kristen Martindell (12) and Allie Walsh (6)

Blocks:   Bunmi Odubayo (4) and Allie Walsh (2)

Assists:  Alena Villaneuva (29)

Good Passes:  Sasha Laurenzo (24) and Isabel Salas (14)

Digs:  Sasha Laurenzo (11) and three with 5

Watkins Mill

Magruder was a terminal team against Watkins Mill ending the vast majority of points. While many were positive endings, there were more errors that the Colonels would have liked. The good news is the team registered 32 kills in a three set match which is very good. Add in 17 service aces and 3 blocks and Magruder won 52 of the 75 points they scored. However, the team also had 21 attack errors and 6 service errors which was 27 of the 56 points Watkins Mill scored. Alex Salas had a career night serving, making all 25 serves with a team high 5 aces. Bunmi Odubayo was Magruder's most effective attacker with 8 kills and a .375 attack percentage. Some match analysis stats are below:

Magruder won 56% of the points Watkins Mill served.   Watkins Mill won 41% of the points Magruder served.   

Magruder hit  .121 for the match with 32 kills and 21 errors.  

The team served 92.1% with 17 aces and 6 errors.

Magruder passed 68% for the match. 

Magruder had 3 blocks and 36 total digs.

Individual Leaders:

Kills:  Kristen Martindell (14) and Bunmi Odubayo (8)

Blocks:   three with 1

Assists:  Alena Villaneuva (26) and Noelle Waring (3)

Good Passes:  Sasha Laurenzo (15) and Isabel Salas (11)

Digs:  Sasha Laurenzo (11) and Alex Salas (7)

Wheaton

Magruder travelled to Wheaton to play there for the first time in nearly a decade.   After losing two matches in a row for only the 2nd time since the 2000 season, Magruder was looking for a win.   It also would be their last match in the current Wheaton as the new building (and gym) opens later this year. The two teams previously played this year at the MHS Invitational with Magruder winning in 2 sets. Magruder used a strong service game (22 total aces) to control the match. Senior Lilly Miller led the team with 7, while senior Sasha Laurenzo added 5. Allie Walsh was Magruder's most effective attacker with 4 kills on 8 swings. Anna Grace Bladen had 4 kills, 4 good passes, an ace and a dig.  Alena Villanueva had 15 assists while Noelle Waring added 9. Isabel Salas and Alex Salas led the team defensively combining for 16 good passes and 5 digs. Some match analysis stats are below:

Magruder won 65% of the points Wheaton served.   Wheaton won 38% of the points Magruder served.   

Magruder hit  .207 for the match with 26 kills and 14 errors.  

The team served 82.4% with 22 aces and 13 errors.

Magruder passed 74% for the match. 

Magruder had 0 blocks and 19 total digs.

Individual Leaders:

Kills:  Kristen Martindell (6), Anna Grace Bladen and Allie Walsh (4 each)

Blocks:   none

Assists:  Alena Villaneuva (15) and Noelle Waring (9)

Good Passes:  Sasha Laurenzo (34) and Alex Salas (16)

Digs:  Isabel and Alex Salas (8 each)

Damascus

Magrudrer travelled to Damascus, holding a 13-5 career record against the Hornets, but 4 of those 5 loses came at Damascus. The last time the Colonels won at Damascus was a 3 set sweep back in 2008. Despite playing well at times and generally serving well and playing great defense, the Colonels again struggled at Damascus losing in 3 sets. Against a bigger and stronger Damascus front row, the team had their worst attacking night of the season and were plagued with errors in each set. As a group the Colonels only had 5 more kills than errors and only three players attacked above .000. Still, the Colonels were in each set. After falling way behind in set 1, the team rallied to tie the match at 20-20 before losing 25-22. Set two was similar with the team falling behind to rally and lose 25-22. Set three wasn't as close, as the Colonels lost 25-19.  One of the keys to the match was how successful Damascus was scoring points in one of Magruder's six rotation.  The Colonels were only able to win 4 of 18 points served in one of their rotations (a side rate of 22%), which was 14 of the total 37 points Damascus won while serving. In the other 5 rotations Magruder was able to sideout 55% of the time.  In the end this was a major contributing factor to the loss.  Some match analysis stats are below:

Magruder won 47% of the points Damascus served, which is below their season average.   Damascus won 51% of the points Magruder served. 

Magruder hit  .058 for the match with 25 kills and 20 errors.  This is disastrous.

Magruder served very well all night.  The team served 91.5% for the match with only 5 aces, but they generated a higher percentage of free balls than normal.  The team had 6 service errors. 

Magruder passed 65% for the match.  Much of this was due to a strong service game from Damascus

Magruder had 7 blocks and 46 total digs.

Individual Leaders:

Kills:  Kristen Martindell and Bunmi Odubayo (8 each)

Blocks:   Bunmi Odubayo (4 each)

Assists:  Alena Villaneuva (21) and Sasha Laurenzo (2)

Good Passes:  Sasha Laurenzo (34) and Alex Salas (16)

Digs:  Sasha Laurenzo (16) and Alex Salas (9)

 Poolesville

Poolesville and Magruder faced off in a key divisional matchup and for the first time since the 2012 season. Due to a growing Poolesville HS and a rapidly shrinking Magruder HS this is the first time in MCPS history both schools have been placed in the same state playoff school size (3A). They played a 5 set thriller that had some major statistically anomalies. First, both teams sided out at or above 50% which is rare in high school volleyball (at least in Maryland). Second, the winning team (Poolesville) won a lower percentage of points received and won a fewer points in the match (Magruder won 51.8% of the points Poolesville served and Poolesville won 50% of the points Magruder served). This is also highly uncommon for a winning school. Set 1 was all Poolesville. Magruder struggled passing and serving and Poolesville ran their offense exceptionally well winning 25-14. Set two was mostly Magruder as they took an early 11-5 lead and held on throughout to win 25-17. Set three was a back and forth battle with multiple ties and lead changes throughout. Poolesville had an early 10-8 lead, but Magruder tied it at 12, only to see Poolesville go up 18-13, but Magruder rallied to 18-16 before Poolesville scored 5 straight points to break the set open. Set 4 was close with Magruder holding a 12-9 until the Colonels scored 11 straight points. The first half of set five was close with neither team taking more than a two point lead. However with Magruuder leading 7-6, Poolesville won a point off of the Magruder serve and then scored four straight points to take a lead that Magruder couldn't recover from. Overall it was a pretty exciting match by two of the stronger teams in MCPS that was played in front of several hundred fans. Some match analysis stats are below:

Magruder won 51.8% of the points Poolesville served, which is a very good rate.   Poolesville won 50% of the points Magruder served. 

Magruder hit  .174 for the match with 41 kills and 21 errors. 

Magruder served 86.7% for the match with 11 aces and 1 errors.  The 86.7% is below their season average. 

Magruder passed  70% for the match.

Magruder had 5 blocks and 85 total digs.

Individual Leaders:

Kills:  Kristen Martindell (16) and Nicole Rios (9)

Blocks:  Allie Walsh and Bunmi Odubayo (3 each)

Assists:  Alena Villaneuva (40)

Good Passes:  Sasha Laurenzo (46) and Isabel Salas (21)

Digs:  Sasha Laurenzo (30) and Isabel Salas (14)

Seneca Valley

Magruder travelled to Seneca Valley to play their first regular season match in nearly a decade. The matchup of new 3A rivals is part of a new journey for the Colonels (after over 15 years playing in the 4A regions). Magruder started well taking an 8-0 lead, but then had some lethargic moments throughout set 1. Several simple ball handling errors and lazy serving plagued the team and Seneca Valley took advantage with several nice plays of their own. Magruder was able to win the set 25-16. Though the scores were similar (Magruder won sets 2 and 3 25-12 and 25-13) the Colonels play improved as they eliminated simple mental errors. In set 2, Isabel Salas served four of her team high seven service aces and Bunmi Odubayo had 5 of her 7 kills. In set 3, Noelle Waring notched 8 of her 12 assists. Some match analysis stats are below:

Magruder won 59% of the points Seneca Valley served, which is a very good rate.   Seneca Valley won 39% of the points Magruder served. 

Magruder hit  .291 for the match with 33 kills and 13 errors. 

Magruder served 86% for the match with 20 aces and 11 errors.  The 85% is below their season average. 

Magruder passed  74% for the match, above their season average.

Magruder had 1 blocks and 38 total digs.

Individual Leaders:

Kills:  Kristen Martindell (13) and Bunmi Odubayo (7)

Blocks:  Nicole Rios (1)

Assists:  Alena Villaneuva (20) and Noelle Waring (12)

Good Passes:  Isabel Salas (11) and Alex Salas (8)

Digs:  Sasha Laurenzo (9) and Alex Salas (7)

Rockville

Magruder travelled to Rockville High School to play perhaps one of the most improved programs in the county this year. Rockville entered the match with a 6-3 overall record with the 6 wins representing more than any of their past few seasons. Rockville finished 2nd in the MHS Invitational and the two teams played a close match in the finals. Set one started as a back and forth affair. Both teams made several errors throughout the first 20 points and the score was tied at 10. Then Magruder sophomore outside hitter Alex Salas scored 9 straight points serving with 3 of her 4 aces in this set. Kristen Martindell had two of her team high 6 kills during this streak and Alena Villanueva (17 assists) added two as well. In set 2, Magruder raced to an early lead behind the serving of Alena Villanueva and Lilly Miller (who was the serving star of the night). The two combined to serve for 12 points in two rotations. Set three was all Lilly Miller. She served was is most likely a school record 15 straight points with 6 of her 8 aces coming in this set. The match ended with junior Fatimah Seyed-Ali scoring on a hard hit kill to win the match. Serving was the key for Magruder as each set they had streaks of 6 or more points scored in a row.  Some match analysis stats are below:

Magruder won 58% of the points Rockville served, which is a very good rate.   Rockville won 30% of the points Magruder served. 

Magruder hit  .160 for the match with 24 kills and 12 errors.  Their hitting percentage was held down by a high error rate (16.2%).

Magruder served 89% for the match with 21 aces and 7 errors.  The 89% is above their season average.

Magruder passed  69% for the match, roughly their season average.

Magruder had 2 blocks and 29 total digs.

Individual Leaders:

Kills:  Kristen Martindell (6) and Alena Villanueva (4)

Blocks:  Bunmi Obudayo and Allie Walsh (1)

Assists:  Alena Villaneuva (17) and Noelle Waring (3)

Good Passes:  Sasha Laurenzo (14) and Lilly Miller (9)

Digs:  Sasha Laurenzo (9) and Isabel Salas and Lilly Miller (4)

 Thomas Johnson

Magruder hosted Thomas Johnson in their first ever regular season matchup. The two teams have played twice in school history, both times in the playoffs with each team winning one match. This time Magruder prevailed 3 sets to 0 in front of a fairly unruly TJ crowd that insisted on chanting "Balls Up" every time Magruder served, but did so with special intensity in set two when Magruder was serving in front of their JV team. Perhaps this propelled Magruder into greater focus as Magruder won this set 25-9 with 5 aces (led by sophomore Alex Salas who had 3). Set 1 was close until the mid point of the match when Magruder pulled away behind the serving of Anna Grace Bladen (4 aces in the match) and the attacking of Marissa Post (4 kills) and Allie Walsh (4 kills and 2 blocks). Set 3 didn't start well for Magruder as they lost 9 of the first 14 points before rallying to tie the set at 14. Bunmi Odubayo had several of her team high 8 kills while Noelle Waring added two, including one on the final point of the match. Sasha Laurenzo played a stellar first two sets, passing and playing flawless defense. Lilly Miller also turned in a great match with 8 good passes and 4 aces. Some match analysis stats are below:

Magruder won 65.4% of all points TJ served, which is their highest percentage of the year and an incredibly high percentage overall.  Without question some of this was aided by a high amount of TJ service errors, but Magruder ran their serve receive offense well.  TJ won 40% of the points Magruder served. 

Magruder hit a season high .300 for the match with 28 kills and 6 errors.  The .300 is a season high. 

Magruder served 86.1% for the match with 14 aces and 10errors.  The 86.1% is slightly below their season average. 

Magruder passed  74% for the match, well above their season average.

Magruder had 4 blocks and 26 total digs.

Individual Leaders:

Kills:  Bunmi Odubayo (8) and Kristen Martindell (7)

Blocks:  Bunmi Obudayo and Allie Walsh (2)

Assists:  Noelle Waring (20)

Good Passes:  Sasha Laurenzo (21) and Lilly Miller (8)

Digs:  Sasha Laurenzo (11) and Alex Salas (5)

Churchill

Magruder travelled to Churchill for their first away contest of the year against a team that has been among the top 2-3 programs in the county (over the past two years). Last year Churchill advanced to the 4A West Regional final (4A West is perhaps the toughest region in the state). The first set was a struggle for Magruder. After winning 4 of the first 7 points, Churchill won a side out and then scored 10 straight service points to take a 14-4 lead. Magruder fought back to close the gap to 4 points, but was never able to come closer and lost the set. Churchill's service game gave Magruder's passer fits. The 2nd set was similar to the first set. Magruder and Churchill battled to a draw at the net, with Magruder perhaps at times having a slight advantage, but Churchill was able to take Magruder out of system much more frequently. In the third set, Magruder was finally able to adjust to Churchill's service game and took advantage of a strong service run by Anna Grace Bladen, who served for 8 straight points (and finished with 4 aces for the match). Magruder won 25-23 and was back in the match. Throughout the match both teams struggled to sideout scoring 2, 3 or 4 points in row with some frequency. Set four was the opposite, with both teams siding out regularly. With the score 14-14, both teams had rotated around almost twice. Then Churchill went on a run winning 11 of the last 15 points. In the end Churchill was able to control the ball and create more opportunities to consistently attack the ball. Some match analysis stats are below:

Magruder didn't have a scorekeeper at the game so serve receive data is currently unavailable.

Magruder hit a season high .105 for the match with 32 kills and 17 errors.  The .105 is a season low and fairly ineffective

Magruder served 96.3% for the match with 13 aces and 3 errors.  The 96.3% is the highest since Magruder has tracked this stat.

Magruder passed  65% for the match, which is well below their season average and reflects the struggle in serve receive during sets 1 and 2.

Magruder had 3 blocks and 66 total digs.

Individual Leaders:

Kills:  Kristen Martindell (11) and Nicole Rios (7)

Blocks:  Bunmi Obudayo (2) and Kristen Martindell (1)

Assists:  Noelle Waring (29)

Good Passes:  Sasha Laurenzo (32) and Isabel Salas (26)

Digs:  Sasha Laurenzo (22) and Isabel Salas (14)

Quince Orchard

Magruder and Quince Orchard faced off 72 hours after playing in the semi-finals of the Magruder Invitational.  Magruder won that best of three matchup, but tournament volleyball is different from regular season matches (in many ways).  The entire match was closely fought.  Magruder won in 4 sets, but the total points scored differed by only 6 (Magruder won 97 points, QO won 91).  Both teams served well forcing the other team to frequently play out of system.  The Colonels won the first set 25-21 behind the strong serving of Sasha Laurenzo (who was a perfect 26/26 serving with 5 aces).  QO rebounded in the 2nd set to lead most of the way until Magruder tied the match at 22 and then won it 26-24.  Set 3 was mostly QO, winning 25-21, but never really in danger of losing the set.  Set 4 was the reverse will Magruder taking an 18-10 lead and finally winning 25-21.  Some match analysis stats are below:

Magruder won 47% of the points Quince Orchard served, below their season average and not a percentage that tends to win against good teams.  Quince Orchard struggled more in serve receive, winning only 42% of the points Magruder served. 

Magruder hit a season high .163 for the match with 39 kills and only 18 errors.

Magruder served 88.2% for the match with 17 aces and 11 errors.

Magruder passed nearly 74% for the match, which is a good percentage.

Magruder had 10 blocks and 63 total digs.

Individual Leaders:

Kills:  Kristen Martindell (14) and Bunmi Odubayo (7)

Blocks:  Bunmi Obudayo () and Allie Walsh (2)

Assists:  Noelle Waring (35)

Good Passes:  Sasha Laurenzo (36) and Isabel Salas (22)

Digs:  Sasha Laurenzo (22) and Isabel Salas (16)

MHS Invitational

Magruder opened their 2015 season by hosting their annual tournament (the 18th Annual MHS Invitational).  Eight teams participated in the day long event.  Magruder began the day with a two set win over Seneca Valley (2 time tournament champion).  Senior middle hitter Allie Walsh had a good match with 4 kills and a block.  Marissa Post and Bunmi Odubayo added 3 kills each.   Lilly Miller led the serving attack with 14 of 16 serving and 5 aces.  Next up Magruder faced Watkins Mill (2 time tournament champion).  Since both teams were 1-0 at the time this match was essentially for first place in the pool.  Magruder came out strong convincing winning the first set.  In the 2nd set Watkins Mill played better and unfortunately junior setter Alena Villanueva sprained her ankle.  Alena had been 9 for 9 serving with 3 aces and 11 assists in the match.  Sophomore setter Noelle Waring replaced her and Magruder closed out the set winning 25-23.  Freshman Sami Sager had two key aces at the end of set 2 to help seal the win.  Next up Magruder faced Wheaton and the Colonels continued to play well, winning in 2 sets.  Sophomore Alex Salas played a nice match making all 9 serves (with 3 aces) and had 3 kills.  Fellow sophomore Lucy Webster had the first two official kills of her career.  The win meant Magruder finished pool play at 3-0 and would face Kennedy in the quarterfinals.  Magruder's entire team played well in this match.  Junior Fatimah Seyed-Ali had 2 aces and 3 good passes.  Rabea Moinuddin had 5 good passes and a dig.  Bunmi Odubayo had a team high 7 kills.  Anna Grace Bladen played a nice match making all 6 serves with 2 aces, with a kill and 7 good passes.  In the semi-finals Magruder faced Quince Orchard (who entered the match with a 3-1 record).  The match was hard fought, but Magruder was led by their strong serving and defense.  Seniors Sasha Laurenzo and Isabel Salas continued their strong play throughout the day, anchoring the defense and leading the serving attack.  They combined for 25 of 27 serves, 5 aces, 18 good passes and 11 digs.  Sophomore Kristen Martindell turned in a great performance at the net with 12 kills and a block.  Senior Nicole Rios played her best match with 4 kills, two at very key points of the match.  This led Magruder to their first appearance in the championship match since 2012.  Magruder's opponent was Rockville who beat several good teams throughout the day.  In the semi-finals they beat a tall and talented Paint Branch team for the 2nd time that day (rallying from 14-12 in the third set to win 16-14).  The match was very intense throughout.  Magruder fell behind earlier.  For the first time their serving and passing struggled and the Colonels found themselves down 8-1 and 18-11.  However, Isabel Salas scored 7 straight points serving (2 aces) and Kristen Martindell had two key kills late in the set to help Magruder win.  The 2nd set was close again, with Magruder finally getting a 24-20 lead.  The Colonels held on behind an Alex Salas kill to win 25-23.  Sasha Laurenzo played a great match, making all 12 serves with 4 aces and leading the team in passing (18 good passes) and digs (9).   Junior Anna Grace Bladen had a key ace late in set 2, finishing 6 for 8 serving with 2 aces. With the win Magruder claimed their 10th MHS Invitational championship and finished the day with a 6-0 record.  It was a great team effort, with all players contributing during the day and rallying to overcome an injury to their starting setter. 

2015 Season Preview

After their 18^th straight winning season in 2014 (13 win and 8 losses), Magruder girls volleyball went through some changes in the off-season.  The biggest change was the move from the largest state playoff playoff system (4A) to the 3A regional alignment.  Over the past decade Magruder has dropped enrollment from 2250 to approximately 1500.  During that time, this is the largest drop of student enrollment in MCPS (without a boundary change) and perhaps the largest in the state. 

As a result many of Magruder’s “traditional” rivals over the last 15+ years are no longer teams Magruder will play in the regular season or the playoffs.  This year (and next) Magruder will not face Sherwood, Wootton, etc.  However, MCPS did allow Magruder to continue to play Gaithersburg, which is one of the longest and best volleyball rivalries in MCPS.   

Magruder’s new “rivals” are now mainly 3A teams.  These include Blake, Damascus, Poolesville, Rockville, Seneca Valley, Watkins Mill and Wheaton.    These are their division matches.  Come playoff time, Magruder will participate in the 3A South, Section 2 region.  The winner of Section 2 will play the winner of Section 1, which consists of teams from the southern part of the state (Calvert, Charles, etc.). 

Additionally, the roster has undergone some major changes.  Gone are four seniors to graduation with two playing in college (Marina Bell at St. Mary’s Maryland and Caitlyn Trickey at Ohio Wesleyan). They have been replaced by a talented group of new players, many of which are young (4 10^th graders and 1 9^th grader).   Nine players return forming a core group of experienced and talented young ladies.  Sasha Laurenzo, Nicole Rios, Isabel Salas and Alena Villanueva have been elected as team captains and along with the seniors will provide team leadership.

The season opens with the 18^th Annual Magruder Invitational, an 8 team event.  The regular season begins on September 8^th with a visit from Quince Orchard (who is also playing in the tournament).  Magruder has 11 other MCPS opponents, including their 7 division opponents Churchill (2014 regional finalist), Paint Branch (2014 regional semi-finalist) and Gaithersburg (2014 regional semi-finalist).  Magruder has two out of county matches with a home match against Thomas Johnson (Frederick County) and an away match at Georgetown Visitation.

2014 Match Analysis

Gaithersburg

After another year, another Magruder vs. Gaithersburg playoff matchup.  For the 9th time since 2001 these two teams have met in the playoffs, more than any other two MCPS teams.  Magruder had won the last four playoff matchups (regional quarterfinal in 2012, regional semi-finals in 2008 and 2011 and regional final in 2009), but this year Gaithersburg came into the match as the #1 seed and Magruder as the #4 seed.  The two teams met roughly two weeks ago with Gaithersburg winning a match in three sets where both teams had trouble passing and siding out (Magruder more so).  This match featured a similar result with Gaithersburg winning in three sets, but the level of play was higher on both sides.  One of the sets (#3) nearly went three full rotations, something usually unheard of in high school and the real score (points scored while serving) was only 8-3 (put another way almost 75% of the points scored in this set were on side-outs, which generally indicates good play by both teams).   In fact both teams sided out at higher rates than their last matchup. Magruder won nearly 50% of the points Gaithersburg served, which is above their season average.  Gaithersburg won 37 points while Magruder served good for 70% of the points Magruder served, a very high number.  Of those 37 points, 11 were from Magruder service errors (or 21% of their total serves), a horrible number for a generally good serving team.  While this certainly aided Gaithersburg's sideout percentage they were effective siding out throughout the match (winning 62%) of the points on Magruder's made serves.  In the end Gaithersburg was a little more efficient serving, passing and defensively, the skill set that generally wins matches.  Magruder finishes their 2013 season with an overall record of 13-8, good for their 18th straight winning season!

Quince Orchard

Magruder and Quince Orchard met in the first round of the 4A West playoffs with the winner advancing to play top seed Gaithersburg.  In front of their largest crowd of the season, the Colonels played a nearly flawless first set winning 25-10.  Magruder's servers had 8 aces in the first set (led by Anna Grace Bladen's 4).  While Quince Orchard struggled in set 1, they certainly didn't let it impact their next two sets as they fought hard and raised their level of play.  Magruder controlled most of set 2, but never by a margin more than 5-6 points.  Again the main difference was Magruder's strong serving and attacking at the net.  Set three was a sideout war.  The set went almost three full rotations (something that almost never happens in a high school or club game).  Both teams sided out well over 50% for the set with the teams combining to score only 18 points while serving (ie: the real score of the game was 10-8 for Magruder).  Magruder ran out of subs with the scored 24-22 and Magruder serving, but a block by Becky Smith ended the set and match.  Some match analysis stats are below:

Magruder won 61% of the points Quince Orchard served, well above their season average.  Quince Orchard won 42% of the points Magruder served. 

Magruder hit a season high .351 for the match with 27 kills and only 5 errors.

Magruder served 89% for the match with 18 aces and 8 errors.

Magruder passed nearly 70% for the match, above their season average.

Magruder had a season high 11 blocks and 31 total digs.

Individual Leaders:

Kills:  Becky Smith (9) and Kristen Martindell and Bunmi Obudayo (4 each)

Blocks:  Bunmi Obudayo (4) and Becky Smith (2)

Assists:  Alena Villanueva (24)

Good Passes:  Caitlyn Trickey and Sasha Laurenzo (15 each)

Digs:  Sasha Laurenzo (11) and Caitlyn Trickey 8)

Gaithersburg

Magruder and Gaithersburg renewed what the Gazette once called "the best volleyball rivalry in MCPS".  Despite playing in front of perhaps the smallest crowd in well over a decade the match featured some strong serving from both causing side-out problems for both sides.  But Gaithersburg's servers consistently took Magruder out of their offense more frequently than Magruder was able to do it to Gaithersburg.  The first set was competitive for the first 16 points, then Gaithersburg pulled away, winning 19 of the last 25.  Sets two and three were more competitive with Gaithersburg winning 25-21, 25-20.  In both sets Magruder was able to stay close, but couldn't win key side-outs when needed.  Some match analysis stats are below:

Magruder won an abysmal 38% of the points Gaithersburg served.  Magruder has never won a match with a percentage this low.  Gaithersburg won 51% of the points Magruder served.  It's not a high percentage, but was more than enough to win in 3 sets.

Magruder hit .167 for the match, right near their season average.  This shows when Magruder had a chance to attack the ball they were about average for their season. 

Magruder served 88% for the match with 9 aces and 8 errors.

Magruder passed a season low 54% for the match (meaning only 54% of the serves and free balls Magruder passed were able to be set).  This is a catastrophic percentage and is perhaps the lowest since the team has tracked this stat.

Individual Leaders:

Kills:  Becky Smith (6), Hannah Barr and Kristen Martindell (5 each)

Blocks:  Becky Smith and Bunmi Obudayo (2 each)

Assists:  Alena Villanueva (17)

Good Passes:  Sasha Laurenzo (10) and Caitlyn Trickey (8)

Digs:  Sasha Laurenzo (6) and Caitlyn Trickey (4)

 Blair

Georgetown Visitation

Magruder won their 3rd straight match of the season, again in 3 straight sets.  Playing with a nearly healthy roster for the fourth straight match Magruder appears to have found some consistency in their play and played one of their more efficient matches at Georgetown Visitation.  Magruder posted a season high in side out efficiency and was able to consistently generate points while serving.  With the return of Hannah Barr, Magruder has a more balanced offense and as sophomore setter Alena Villanueva continues to improve her decision making, Magruder's offense is starting to improve.  While Magruder again generated a high percentage of aces and free balls, they did struggle making serves (83%).  Some match analysis stats are below:

Magruder won a season high 72% of the points Visitation served.  Visitation won 43% of the points Magruder served.

Magruder hit .211 for the match, above their season average.  They finished with 32 kills and 13 errors.

Magruder served 83% for the night with 17 aces and 12 errors.

Magruder had a 71% passing percentage. 

Magruder had 34 digs and 4 blocks. 

Individual Leaders:

Kills:  Becky Smith (13) and Hannah Barr (7)

Blocks:  Becky Smith (2)

Assists:  Alena Villanueva (28) and Sasha Laurenzo (1)

Good Passes:  Sasha Laurenzo (23) and Caitlyn Trickey (17)

Digs:  Sasha Laurenzo (15) and Caitlyn Trickey (9)

Kennedy

Whitman

Sherwood

Magruder won a season low 31% of the points Sherwood served.  Since Magruder has tracked this information they have never won a match with such a low percentage.  Interestingly, Sherwood was only able to win 46% of the points Magruder served, a percentage much higher than Magruder's, but likely lower than their normal percentages.

Magruder hit .067 for the match, below their normal percentage.  They finished with 18 kills and 14 errors.

Magruder served a season high 93.4% for the match.  They finished with 6 aces and 3 errors.

Magruder had a 63% passing efficiency.

Magruder had 23 digs and 5 blocks. 

Individual Leaders:

Kills:  Becky Smith (8) and Kristen Martindell (4)

Blocks:  Allie Walsh (4) and Marina Bell (1)

Assists:  Alena Villanueva (16) 

Good Passes:  Sasha Laurenzo (26) and Caitlyn Trickey (13)

Digs:  Sasha Laurenzo (10) and Alena Villanueva (4)

Paint Branch

Little things matter greatly.  Over the last several matches Magruder has struggled with making little errors that compound and slowly add up over the course of a set and entire match.  While Magruder has been forced to juggle lineups due to injuries the coaching staff and players struggled finding consistency in their play and mental approach to playing the game properly.  After a good week of practice, Magruder came out and played perhaps one of their most error free matches of the season.  While the physical errors certainly decreased (and the internal stats kept along with the ones posted here back that up), the silly mental errors most certainly decreased dramatically as well. The result was one of the better matches Magruder has played this year.   In set 1, Magruder didn't miss a serve, played some great defense and made only one bad mental error.  The result was a 25-15 win.  In set 2, Paint Branch raised their level of play as Magruder had no answer early on for Paint Branch's attacking at the net (Paint Branch might be the tallest team in the county).  However, the team battled and scrapped all match until finally tying the set at 20.  Freshman Kristen Martindell played the best set of her young career with 4 of her 6 kills.  Marina Bell led the service attack with 2 of her 4 aces.  Set 3 was similar to set 1 with Magruder winning 25-15.  Some match analysis stats are below: 

Magruder won a season high 60% of the points that Paint Branch served.  Paint Branch won 42% of the points Magruder served. 

Magruder hit .230 for the match, well above their normal percentage.  They finished with 27 kills and 10 errors.

Magruder served a season high 89.9% for the match.  They finished with 17 aces and 8 errors.

Magruder passed very well throughout the night.  They finished with a 73% passing efficiency.

Magruder had 27 digs and 2 blocks. 

Individual Leaders:

Kills:  Becky Smith (10) and Allie Walsh and Kristen Martindell (6 each)

Blocks:  Marina Bell and Allie Walsh (1 each)

Assists:  Alena Villanueva (25) and Allie Walsh (1)

Good Passes:  Sasha Laurenzo (31) and Caitlyn Trickey (12)

Digs:  Sasha Laurenzo (12) and Alena Villanueva (4)

Blake

Despite playing hard and with intensity Magruder struggled throughout the match against Blake, falling in four sets.   The metrics from the match show a team that struggled to score points while serving.  Magruder served 83% for the match which automatically gives 17% of the points they serve to Blake.  Additionally the team wasn't aggressive enough serving. The combination of missing large numbers of serves while the ones made do little damage is often dangerous for a team.  This night it certainly was.   While their 12 aces were in line with what would be expected in a four set match, Magruder generated a much lower percentage of free balls than normal. In set one alone Blake Magruder won only 5 of the 19 service points.  Additionally, the team struggled to score points in bunches, something they had been good at in prior matches.  Magruder had only one run of five or more points during the match.  Add in a struggling offense and it's recipe to be beaten, which Blake took advantage of.  The key swing point of the match was set 3.  With the match tied 1-1 and Magruder leading 22-20, Blake won a side out and then served the next four points to win the set.  Blake went on to win set 4 by an identical score, but they had the lead for most of that set.  Magruder needed to close out set 3, but was unable to do so.    Some match analysis stats are below:

Magruder won 45% of the points Blake served.  Blake won 51% of the points Magruder served.

Magruder's attack numbers are currently unavailable.

Magruder served 83% for the night with 12 aces and 13 errors.

Magruder passed very well throughout the match with a 69% passing efficiency.

Magruder had 54 digs and 2 blocks.

Individual Leaders:

Kills:  currently unavailable

Blocks:  Becky Smith and Allie Walsh (1 each)

Assists:  Alena Villanueva (33) and Marina Bell (1)

Good Passes:  Sasha Laurenzo (36) and Caitlyn Trickey (19)

Digs:  Sasha Laurenzo (19) and Caitlyn Trickey (10)

 B-CC

Magruder continued their division play with a match against BCC, a regularly solid program.  The match started well for Magruder as they took an early lead behind the serving of junior Sasha Laurenzo.  BCC staged a comeback, but Magruder was able to hold on and win 25-23.  Set 2 was close throughout with 4 ties.  With the set tied at 19-19, BCC went on a run and scored 6 of the last 8 points to win 25-21.  Set 3 was one of huge runs by both teams as neither team was able to side-out very well.  Magruder opened the set with a four point run.  Two rotations later BCC went on a 5 point run to take a 9-6 lead.  The next rotation Magruder went on a 7 point run, then BCC immediately went on a 10 point run.  It wasn't a particularly well played set by either team, but BCC made the last run (3 points) and claimed the set 25-21.  Magruder was simply outplayed in set 4, losing 25-18.  BCC made few errors while Magruder was tentative and mishandled the ball multiple times. Some match analysis stats are below:

Magruder won 41% of the points BCC served, a fairly low number.  BCC won 50% of the point Magruder served.

Magruder hit .223 for the match with 32 kills and 13 attack errors.

Magruder served 86.2% for the match with 14 aces and 12 errors.

Magruder passed a miserable 61% for the night.

Magruder had 37 digs and 2 blocks.

Individual Leaders:

Kills:  Becky Smith (13), Sasha Laurenzo, Marina Balle and Allie Walsh with 5 each

Blocks:  Becky Smith and Marina Bell (1 each)

Assists:  Alena Villanueva (27)

Good Passes:  Sasha Laurenzo (25) and Caitlyn Trickey (19)

Digs:  Caitlyn Trickey and Sasha Laurenzo (11 each)

 Springbrook

Magruder travelled to Springbrook after a long weekend of volleyball and came away with a 3-0 set win.  In set one Becky Smith had two kills while Marina Bell served 8 straight points with 2 aces.  In set 2 Magruder struggled some until senior outside hitter Marissa Post served 9 straight points (with 2 aces) to take a commanding lead.  In set three junior Nicole Rios registered 2 kills while Becky Smith returned to score 7 straight points serving (with 3 aces).  Some match analysis stats are below:

Side out data for this match is not available.

Magruder hit .256 for the math with 23 kills and 8 errors.

Magruder served 85% for the match with 14 aces and 11 errors.

Magruder had a passing percentage of 64% for the match.

Magruder had 16 digs and 1 block. 

Individual Leaders:

Kills:  Marina Bell and Bunmi Odubayo (5 eah)

Blocks:  Marina Bell (1)

Assists:  Alena Villanueva (20)

Good Passes:  Sasha Laurenzo (15) and Marissa Post (6)

Digs:  Sasha Laurenzo (5) and Mrissa Post (3)

 MHS Invitational

Magruder hosted their 17th Annual Invitational, possibly the longest running volleyball tournament in the state of Maryland.  As usual it was a long day of volleyball with some very talented teams battling it out on the court.  In the main gym Magruder opened play with a convincing 25-14, 25-8 win over a Blake team (that seemed to get better as the day went on).  Marina Bell went on a huge service run making 21 of 23 serves with 3 aces and serving for 20 points.  Magruder's next match was against a tough Richard Montgomery team. Magruder prevailed 25-22, 25-20 but had to work for all their points.  Bekcy Smith led the team in hitting this match with 8 kills.  Magruder then faced Kennedy and won 25-18, 25-14. Junior Lilly Miller was 12 of 14 serving with a match high 7 aces.  Junior Marissa Post added 2 kills.   Magruder's final match in pool play was against Blair who came into this match with an overall record of 8-0.  It was a hard fought match by both teams, but Magruder prevailed in two sets to win the pool  Junior Sasha Laurenzo was outstanding making 16 of 17 serves with 3 aces and leading the team in passing and digs.  Magruder finished pool play with a perfect 8-0 set record.  In the back gym Sherwood also won their pool with perfect 8-0 set record defeating Urbana, Wheaton, Paint Branch and Rockville.  In the semi-finals Sherwood defeated Blair in two sets, while Urbana defeated Magruder in a long 3 set match.  Sherwood then defeated Urbana in the finals win the tournament. 

River Hill

Magruder and River Hill combined to play a two hour five set thriller that alternated with some spectacular volleyball and some poorly played volleyball.  It was an evenly divided match in many ways, yet wasn't. Each team sided out at 40% for the match, but  River Hill featured an array of strong attackers and blockers at the net while Magruder featured an agressive and damaging service game and outstanding team defense.  In many ways, it was a match of opposites that evened each other out.  The match featured long rallies at times with hard fought points and also had streaks of huge runs of points.  Each team had three streaks of six or more points, with each team scoring ten straight points once.  Set 1 was close throughout with Magruder holding a small advantage late and won 25-22.  As is typical in a five set match each team plays one poor game and set two was River Hill's.  They struggled throughout with Magruder winning easily 25-15.  Set three was again close throughout with both teams having leads.  With the match tied at 17-17, Magruder won a side and scored three straight points to take a 21-17 lead.  After a River Hill timeout, Magruder missed a serve and then gave up three more points.  With the set now tied Magruder called a timeout.  River Hill responded with a missed serve, but River Hill won the next three points to win the set 25-22.  The fourth set was Magruder's lousy game as they missed serves, made numerous mental errors and lost 25-11.  Set five was close until River Hill scored 4 straight points to take a 13-7 lead.  Teams then changed sideouts to make it 14-8 River Hill, but one more 6 point run by Magruder tied the score at 14.  Both teams sided out at 15.  Magruder again missed a serve giving River Hill set point and again Magruder fought it off to tie the match at 16.  River Hill sided out to make it 17-16 and then forced Magruder into a free ball which was converted into a kill to win the match.   Some match analysis stats are below:

Magruder won 40% of the points River Hill served, which is their lowest of the season.  River Hill won slightly more than 40% of the points Magruder served. Again this is a low number.  The large number of streaks (6 streaks of 6 or more points in row) drove serve receive numbers to a pretty inefficient level for both teams. 

Magruder hit .117 for the match with 33 kills and 21 errors.

Magruder served 83% for the night with 20 aces and 17 errors. Magruder servers also forced 17 free balls. 

Magruder had a 70% passing efficiency for the night, their highest of the season.

Magruder had 57 digs and 7 blocks, both season highs

Individual Leaders

Kills: Becky Smith (14) and Allie Walsh (6)

Blocks: Becky Smith (4) and Marina Bell (2)

Assists: Alena Villanueva (28)

Good Passes:  Caitlyn Trickey (35) and Sasha Laurenzo (34)

Digs: Sasha Laurenzo (23) and Caitlyn Trickey (21)

 Einstein

Coach Zanni and his Magruder team visited Einstein for their 3rd match of the week.  For Coach Zanni it's always a little nostalgic to coach at Einstein as it's where he got his first head coach job in 1993.  Perhaps his team was feeling a little sentimental as well as they began the match struggling to make plays.  However they quickly got it together and won the first set 25-20.  In set 2 and 3 Magruder won 25-14, 25-11.  The key to the match (as it often is) was serving.  In each set Magruder had at least 5 aces.  In set 1 senior libero Caitlyn Trickey sparked the team with 4 straight aces while junior outside hitter Sasha Laurenzo had 2 (she also had a team high 20 good passes and 6 digs).  Junior defensive specialist Lilly Miller opened the second set with 9 straight points including 4 aces.  Sophomore Anna Grace Bladen had 3 aces and junior outside hitter Marissa Post served 6 straight points with 1 ace.  Anna Grace led the team in serving in with 4 aces.  Outside hitter Becky Smith led the offense with 8 kills, while freshman Kristen Martindell had a career high 5 kills.  Setters Alena Villanueva (17 assists) and Maggie Tien (6 assists) both ran the offense well.   Some match analysis stats are below:

Magruder won 58% of the points Einstein served.  Einstein won 29% of the points Magruder served. 

Magruder hit .159 for the match with 24 kills and 13 errors. 

Magruder served a season high 90.4% for the night with 20 aces and 7 errors.  Magruder servers also forced 18 free balls. 

Magruder had a 68% passing efficiency for the night.

Magruder had 14 digs and 2 blocks. 

Individual Leaders

Kills:  Becky Smith (8) and Kristen Martindell (5)

Blocks:  Becky Smith and Allie Walsh (1 each)

Assists:  Alena Villanueva (17) and Maggie Tien (6)

Good Passes:  Sasha Laurenzo (20) and Caitlyn Trickey (11)

Digs:  Sasha Laurenzo (6) and Caitlyn Trickey (4)

 Northwest

Magruder's 2nd match of the season was against Northwest High School, an up and coming power in MCPS and one that many coaches thinks may be among the best in the county this year.  Northwest features a very tall and powerful front line and many experienced club players.   The match was well played at times and at other times both teams were very sloppy with the volleyball and failed to execute simple plays.  However for an early season matchup it features some great volleyball and the intensity of a playoff match.   However, Magruder didn't back down and played some of the best volleyball of the young season.  Northwest controlled most of set #1, but a late Magruder run sparked by some spectacular defense allowed Magruder to catch up and have set point at 24-23.  Failure to pass a free ball cost Magruder the chance to win the set and they eventually lost 26-24.  Magruder controlled most of set two leading 19-13 before getting stuck in two successive rotations and losing set two.  Generally when good teams play you have to win the games where you play better for most of the set.  Magruder failed to do that in set 1.  In set three Northwest was the better team and they were able to close out the set 25-20.  Often that's the difference in big matches between good teams.  Some match analysis stats are below:

Magruder won 44% of the points that Northwest served, while Northwest won 50% of the points Magruder served.  Neither is a percentage that generally wins against very good teams.  That may be due to early season play.

Magruder hit an abysmal .028 for the night registering 22 kills and a disastrous 20 hitting errors.

Magruder served 86.6% for the night with 9 aces and 8 errors.  They also forced 15 free balls from Northwest, a fairly large number.

Magruder had a 67% passing efficiency for the night.

Magruder had 38 digs and 2 blocks. 

Individual Leaders

Kills:  Becky Smith (8) and Sasha Laurenzo (4)

Blocks:  Marina Bell and Allie Walsh (1 each)

Assists:  Alena Villanueva (21)

Good Passes:  Caitlyn Trickey (21) and Sasha Laurenzo (17)

Digs:  Caitlyn Trickey (12) and Sasha Laurenzo (9)

 Rockville

Can you say jitters, nerves and then determined calm?  What they don't go together.  Well tonight they did.  Magruder started their 2014 regular season fired up and nervous all at the same time.  After 11 points Magruder was down 9-2, had missed all three service attempts, committed two net violations and blew two easy digs.  Other than that all was well.....

Yet after a timeout and some frank team discussion Magruder showed a quiet and calm determination.  They rallied to play better and win set 1, 25-16.  Set two also started much better with the Colonels taking a 17-3 lead behind some dynamic serving, solid passing, strong setting and attacking.  Set three was similar with Magruder taking an early lead and not looking back.  Despite making a high number of service errors (14 in 3 sets) Magruder regularly generated aces (12) and free balls (13) which enabled Magruder's passers and setter to efficiently run their offense (the team hit .320 for the night).   Some match analysis stats are below:

Somehow we lost all our serve receive data.  Hoping it's somewhere this side of Oz. 

Magruder hit .320 for the night, which is a great percentage for high school. The team finished with 38 kills and 13 attack errors.

Magruder served 81.5% for the night, a rather poor percentage. Magruder had 12 service aces and 14 service errors.

Magruder had a 68% passing efficiency for the night.

Magruder had 10 digs and 1 block.

Individual Leaders

Kills:  Becky Smith (17) and Marina Bell (5)

Blocks:  Becky Smith (1)

Assists: Alena Villanueva (33) and Anna Grace Bladen (3)

Aces:  Marina Bell (5), Sasha Laurenzo and Anna Grace Bladen (3 each)

Good Passes: Sasha Laurenzo (17) and Caitlyn Trickey (8)

Digs: Sasha Laurenzo (5) and Lilly Miller (2)

2013 Match Analysis

Quince Orchard

Magruder's 2013 season came to abrupt end with a first round playoff loss to Quince Orchard in 4 sets.  After Magruder won the first set, Quince Orchard raised their level of play and won three close sets to sweep the match.  Katie Sweeney led Magruder with solid passing (22 good passes) and great attacking (team high 11 kills) with few errors.  Magruder finishes the 2013 season with an overall record of 14-6.

Kennedy

Magruder celebrated senior night in style, honoring all 8 seniors before the start of the match.  All played a major role in the victory.   Virginia Melandri had a greatmatch with 5 kills, 3 aces, 10 good passes and 2 digs.  Katie Clugston recorded a career high 22 assists and added an ace.  Adjowa Pinkrah had 2 kills and an ace.  Xena Metzger led the team in kills with 7, while Katie Sweeney and Lizzi Walsh each had 6 (Walsh also had a team high 7 aces).  Caitlin Koenig had 12 good passes and 7 digs, both team highs.  Jalyn Houston returned from a sprained ankle but was only limited to serving (she was a perfect 4 for 4).  Some match analysis stats are below:

Magruder won 61% of the points Kennedy served, well above their season average.  Kennedy won 24% of the points Magruder served. 

Magruder hit .142 for the night, below their team average. The team finished with 27 kills and 13 attack errors.

Magruder served 87% for the night, right at their season average. Magruder had 15 service aces and 10 service errors.

Magruder had a 71% passing efficiency for the night, above their season average.

Magruder had 25 digs and 2 blocks.

Individual Leaders

Kills:  Xena Metzger (7), Lizzi Walsh and Katie Sweeney (6 each) and Virginia Melandri (5)

Blocks:  Hannah Barr and Lizzi Walsh (1 each)

Assists: Katie Clugston (22)

Aces:  Lizzi Walsh (7) and Virginia Melandri (3)

Good Passes: Caitlin Koenig (12) and Katie Sweeney (11)

Digs: Lizzi Walsh and Caitlin Koenig (7 each)

Northwest

Magruder travelled to Northwest for a key matchup in the 4A West region with major seeding implications.  They left Northwest humbled after a three set sweep by a very enthused and energetic Northwest team.  Magruder never got going.  Each of the three sets Magruder gave up large runs of points (between 5-9 points), struggled serving, passing and running their offense.  The end result was a lackluster three set loss to Northwest.  Some match analysis stats are below:

Magruder won 42% of the points Northwest served, well below their season average.  Northwest won an amazing 61% of the points Magruder served. Magruder only scored 19 points while serving. 

Magruder hit .154 for the night, below their team average. The team finished with 21 kills and 11 attack errors.

Magruder served 82% for the night, again well below their season average.    Magruder had 3 service aces and 10 service errors.

Magruder had a 67% passing efficiency for the night, near their season average.

Magruder had 30 digs and 4 blocks.

Individual Leaders

Kills: Lizzi Walsh (12) and Xena Metzger (5)

Blocks:  Xena Metzger (3)

Assists: Marina Bell (16) and Alena Villanueva (6)

Aces:  three players with 1

Good Passes: Caitlin Koenig (26) and Katie Sweeney (10)

Digs:  Lizzi Walsh (11) and Caitlin Koenig (5)

Georgetown Visitation

Magruder celebrated "Alumni Night" by welcoming and honoring over a dozen former varsity girls volleyball players (and many of their family members) who have played for Coach Zanni over the last 19 years.  This group included girls from the class of 1997 through the class of 2013.  Magruder celebrated this night by defeating a determined and scrappy Georgetown Visitation squad 25-21, 25-21, 25-17.  In sets 1 and 2, Magruder struggled to string together more than 2 points in a row.  The team missed a combined 10 serves (10 of the 41 points Visitation won).  Serve reception errors also plaqued the team.  However, the Lady Colonels played well enough to win both sets 25-21.  In set three, Caitlin Koenig turned in a great performance, making all 16 of her serves.  6 of her serves were aces and another 5 generated free balls for Magruder.  The result was Magruder taking a 23 lead and eventually winning 25-17.  Some match analysis stats are below:

Magruder won 51% of the points Visitation served, slightly below their season average.  Visitation won 42% of the points Magruder served. 

Magruder hit .250 for the night, above their team average. The team finished with 34 kills and only 13 attack errors. The 34 kills are the highest total of the season for a three set match. 

Magruder served 85.5% for the night, slightly below their season average.  In sets 1 and 2 Magruder served 79% and in set 3 they served 96%.  Magruder had 8 service aces and 11 service errors.

Magruder had a 65% passing efficiency for the night, below their season average.

Magruder had 39 digs and 4 blocks.

Individual Leaders

Kills: Lizzi Walsh (19), Becky Smith and Katie Sweeney (5 each)

Blocks: 4 players with 1 each

Assists: Alena Villanueva (20) and Marina Bell (10)

Aces:  Caitlin Koenig (6) and Virginia Melandri and Lizzi Walsh (1 each)

Good Passes: Caitlin Koenig (19) and Lizzi Walsh (11)

Digs: Caitlin Koenig (12) and Lizzi Walsh (11)

B-CC

Magruder hosted another non-division 4A school when they played Bethesda Chevy Chase at home.  Magruder started out playing well taking an early lead behind strong serving and attacking.  However, in the late part of set 1, Magruder's passing and setting and hitting fell apart, making numerous errors. Magruder faced two sets points and held off both eventually winning 27-25.  Magruder made 7 of their 11 attack errors in set 1 and BCC aced Magruder multiple times.  Sets 2 and 3 were much different, with Magruder serving perhaps they best they had all season and playing with almost no errors (service, attack, blocking, setting, etc.).  They won set 2 25-11 and set 3 25-9.  Some match analysis stats are below:

Magruder won 50% of the points BCC served, slightly below their season average.  BCC won 28% of the points Magruder served. 

Magruder hit .258 for the night, above their team average. The team finished with 27 kills and only 11 attack errors.   

Magruder served 91.5% for the night, their best of the season.  Magruder had 15 service aces and a season low 6 service errors.

Magruder had a 71% passing efficiency for the night, well above their season average.

Magruder had 35 digs and 7 blocks.

Individual Leaders

Kills: Lizzi Walsh (12) and Xena Metzger (5)

Blocks: Xena Metzger and Lizzi Walsh (3 each)

Assists: Alena Villanueva (15) and Marina Bell (7)

Aces: Lizzi Walsh, Caitlin Koenig and Xena Metzger (3 each)

Good Passes: Caitlin Koenig (14) and Lizzi Walsh (12)

Digs: Lizzi Walsh (11) and Caitlin Koenig (9)

Whitman

Magruder travelled to Whitman to face a much improved Vikings squad that appears to be in the process of having their first winning season in several years.  Magruder simply wasn't focused to start the match, playing tentatively, hoping not to make mistakes and generally walking through the first set.  Whitman won every point Magruder served (8 for 8) while Magruder lost 17 of the 25 points Whitman served, with at least 7 of those points being reception errors (aces for Whitman).  In set 2, Magruder made numerous changes to their lineup which sparked the team to a convincing 25-6 win. Senior Katie Clugston perhaps saved the match.  She led off set 2 with an ace and served for 8 straight points setting a new tone for the team.  In set 1, Magruder's sideout percentage was 32%.  After set 1, Magruder's sideout percentage skyrocketed to 65.4% in sets 2-4.  Additionally, freshman setter Alena Villanueva made a huge contribution in sets 2-4, registering a career high 29 assists and settling down the Magruder offense.  Later in set 2, Caitlin Koenig continued the trend serving for 10 straight points (with three aces).  Sets 3 and 4 were much closer with Magruder winning 25-19 and 28-16.  Senior Katie Sweeney played perhaps the best match of her career (11 kills, hitting .524 and 2 blocks).  Lizzi Walsh totalled a career high 27 points for the match (15 kills, 10 aces and 2 blocks).  In set four, she served four straight points to tie the match at 24 (and through both Whitman timeouts).   Some match analysis stats are below:

Magruder won 54.5% of the points Whitman served.  Whitman won 46.5% of the points Magruder served.  Whitman won the first 8 points Magruder served.

Magruder hit .287 for the night, a very efficient percentage against a good team.  The team finished with 41 kills and only 10 attack errors.  The ten attack errors are very low for a four set match. 

Magruder served 82.3% for the night, a very low percentage.  However they also generated a high number of aces and free balls from their serves. Magruder had 16 service aces and 14 service errors.

Magruder had a 63% passing efficiency for the night, below their season average.  .

Magruder had 52 digs and 9 blocks.

Individual Leaders

Kills: Lizzi Walsh (15) and Katie Sweeney (11)

Blocks: Becky Smith (3), several with 2

Assists: Alena Villanueva (29) and Marina Bell (3)

Aces: Lizzi Walsh (10) and Caitlin Koenig (3)

Good Passes: Lizzi Walsh (26) and Caitlin Koenig (15)

Digs: Lizzi Walsh (19) and Caitlin Koenig (11)

Gaithersburg

The entire sport of volleyball is built around being able to control the volleyball or "ball control".  Whether hitting, passing, serving, setting, blocking or playing defense, the idea is to control the ball.  Gaithersburg was able to defeat Magruder because they served, passed, set and played better defense.  While Magruder's offense and blocking where pretty effective against a talented Gaithersburg team, the Trojans controlled every other aspect of the game.   Magruder had their worst night serving of the year, making an abysmal 74.5% of their serves.  The Colonels also posted (by far) their worst passing efficiency of the night (53% of all passes were set).    Compounding the problem, nearly every tactical or strategic move made by Coach Zanni seemed to backfire or not work.  Add those variables together and Gaithersburg earned a convincing three set victory.  Some match analysis stats are below:

Magruder won 49.3% of the points Sherwood served, a low percentage by also higher than typical for a 3 set loss.  Gaithersburg won a remarkable 65.4% of the points Magruder served, including the last 14 straight times Magruder served.  While Gaithersburg certainly did a great job siding out they were aided by the large volume of Magruder service errors.  Of the 36 points Gaithersburg won while Magruder served 14 or almost 40% came from Magruder's missed serves. 

Magruder hit .276 for the night, a very efficient percentage against a good team.  The problem was they didn't get enough attacks (48 attacks total for the 130 points played). The team finished with 19 kills and only 7 attack errors.

Magruder served 74.5% for the night. Magruder had 5 service aces and 14 service errors.

Magruder had a 53% passing efficiency for the night, their lowest of the season and likely since this stat has been tracked.

Magruder had 33 digs and 5 blocks.

Individual Leaders

Kills: Lizzi Walsh (8) and Xena Metzger (5)

Blocks: Xena Metzger and Lizzi Walsh (2 each)

Assists: Marina Bell (15) 

 Aces:  Lizzi Walsh (3)

Good Passes: Sasha Laurenzo (11) and Lizzi Walsh (10)

Digs: Lizzi Walsh (8) and Sasha Laurenzo (5) 

Blake

After struggling against a good Paint Branch squad, Magruder travelled to Blake to play an energized and determined Blake team.   Blake played hard the entire match no matter the score, but Magruder played one of their most flawless matches of the season winning 25-8, 25-14, 25-18.  In set 1, Lizzi Walsh recorded 6 of her match high 9 kills and Marina Bell set one of her best sets of the year (she finished with a team high 14 assists).  In set 2 senior libero Caitlin Koenig went on one of her patented serving runs, turning an 8-7 into a 16-7 lead.  She finished the match leading the team in passing (18 good passes), aces (6) and digs (9).   Set three was closer, but Magruder closed out the win behind some strong serving of Jalyn Houston (6 kills and 3 aces) and Xena Metzger (6 kills, 3 aces and a block).  Katie Sweeney played a solid match with 7 kills and an ace.  Some match analysis stats are below:

Magruder won 68.3% of the points Blake served, their highest of the season.  In set 1, Magruder was a perfect 8 for 8.  Blake won 36.5% of the points Magruder served.

Magruder hit .317 for the night, a very efficient percentage. The team finished with 26 kills and only 7 attack errors.

Magruder served 86.5% for the night. Magruder had 18 service aces and 10 service errors.

Magruder had a 70.2% passing efficiency for the night, their highest of the season.

Magruder had 33 digs and 3 blocks.

Individual Leaders

Kills: Lizzi Walsh (9) and Katie Sweeney (7)

Blocks: Jalyn Houston, Becky Smith and Xena Metzger (1 each)

Assists: Marina Bell (14) and Alena Villanueva (9)

Aces:  Caitlin Koenig (6) and Lizzi Walsh/Xena Metzger/Jalyn Houston (3 each)

Good Passes: Caitlin Koenig (18) and Lizzi Walsh (15)

Digs: Lizzi Walsh and Caitlin Koenig (9 each)

Paint Branch

Magruder travelled and played a much improved Paint Branch Panthers team that was ready for a challenge.  Unfortunately for the Colonels they came out very flat in set 1, missing servings, failing to play defense and making numerous mental errors.  This marked the first time in the 2013 season that the team's effort and focus was lacking and the results showed.  Paint Branch, a good team in its own right, took advantage winning set 1 25-21.  The set ended with a convincing Paint Branch kill.  In set 2 Magruder still was struggling and Paint Branch again took advantag building a 13-8 lead before Magruder was able to string together a series of solid plays.  Magruder won set 2 25-22.  From there Magruder began to play better and Paint Branch struggled to replace their starting setter (who was lost to a back injury).  Magruder won the next two sets fairly easily (25-18, 25-13).  Some match analysis stats are below:

Magruder won 45% of the points Paint Branch served, a percentage that rarely wins matches at the varsity level.  Paint Branch won 41.4% of the points Magruder served.

Magruder hit .104 for the night, their worst night of the season. The team finished with 38 kills and an incredibly high 27 attack errors or almost 7 per set.

Magruder served 84.6% for the night. Magruder had 16 service aces and 15 service errors.

Magruder had a 65.2% passing efficiency for the night, below their season average.

Magruder had 44 digs and 7 blocks.

Individual Leaders

Kills: Lizzi Walsh (15) and Xena Metzger (12)

 Blocks: Lizzi Walsh (3) Xena Metzger and Becky Smith (2)

Assists: Alena Villanueva (25) and Marina Bell (6)

Aces:  Xena Metzger (5), Lizzi Walsh and Katie Sweeny (3 each)

Good Passes: Sasha Laurenzo (27) and Lizzi Walsh (17)

Digs: Lizzi Walsh (15) and Sasha Laurenzo (11)

Sherwood

Magruder and Sherwood both entered this match undefeated in MCPS Division play.  The winner would gain the advantage in the division with the ability to control their own destiny.  The match featured some of the best players in Montgomery County and approximately 500 energetic fans (some from neighboring counties) showed up to cheer on both squads.  They weren't disappointed as the match had an intense atmosphere from the start.  Sherwood scored 7 straight points behind strong serving from their libero and took an early 13-4.  Later in the game Magruder fought scoring 5 straight points behind the strong serving of Lizzi Walsh.   This was a theme throughout the match.  Although both teams gave up long streaks up points in each set, Sherwood was able to string together streaks that were more frequent and for more consecutive points.  Additionally, Magruder struggled badly in one rotation during all three sets.  Some match analysis stats are below:

Magruder won almost 40% of the points Sherwood served. Sherwood won 50.8% of the points Magruder served.

Magruder hit .173 for the night, below their season average. The team finished with 23 kills and 11 attack errors.

Magruder served 83.6% for the night, one of their highest averages of the season. Magruder had 7 service aces and 9 service errors.

Magruder had a 63.5% passing efficiency for the night, below their season average and a percentage that usually won't win against a good team.

Magruder had 27 digs and a 8 blocks.

Individual Leaders

Kills: Lizzi Walsh (14) and Jalyn Houston (4)

Blocks: Lizzi Walsh (4) and Becky Smith (2)

Assists: Marina Bell (21)

Aces: Lizzi Walsh, Xena Metzger and Virginia Melandri (2 each)

Good Passes: Lizzi Walsh (16) and Sasha Laurenzo (10)

Digs: Lizzi Walsh (9), Sasha Laurenzo and Caitlin Koenig (6 each)

Blair

Magruder travelled to Blair for a rare friday afternoon match and came away with a 3-0 well played 25-13, 25-11, 25-21 victory.  Magruder struggled early in set one missing three of their first five serves, but then senior Virginia Melandri sparked the team serving five straight points (with an ace) to help the Colonels pull away.  In set two Magruder played a very efficient game making few errors and winning 25-11. Set three was a closer contest with Magruder winning 25-21.  Junior setter Marina Bell continued her improvement and led the team with 17 assists.  Senior libero Caitlin Koenig played an outstanding match leading the team in passing (19) and aces (5) and also recording 6 digs.  Some match analysis stats are below:

Magruder won 65.3% of the points Blair served. Blair won 42.9% of the points Magruder served.

Magruder hit .189 for the night, near their season average. The team finished with 28 kills and 13 attack errors.

Magruder served 88.5% for the night, one of their highest averages of the season. Magruder had 13 service aces and 9 service errors.

Magruder had a 67.5% passing efficiency for the night, near their season average.

Magruder had 27 digs and a 3 blocks

Individual Leaders

Kills: Lizzi Walsh (14) and Xena Metzger (6)

Blocks: Jalyn Houston (2)

Assists: Marina Bell (17) and Alena Villanueva (9)

Aces: Caitlin Koenig (5) and Lizzi Walsh (3)

Good Passes: Caitlin Koenig (19) and Lizzi Walsh (14)

Digs: Lizzi Walsh (11) and Caitlin Koenig (6)

Einstein

After travelling out of county for a match against River Hill, Magruder returned to division play in MCPS with a match against Einstein.  Magruder played one of their most efficient matches of the year making few errors, avoiding giving up long runs of points and attacking, passing and serving well.  Magruder won all three games (25-13, 25-10, 25-15) to improve their overall record to 7-2.  Senior outside hitter Lizzi Walsh racked up 21 points (16 from kills and 5 from service aces) and hit at a .565 average (one of the most efficient in school history).  Fellow senior outside hitter Jalyn Houston recorded career high in kills (9) and aces (3) and also had a block (total of 12 points scored, also a career high).  Junior setter Marina Bell continued her improved play running the offense efficiently (Magruder hit over .300 for the night---a very good percentage) and finished with 18 assists).  Some match analysis stats are below:

Magruder won 68.4% of the points Einstein served. Einstein won 33% of the points Magruder served.

Magruder hit .313 for the night, their highest of the season. The team finished with 33 kills and 9 attack errors.

Magruder served 88.1% for the night, one of their highest averages of the season. Magruder had 20 service aces and 9 service errors.

Magruder had a 69.5% passing efficiency for the night, their highest of the season. 

Magruder had 15 digs and a 3 blocks

Individual Leaders

Kills: Lizzi Walsh (16) and Jayln Houston (9)

Blocks: Becky Smith, Xena Metzger and Jalyn Houston (1 each)

Assists: Marina Bell (18) Alena Villanueva (9) and Katie Clugston (4)

Aces: Lizzi Walsh (5) and Xena Metzger (4)

Good Passes: Caitlin Koenig (11) and Lizzi Walsh (9)

Digs: Lizzi  Walsh (4) and Caitlyn Trickey (3)

River Hill

Magruder travelled to River Hill for only their fourth match in school history against a Howard County school (they are scheduled to play again next yeat at Magruder).  Previously Magruder and Glenelg had played three times (with Magruder sweeping that series).  Both River Hill and Magruder have traditionally been among the stronger teams in their respective counties and both are off to solid 2013 seasons (River Hill is now 3-1 and Magruder is 6-2).  The match didn't start well at all for the Colonels as they lost 15 of the first 17 points and struggled passing and setting. The end result was Magruder hardly attacked the ball the first game.  They stabilized some towards the end of game 1, winning 11 of the last 21 points to lose 25-13.  This carried over to game two which was the best played game of the match with both teams playing some very contested points with River Hill prevailing 25-23.  Game 3 was again close most of the way until River Hill scored 7 straight points to pull away and win 25-17.   Throughout the match River Hill's serving, passing and setting was simply more consistent allowing them to run their offense on a regular basis.   Some match analysis stats are below:

Magruder won 37% of the points River Hill served, perhaps their lowest percentage since their coaching staff has been tracking this stat.  River Hill won 56% of the points Magruder served.   

Magruder hit .071 for the night, a disastrous average. The team finished with a season low 17 kills and 13 attack errors.

Magruder served a season high 88.8% for the night, but their serves were the least effective of the season generating a season low in aces and free ball situations. Magruder had 4 service aces and 6 service errors.

Magruder had a 62.5% passing efficiency for the night, also a disastrous average.

Magruder had 26 digs and a 4 blocks

Individual Leaders

Kills: Lizzi Walsh and Katie Sweeney (6 each)

Blocks: Becky Smith (3) and Lizzi Walsh (1)

Assists: Marina Bell (10) and Alena Villanueva (5)

Aces: Xena Metzger (5) and 4 with 2

Good Passes: Courtney Koenig (3) and Lizzi Walsh (1)

Digs: Lizzi Walsh (11) and Sasha Laurenzo (5) 

Springbrook

Magruder's regular season home opener was a division match against Springbrook who entered the match with an 0-2 record. Magruder started slowly, missing 3 of their first 4 service attempts and being aced twice.  With the score tied 10-10, Magruder senior outside hitter sparked the Colonels by serving 8 straight points with 6 being aces.  Magruder then played well throughout the rest of set 1 and set 2, winning 25-13, 25-11.  Senior outside hitter Katie Sweeney played a solid match with 10 good passes, 5 aces and 4 kills.  Set 3 was a battle for the Colonels throughout.  Magruder would take a lead, then give it up.  Both teams had multiple set points they failed to capitalize on.  Finally, Magruder senior setter/defensive specialist Katie Clugston generated two free balls with her serves.  Magruder converted both of these into points to capture the set and match.  Some match analysis stats are below:

Magruder won 58.8% of the points Springbrook served, which is above their season average.

 Rockville won 34.5% of the points Magruder served.

Magruder hit .216 for the night and finished with 31 kills and 15 attack errors.

Magruder served 85% for the night, slightly below their season average. Magruder had a season high 23 service aces and 12 service errors.

Magruder had a 69% passing efficiency for the night, slightly above their season average. 

Magruder had 26 digs and a 3 blocks

Individual Leaders

Kills: Lizzi Walsh (12) and Katie Sweeney, Becky Smith and Xena Metzger (4 each)

Blocks: Xena Metzger, Katie Sweeney and Becky Smith (1 each)

Assists: Marina Bell (14) and Alena Villanueva (13)

Aces: Lizzi Walsh (8) and Katie Sweeney (5)

Good Passes: Sasha Laurenzo (16) and Lizzi Walsh (12)

Digs: Sasha Laurenzo (8) and Lizzi Walsh (6)

ROCKVILLE

Magruder travelled to nearby Rockville to open their 2013 regular season.  This was the first time in school history they hosted their tournament before their first regular season match.  Magruder appeared to either have some nerves or was sluggish as Rockville took an early lead in game 1.  However the team rallied behind the serving of Xena Metzger (match high 5 aces) to win game 1 and then control the next three games.  Some match analysis stats are below:

Magruder won 54% of the points Rockville served, which is above their season average.  Rockville won 37% of the points Magruder served.   Typically if a team wins this percentage against a good team, they will win the match.

Magruder hit .264 for the night, well above their season average. The team finished with 32 kills and 13 attack errors.

Magruder served 85% for the night, below their season average. Magruder had 14 service aces and 11 service errors.

Magruder had a 66% passing efficiency for the night, below their season average.

Magruder had 52 digs and a 10 blocks

Individual Leaders

Kills: Lizzi Walsh (16) and Jalyn Houston (6)

Blocks: Xena Metzger and Becky Smith (1 each)

Assists: Alena Villanueva (17) and Marina Bell (11)

Aces: Xena Metzger (5) and 4 with 2

Good Passes: Lizzi Walsh (16) and Katie Sweeney (13)

Digs: Katie Sweeney (10) and Lizzi Walsh (9)

16th Annual MHS INVITATIONAL

The 2013 MHS Invitational featured featured some teams that hadn't played in Invitational in the past several years.  Sherwood returned for the first time after electing to skip the 2011 and 2012 tournaments (they played in 2010, losing in the championship match).  Tuscarora returned for the first time since 2008.  Nothwest, Quince Orchard and Paint Branch all returned as well.   THe end result was a very deep tournament where all the teams had to work hard for wins.  For the first time in at about ten years no team finished the day without a loss.  During pool play in the main gym Magruder posted a 4-0 record defeating 2011 and 2012 finalist Richard Montgomery, Northwest, Kennedy and Urbana.  Their match with Urbana was very close with Magruder winning in three sets.  Urbana defeated RM, Northwest and Kennedy to finish pool play with a 3-1 record and advance to the playoffs.  Northwest finished the day with a 2-2 record losing a very close 3 game match to Urbana (which would have put them in the playoffs).  Richard Montgomery finished the day 1-3 but were very competitive in all three of their losses.  Kennedy finished the day 0-4.  Pool play in the back gym was equally tough.  Tuscarora lost the first set to Sherwood and rallied to win the match in three.  They also defeated Quince Orchard, Wheaton and Paint Branch to finish pool play a perfect 4-0.  Sherwood finished pool play at 3-1, losing only to Tuscarora.  This earned them 2nd place in the pool and a spot in the playoffs.  Paint Branch had a good day, finishing 2-2 (defeating Quince Orchard and Wheaton).  Quince Orchard finished the day 1-3, while Wheaton wsa 0-4. 

In the semifinals both teams from the back gym pool prevailed.  Tuscarora defeated Urbana in two games while Sherwood defeated Magruder in two games.  In both cases the losing team struggled passing the serves of the winning team.  Urbana finished the day with a 3-2 record and Magruder finished the day with a 4-1 record.  The loss for Magruder ended a 14 year streak of making the championship match.  So the finals were a rematch of between Sherwood and Tuscarora.  Sherwood played very solid volleyball in the finals as they had during their earlier match, but Tuscarora appeared to be fatigued making many unforced errors and never seriously challenging Sherwood, losing 25-19, 25-15.  Tuscarora and Sherwood both finished the day with a 5-1 record.  Sherwood's Mikalya Roy was the named the tournament MVP.  Kerra Terrado (Sherwood), Xena Metzger (Magruder), Sydney Pugh (Urbana), Lizzi Walsh (Magruder), Aubrey Ferrell (Tuscarora) and Ysabel Weaver (Tuscarora) were named to the All-Tournament team. 

2012 Match Analysis

WALTER JOHNSON

The two best teams in the 4A West Region met in front of a large crowd (estimated around 500 people by the Magruder athletic department) to watch Magruder and Walter Johnson face off.  There were many well played points by both sides but Walter Johnson played more consistently and made more key plays throughout the match to key their 4 set win.  Magruder struggled passing and serving in parts of several games.  As a team they served on 86%, about 4 percentage points below their season average, but more significantly they also had a season low 5 aces.   Walter Johnson had 4 or more aces in each of the three sets they won.  Magruder also struggled all night running their offense and stepping up to make plays while serving.  As a result Walter Johnson took advantage and was able to get the ball to their attackers much more consistently throughout the match then Magruder was.  In the three games WJ won, they were able to sideout an almost unheard of 71% of the time.  These factors combined enabled WJ to win the match in three sets.  Some match analysis stats are below:

Magruder won 49% of the points Walter Johnson served. While this is below their season average, it typically can be enough to win against a very good team.   Walter Johnson won 60% of the points Magruder served.  Typically if a team wins this percentage against a good team, they will win the match.

Magruder hit .203 for the night, slightly below their season average. The team finished with 40 kills and 17 attack errors.

Magruder served 86% for the night, below their season average. Magruder had 5 service aces and 10 service errors.

Magruder had a 63% passing efficiency for the night,  below their season average.

Magruder had 52 digs and a 10 blocks

Individual Leaders

Kills: Lizzi Walsh (13) and Jen Gruber (12)

Blocks: Lizzi Walsh (4) and Xena Metzger (4)

Assists: Katie Lansing (37) and Jen Gruber (2)

Aces: Dani EauClaire and Jen Gruber (2 each)

Good Passes: Brittany EauClaire (29) and Danielle EauClaire (18)

Digs: Brittany EauClaire (22) and Jen Gruber and Katie Chisarick(7)

GAITHERSBURG

Another season, another playoff game between Gaithersburg and Magruder.   For the 8th time since the 2001 season these two teams collided in the 4A West playoffs.  Magruder won a regular season match in 4 games at Gaithersburg and the rematch was a hard fought contest throughout.  After taking a 10-3 lead Gaithersburg rallied to tie the game, but was never able to take the lead and Magruder eventually won 25-20.  Magruder senior Molly Weschler carried the team offensively with 6 kills in the first set.  Set 2 started with Gaithersburg serving very agressively and forcing Magruder into numerous bad situations.  Gaitherbsurg capitalized on these to and was leading 13-10 at the first Magruder timeout.  Things only got worse for Magruder as they lost 12 of the last 14 points to lose the set 25-12.  However the team rebounded in game 3.  Seniors Brittany EauClaire and Katie Chisarick adjusted to Gaithersburg's serving and helped spark Magruder back to playing good volleyball.  Senior Jen Gruber (11 kills, 7 digs, 3 blocks and 4 assists) served for 8 straight points including 2 aces and Junior Lizzi Walsh (who celebrated her 16th birthday) had 4 of her 11 kills.  In set four Magruder took an early lead and never looked back winning 25-12.   Some match analysis stats are below:

Magruder won 53% of the points Gaithersburg served.  Gaithersburg won 44% of the points Magruder served.

Magruder hit .301 for the night, their highest average of the season. The team finished with 41 kills and 14 attack errors.

Magruder served 90.5% for the night, right at their season average. Magruder had 8 service aces and 8 service errors.

Magruder had a 67% passing efficiency for the night, slightly below their season average.

Magruder had 21 digs and a season high 8 blocks

Individual Leaders

Kills: Jen Gruber, Molly Weschler and Lizzi Walsh (11)

Blocks: Lizzy Schaerr (4) and Jen Gruber (3 each)

Assists: Katie Lansing (35) and Jen Gruber (4)

Aces: Dani EauClaire, Jen Gruber and Katie Chisarick (2 each)

Good Passes: Brittany EauClaire (33) and Jen Gruber (19)

Digs: Brittany EauClaire (12) and Jen Gruber (7)

Whitman

Magruder and Whitman squared off in a 4A West Regional Quarterfinal match.  Whitman advanced to the match by defeating Kennedy 3 games to 0 and Magruder earned a bye into the quarterfinals.  Magruder started fast in set 1 and set the tone for the entire match as they played a very crisp and effective match.  Magruder won set 1 25-15 behind dominating hitting at the net.  Lizzi Walsh had four of her six kills in this game.  Set 2 was similar with Magruder winning 25-12.  Lizzi Schaerr and Jen Gruber combined for 4 of their 6 total blocks in this game.  In set 3 Magruder again built a large lead, this time behind the serving of Katie Chisarick (3 aces in the set).  Whitman rallied to 21-18, but Magurder won four of the next five points to win the match. Some match analysis stats are below:

Magruder won 62% of the points Whitman served.  Whitman won 39% of the points Magruder served.

Magruder hit .359 for the night, their highest average of the season. The team finished with 32 kills and 9 attack errors. 

Magruder served 89.3% for the night, right at their season average. Magruder had 8 service aces and 8 service errors.

Magruder had a 76% passing efficiency for the night, well above their season average.

Magruder had 21 digs and a season high 8 blocks

Individual Leaders

Kills: Jen Gruber (10) and Lizzi Walsh (6)

Blocks: Lizzy Schaerr and Jen Gruber (3 each)

Assists: Katie Lansing (27) and Katie Clugston (2)

Aces:  Katie Chisarick (4)

Good Passes: Brittany EauClaire (19) and Jen Gruber (13)

Digs:  Brittany EauClaire (7) and Jen Gruber and Lizzi Walsh (3 each)

GEORGETOWN VISITATION

Magruder's match with Georgetown Visitation had several notes of interest.  When Magruder travelled to Visitation, it marked the first time Magruder has played a match outside the state of Maryland.  Second, and more significantly, with a win Magruder would finish the regular season undefeated (winning all their regular season and tournament matches) for only the third time in school history (the other two times were in 2006 and 2009).  Finally, Magruder needed to win the match to secure the #1 seed and homecourt advantage in the brutal 4A West playoffs (8 teams with 5 or fewer losses).  Magruder came out flying in game 1 behind the hitting of Lizzi Walsh (5 of her 9 kills were in this game).  Strong passing and solid setting enabled Magruder to win game 1 25-13.  In game 2 Magruder's normally reliable service game fell apart and the team missed 6 serves (of 8 for the match).  However, as good teams do, they found a way to win the game 26-24.  In game three Magruder again played a solid game winning 25-15.  The EauClaire sisters had a "moment" on the court but otherwise turned in outstanding performances accounting for 35 good passes, 14 digs and 6 aces.  Virginia Melandri had a great service night making 90% of her serves with 2 aces.  Lizzi Schaerr and Xena Metzger were dominating in the middle combing for 11 kills, 3 blocks and hitting over .300.  Katie Lansing turned in 30 assists and Katie Clugston added 5.  Some match analysis stats are below:

Serve received data is not available for this match.

Magruder hit .179 for the night, below their season average.  The team finished with 36 kills and 16 attack errors.   

Magruder served 90% for the night, right at their season average.   Magruder had 17 service aces and 8 service errors.

Magruder had a 72% passing efficiency for the night, well above their season average.

Magruder had 34 digs and 5 blocks

Individual Leaders

Kills: Lizzi Walsh (9) and Jen Gruber (8)

Blocks: Xena Metzger (2) and Lizzy Schaerr, Jen Gruber and Molly Weschler (1 each)

Assists: Katie Lansing (30) and Katie Clugston (5)

Aces: Lizzi Walsh, Brittany and Danielle Eauclaire (3 each)

Good Passes: Brittany EauClaire (19) and Jen Gruber (15)

Digs:  Brittany EauClaire (9) and Katie Lansing (7) 

GAITHERSBURG

Magruder and Gaithersburg squared off for the 19th time in 13 years, the most of any two teams in MCPS.  It's one of the reasons the Gazette labeled their matches, "the best rivalry in MCPS".  Almost all of the previous matches featured some great volleyball between two programs consistently ranking near the top of the county and many of the matches were played in front of huge crowds.  The 2012 match was no different, with both teams again fighting for one of the top seeds in the 4A West region.  Gaithersburg came out on fire and Magruder went through one of their worst stretches of the season.  Magruder called timeout at 8-1 and again at 14-3.  Neither was much help as Gaithersburg took advantage of numerous Magruder attack errors, shaky passing and lackluster serving.  Gaithersburg continued on a roll and eventually opened a 20-7 lead and appeared to be rolling to a blowout first set win.  At some point Magruder found themselves and began to play their best volleyball.  They staged a furious rally to make set 1 close before losing 25-23.  The momentum continued into the remaining sets as Magruder won the next three matches 25-15, 25-17, 25-20.  In all three games Magruder dominated at the net thanks to some great passing and defense from their backrow.  Magruder was able to control the pace of play and had reasonable leads in all three sets.  Senior libero Brittany EauClaire played perhaps her best match of the season.  She led the team in good passes (33), digs (15), aces (4), serving attempts (25) and passing efficiency (86.8%, the third highest average in school history).  Fellow senior Lizzi Schaerr was a force at the net with 9 kills, a .444 hitting percentage and a team high 4 blocks (tied with junior Xena Metzger).  Katie Lansing had 43 assists, many of which went to Jen Gruber (16 kills) and Lizzi Walsh (10 kills and hit over .300 for the match). 

Some match analysis stats are below:

Serve receive data is not available for this match. 

Magruder hit .233 for the night, right near their season average. The team finished with 48 kills and 19 attack errors.  Almost half of these errors were in game 1. 

Magruder served 92.6% for the night, slightly above their season average. Magruder had 9 service aces and 7 service errors.

Magruder had a 69% passing efficiency for the night, right at their season average.

Magruder had 48 digs and a season high 12 blocks

Individual Leaders

Kills: Jen Gruber (16) and Lizzi Walsh (10)

Blocks: Lizzy Schaerr and Xena Metzger (4 each)

Assists: Katie Lansing (43)

Aces:  Brittany EauClaire (4)

Good Passes: Brittany EauClaire (33) and Jen Gruber (18)

POOLESVILLE

Magruder and Poolesville have played many close hard fought matches over the last decade or more and their 2012 match was no different.  Fran DuVall's teams always play hard and throughout the match they played very strong defense.  Eventually Magruder was able to overwhelm the Poolesville defense, but they had to really work to do so.  The match featured several very long and exciting rallies where both teams made great plays.  Magruder also played some outstanding defense.  Magruder's trio of defensive specialists, Brittany EauClaire (team high 20 digs and 33 good passes), Katie Chisarick (15 digs and 25 good passes) and Danielle EauClaire (12 digs and 18 good passes) all turned in strong performances and anchored the team defense.  Middle hitters Lizzy Schaerr (3.5 blocks) and Xena Metzger (2.5 blocks) anchored the team defense at the net, not only scoring points blocking, but forcing Poolesville in multiple attack errors.  Lizzi Walsh (14 kills), Jen Gruber (13 kills, 2 blocks, 31 good passes and 15 digs) and Molly Weschler (7 kills) led the team offensively while Katie Lansing dished out 36 assists.   Some match analysis stats are below:

Magruder won 57% of the points Poolesville served, right at their season average.  Poolesville won 47% of the points Magruder served, including an incredible 80% in game 3. 

Magruder hit .130 for the night, below their season average.  This was partly due to great Poolesville defense and partly to 12 hitting errors in game 3.  The team finished with 42 kills and 26 attack errors.   

Magruder served 91% for the night, right at their season average.   Magruder had 11 service aces and 8 service errors.

Magruder had a 68% passing efficiency for the night, right at their season average.

Magruder had 80 digs and  8 blocks

Individual Leaders

Kills: Lizzi Walsh (14) and Jen Gruber (13)

Blocks: Lizzy Schaerr (3.5) and Xena Metzger (2.5)

Assists: Katie Lansing (36)

Aces: Katie Lansing (4) and Brittany and Danielle EauClaire (2 each)

Good Passes: Brittany EauClaire (33) and Jen Gruber (31)

Digs:  Brittany EauClaire (20) and Jen Gruber and Katie Chisarick (15 each) 

SPRINGBROOK

Magruder defeated Springbrook in three games again using their strong service game to create multiple scoring changes throughout the match.  The team registered 18 aces in 3 games along with many other free ball opportunities.  Magruder was able to convert many of these into points.  In game 1 Katie Lansing and Molly Weschler each had two aces.   In game 2 Katie Chisarick had two aces and in game 3 Danielle EauClaire had four aces, while Virginia Melandri, Katie Clugston and Katie Sweeney each had 1. Lizzi Walsh (8 kills) and Molly Weschler (4) led the attacking while Katie Lansing (15 assists) and Katie Clugston (7 assists) ran the offense well.  Some match analysis stats are below:

Magruder won 64% of the points Springrbook served.  Springbrook won 41% of the points Magruder served.   

Magruder hit .272 for the night, slightly above their season average.  The team finished with 26 kills and 10 attack errors.   

Magruder served 81% for the night, a season low.   Magruder had 18 service aces and 13 service errors.

Magruder had a 72% passing efficiency for the night, a very good number

Magruder had 22 digs and  4blocks

Individual Leaders

Kills: Lizzi Walsh (8) and Molly Weschler (4)

Blocks: four players with 1

Assists: Katie Lansing (15) and Katie Chisarick (7)

Aces: Danielle EauClaire (4) and Molly Weschler (3)

Good Passes: Brittany EauClaire and Danielle EauClaire(10)

Digs:  Katie Chisarick (6) and Danielle EauClaire (4) 

B-CC

Magruder and B-CC faced off in a critical matchup for playoff seeding.  Magruder entered the match undefeated, but tied with undefeated Walter Johnson for the #1 seed in the 4A West region.  B-CC entered the match with only two regular season losses and in the hunt for one of the top four seeds (Maryland only seeds the top four teams for the playoffs, the rest are drawn at random...BOO!).  So the match had significance for both teams if they hoped to earn one of the top seeds and perhaps a first round playoff bye.  Magruder prevailed in three competitive sets (25-20, 25-22, 25-21).  Magruder again had a great serving night, using their strong service game to create many point scoring chances.  Senior Katie Chisarick again led the team in serving, making all 20 of her serves, leading the team in aces with 3 and generating the most free ball opportunities (4).  Senior setter Katie Lansing ran the offense well as the team tallied a large number of kills for three games (36).  Outside hitters Jen Gruber and Lizzi Walsh each had 12 kills and a block. Jen also led the team defensively with 11 digs.  Senior middle hitter Lizzy Schaerr had 6 kills and 2 blocks.  Some match analysis stats are below:

Magruder won 52% of the points BCC served, slightly lower than their season average. B-CC won 41% of the points Magruder served.

Magruder hit .154 for the night, below their season average.  Despite averaging 12 kills a set (a very good number), Magruder also averageed 6 attack errors a game (a high number).

Magruder served  94% for the night, above their season average. Magruder had 6 service aces and 5 service errors.

Magruder had a 68% passing efficiency for the night.

Magruder had 40 digs and 5 blocks

Individual Leaders

Kills: Jen Gruber and Lizzi Walsh (12 each)

Blocks: Jen Gruber (2)

Assists: Katie Lansing (33)

Aces: Katie Chisarick (3) and Brittany EauClaire (2)

Good Passes: Jen Gruber (27) and Brittany EauClaire (17)

Digs:  Jen Gruber (11) and Katie Chisarick (7)

DAMASCUS

This was a highly anticipated match by Magruder and Damascus.  Both teams had already claimed a 2012 county division title with wins over quality teams.  Damascus entered the match with a 9-0 record, ranked #3 in Montgomery County, #8 in the state and #7 in the Washington DC area.  Magruder entered the match with a 15-0 record, ranked #4 in Montgomery County, #15 in the state and #10 in the DC area.  The meeting of two strong teams brought out a large crowd and the match was played with a high level of energy in the gym.  The match ended up being a game of streaks.  Magruder had 6 streaks of four or more straight points including streaks of 8 and 7.  Damascus also had 6 streaks of four or more straight points including streaks of 8 and 6.  This made for a series of wild momentum swings in the match with Damascus often taking early leads and Magruder storming back to tie the games and eventually win them.  In set 1, Damascus had a 10-5 and then Magruder went on a 20-13 scoring run to finish the set.  Game 2 was again up, 15-11, but Magruder two streaks of 11 of the next 12 points and eventually won 25-19.  Game 3 Damascus again took an 8-1 lead to start the game, but Magruder was able to side out 4 straight times and while serving those four times scored 16 points serving to take a 22-14 lead.  Damascus made one last run scoring of five points, but a Lizzy Schaerr kill sealed the Magruder win.  Some match analysis stats are below:

Magruder won 40% of the points Damascus served, their lowest percentage of the season.  Damascus won 33% of the points Magruder served.

Magruder hit .236 for the night, well above their team average. The team had 34 kills and 16 hitting errors.

Magruder served  89% for the night, slightly below their season average. Magruder had 10 service aces and 8 service errors.

Magruder had a 64% passing efficiency for the night.

Magruder had 35 digs and 6 blocks

Individual Leaders

Kills: Jen Gruber (12) and Lizzi Walsh (9)

Blocks: Xena Metzger (3) and Lizzy Schaerr (2)

Assists: Katie Lansing (30)

Aces: Katie Chisarick (6) and Brittany EauClaire (2)

Good Passes: Brittany EauClaire (16) and Jen Gruber (15)

Digs: Brittany EauClaire (13) and Jen Gruber (9)

ROCKVILLE

Magruder played a Jeckyll and Hyde match against Rockville, playing one game of very sound volleyball and two rather sloppy, but different games.  In game one, Magruder was unable to run any type of offense due to passing and setting struggles.  Magruder wasn't moving their feet well and appeared sluggish throughout the game.  What saved them was strong serving.  Magruder recorded 9 aces in the first game which was the difference as Magruder won 25-16.  In game two, Magruder looked like a different team.  Despite losing the first point, Magruder finally got multiple attacks on the ball and this set the tone for the game.  Magruder's offense ran efficiently as Magruder registered 13 kills in the game.  The big difference was Magruder finally got the ball to their setter (Katie Lansing) allowing her to run the offense.  Game three started similar to game 1, but this time Magruder struggled serving, missing three serves early in the game.  Finally Magruder was able to open a lead behind Molly Weschler's serving (a career high 8 aces for the match).  However, then a total lack of focus took place.  Magruder was out of rotation twice in three points, failed a pursue a ball on defense and suddenly Rockville closed the gap to 20-18.  After a second timeout, Magruder won a point and eventually went on to win 25-22.  With the win the team clinched their 2012 county division title (the program's 10th overall and 9th in the past 10 years).  Senior Jen Gruber turned a school record hitting performance.  She had 13 kills, 1 hitting error in only 18 attempts, good for a 66.7% hitting efficiency.  This sets a new school record.  Some match analysis stats are below:

Magruder won 58.3% of the points Rockville served.  This is a little misleading as game three Magruder was well under 50% and game 2 Magruder was close to 90%.  Rockville won 38% of the points Magruder served. 

Magruder hit .331 for the night, well above their team average. The team had 30 kills and 11 hitting errors.

Magruder served a season low 85.3% for the night, but had a high number of aces. Magruder had a season high 22 service aces and 11 service errors.

Magruder had a 63% passing efficiency for the night.

Magruder had 19 digs and 6 blocks

Individual Leaders

Kills: Jen Gruber (13) and Lizzi Walsh (8)

Blocks: Lizzi Schaerr (4) and Lizzi Walsh (2)

Assists: Katie Lansing (24)

Aces: Molly Weschler (8) and four players with 3 each

Good Passes: Jen Gruber (14) and Danielle EauClaire (11)

Digs: Brittany EauClaire (7) and Jen Gruber (5)

WOOTTON

Magruder and Wootton squared off for first place and control of their county division.  Both teams entered the match with very good overall records, but tied at 3-0 for their county division lead.  The winner of the match would take control of the division and have the inside track to capturing the 2012 title.  Early in set 1 it appeared that Wootton was the better team.  Magruder was very complacent and unagressive serving and was reacting slowly to the ball in serve receive and defensively.  After two Magruder time-outs Wootton still had a commanding 15-8 lead.  However, Magruder slowly began to raise their level of play and combined with several Wootton service errors Magruder was to finally tie the game at 24 and then prevailed 26-24.  Set 2 started as set 1 with Wootton taking an early lead, but this time Magruder came back quickly.  This time Wootton played some of their best volleyball and won set 2 by the largest margin of the night (25-19).  Set 3 was close throughout, but Magruder was able to open a lead towards the end of the set.  Wootton earned a key sideout to save one set point and Magruder called timeout leading 24-23.  Out of the timeout, Magruder ran a perfect play to Lizzi Walsh who put the ball down for the set win.  Game four was also close throughout, but Magruder closed strong and won the set and match 25-21.  Senior Jen Gruber turned in a great match with 20 points (16 kills, 3 blocks and an ace).  Junior outside Lizzi Walsh had 14 kills and senior outside hitter Molly Weschler added 13.  Senior middle blocker Lizzi Schaerr led Magruder with 5 blocks.  Several Colonels played solid defense all night including Brittany EauClaire (22 digs) and Katie Chisarick (13 digs).  With the win Magruder now has an overall record of 13-0.  Some match analysis stats are below:

Magruder hit .225 for the night, right near their team average. The team had 50 kills and 16 hitting errors.

Magruder served 92% for the night, slightly above their season average. Magruder had 5 service aces and 7 service errors.

Magruder had a 67% passing efficiency for the night.

Magruder had 73 digs and 11 blocks

Individual Leaders

Kills: Jen Gruber (16) and Lizzi Walsh (14)

Blocks: Lizzi Schaerr (5) and Jen Gruber (3)

Assists: Katie Lansing (45) and Molly Weschler (3)

Aces: Caitlin Koenig (2) and several with 1

Good Passes: Jen Gruber (31) and Brittany EauClaire (25)

Digs: Brittany EauClaire (22) and Katie Chisarick (12)

NORTHWOOD

Magruder travelled to Northwood for their first Monday night match of the year against a divisional opponent.  Magruder won the match in four games, winning sets 1, 2 and 4 and losing set 3.  Several Colonels had outstanding performances.  Throughout the match, Magruder's serving caused problems for Northwood's serve receive, generating 16 aces and numerous free balls each game.  This was the key difference to the match.  Junior outside hitter Katie Sweeney had a great all-around match with a career high 7 kills and also had 11 good passes, 4 digs and 2 aces.  Senior Katie Chisarick turned in another outstanding performnce serving (20 of 22 with a team high 4 aces).  Some match analysis stats are below:

Serve receive data for this match is not available. 

Magruder hit .179 for the night, slightly below their team average. The team had 41 kills and 18 hitting errors.

Magruder served 91% for the night, right at their season average. Magruder had 16 service aces and 8 service errors.

Magruder had a 71% passing efficiency for the night.

Magruder had 37 digs and 4 blocks

Individual Leaders

Kills: Lizzi Walsh (8) and Jen Gruber and Katie Sweeney (7 each)

Blocks: Lizzi Schaerr and Lizzi Walsh (2 each)

Assists: Katie Lansing (26) and Katie Clugston (9)

Aces: Katie Chisarick (4) and Jen Gruber (3)

Good Passes: Caitlin Koenig (12) and Danielle EauClaire (11)

Digs: Danielle EauClaire (6) and Brittany EauClaire and Lizzi Walsh (5 each)

QUINCE ORCHARD

Magruder defeated Quince Orchard 25-13, 25-18, 25-16 in one of their most efficient matches of the year.  Magruder was able to score points in streaks in all three games.  In Set (such a silly name for what used to be called a game) 1 Magruder scored six straight points.  In Set 2 Magruder scored 13 straight points and in Set 3 Magruder scored 8 straight points.  During each of these runs Magruder avoided some of the passing, setting and attacking errors that plagued them in the previous few matches and play consistently for long stretches of time.  Magruder's strong service game (90% serving and 20 aces) was the primary reason for the success, but the team also attacked very efficiently (.271 attack percentage) and played some great defense (32 digs and 6 blocks).  Some match analysis stats are below:

Magruder won 57% of the points Quince Orchard served. Quince Orchard won 30% of the points Magruder served.

Magruder hit .271 for the night, a very high number for high school. The team had 31 kills and 9 hitting errors.

Magruder served 90% for the night, right at their season average. Magruder had 20 service aces and 7 service errors.

Magruder had a 67% passing efficiency for the night. 

Magruder had 32 digs and 6 blocks

Individual Leaders

Kills: Jen Gruber (11) and Lizzi Walsh (8)

Blocks: Lizzi Schaerr and Lizzi Walsh (2 each)

Assists: Katie Lansing (27) and Katie Clugston (2)

Aces: Dani EauClaire and Katie Chisarick (6 each)

Good Passes: Brittany EauClaire (15) and Jen Gruber (13)

Digs: Brittany EauClaire (15) and Katie Chisarick (8)

CLARKSBUG

Magruder finished the last week with about half their team healthy (illness, injury, etc.) and the coaching staff gave the team the long weekend off.  The rust clearly showed up Tuesday night against a quickly improving Clarksburg team.  Magruder struggled through parts of all three games winning 25-13 (after being down 11-10), 25-23 and 25-17.  Senior Katie Chisarick was the serving star of the night making all 25 serves and leading the team with 3 aces. She also led the team in digs with 10.   Senior outside hitter Molly Weschler was the hitting star, leading the team in attacks (24) and kills (9) with only 1 error.  Senior middle hitter Lizzy Schaerr was very effective tallying 4 kills in only 7 attempts.  Some match analysis stats are below:

Magruder won 54% of the points Clarksburg served, their 2nd lowest percentage of the season.  Clarksburg won 40% of the points Magruder served.

Magruder hit .119 for the night, their lowest percentage of the season and a rather low number. The team had 27 kills and 15 hitting errors.

Magruder served 93% for the night, one of their best performances of the year. Magruder had 10 service aces and only 5 service errors.

Magruder's passing stats for the match have been thrown out due to total inaccuracy. 

Magruder had 30 digs and 2 blocks

Individual Leaders

Kills:  Molly Weschler (9) and Jen Gruber (5)

Blocks: Lizzi Schaerr and Jalyn Houston (1)

Assists: Katie Lansing (23) and Jen Gruber (2)

Aces: Katie Chisarick (3) and Katie Lansing and Brittany EauClaire (2 each)

Good Passes:  Not available.

Digs:  Katie Chisarick (10) and Brittany EauClaire (8)

WATKINS MILL

Magruder entered their match with Watkins Mill fighting a "team cold".  Due to illness five varsity players were unable to practice the day before the game and several that did practice were fighting colds.  In a true definition of team, several healthy players stepped up their play and made significant contributions in defeating a previously undefeated (3-0) Watkins Mill team.  Junior Caitlin Koenig led the team in serving (14 of 15 with a team high 5 aces) and was among the team leaders in passing and digs.  Fellow junior Virginia Melandri also had a strong night serving (13 of 15 with 2 aces) and defensively (7 good passes, 3 digs).  Senior Molly Weschler broke out her jump serve for the first time this year and was 6 of 7 with an ace.  Lizzi Schaerr turned in another efficient performance at the net with 4 kills in only 8 attempts and a team high 2 blocks.  The "Katies":  Katie Lansing (15 assists) and Katie Clugston (5 assists) combined to serve 18 of 20 with 5 aces and total 20 assists.  Some match analysis stats are below:

Magruder won 64% of the points Watkins Mill served.  Watkins Mill won 32% of the points Magruder served.

Magruder hit .175 for the night, not a particularly high number, but probably reflective of the team health. The team had 22 kills and 12 hitting errors.

Magruder served 88.4% for the night. Magruder had 20 service aces and 9 service errors.

Magruder passed at a 67% efficiency for the night, an average number.

Magruder had 25 digs and 7 blocks

Individual Leaders

Kills: Jen Gruber (7) and Lizzi Schaerr (4)

Blocks: Lizzi Schaerr (2) and several with 1

Assists: Katie Lansing (15) and Katie Clugston (5)

Aces: Caitlin Koenig (5) and Danielle EauClaire and Katie Lansing (4 each)

Good Passes:  Jen Gruber (11) and Caitlin Koenig (9)

Digs:  Caitlin Koenig (6) and Brittany EauClaire (4)

MAGRUDER INVITATIONAL

The 15th Annual Magruder Invitational felt quite like the 14th Annual tournament that was held in 2011.  Despite some of the teams from 2011 electing to play in the “Battle of Bethesda” held at Walter Johnson, the end result was eerily similar.  Magruder and Richard Montgomery again dominated the tournament throughout pool play and advanced to the playoffs as the top two seeds.  Both teams prevailed with Magruder defeating Urbana in two games while Richard Montgomery prevailed in three games against Paint Branch.  So for the second straight year and the fourth time in tournament history, these two teams met for the championship.  And similar to 2011, Magruder won the first game and Richard Montgomery won the second game, forcing a deciding game to 15.  And once again it was a hard fought close win for Magruder (15-13).  The match and tournament ended when tournament MVP Jen Gruber blocked a Richard Montgomery spike clinching the tournament and a 6-0 record for the day. 

  Magruder began the day playing Martinsburg.  In the next match Magruder faced a tough Paint Branch team led by Teynia Sheppard (an all-tournament selection) but won in two games.  In the third match of the day, Magruder defeated a depleted Kennedy squad.   Magruder then defeated Blake in the final match of pool play.

Throughout the day Magruder received contributions from every healthy member on the roster (junior middle/opposite Jalyn Houston was sick).   Magruder cadre of defensive specialists passed and served effectively throughout pool play.  Senior Katie Chisarick (perhaps of the most under rated libero’s in the county) served for 17 straight points against Kennedy and led the team in passing and digs during the Blake match.  Junior Virginia Melandri turned in solid performances against Kennedy (2 aces, 1 kill, 6 good passes and a dig) and Martinsburg (serving for 6 points in game 2).  Sophomore Danielle EauClaire led the team in passing, serving and aces during the Kennedy match and played stellar defensive throughout the playoffs.  Junior defensive specialist Caitlin Koenig continued her effective serving with strong play during the Blake and Paint Branch matches.  Senior Brittany EauClaire led the team in passing and digs during the Paint Branch match and served effectively all day long.

 This allowed the Magruder setters to effectively run the offense throughout the day.  Junior Katie Clugston led the team with 9 assists during the Kennedy match and also played well during the Blake and Martinsburg matches.  Senior setter Katie Lansing distributed the ball well throughout the day leading the team in assists in five of their six matches. 

Finally, Magruder’s point scorers, their outside and middle hitters were all effective at various times of the day.  Senior Molly Weschler (one of Magruder’s most unheralded, but effective players) carried the team offensively throughout the Blake match with a team high 9 kills in 18 attacks (also a team high) and had four or more kills in three other matches.  Senior Lizzi Schaerr (another of most unheralded, but effective players) consistently scored throughout the day attacking the ball (four or more kills in all matches except Kennedy) and was Magruder’s best blocker.  Junior Xena Metzger continued her improvement and had a career high 6 kills against Kennedy.  Junior Lizzi Walsh hit effectively in the middle and outside, while Jen Gruber led the team in kills during the Paint Branch and Martinsburg matches.  Katie Sweeney finished the pool play with 9 kills, while fellow junior Adjowa Pinkrah added three (along with two assists and a block).

In the semifinals, Magruder defeated Urbana by scores of 25-13 and 25-11.  Jen Gruber (7 kills and 3 aces), Lizzi Walsh (4 kills and 1 block), Molly Weschler and Xena Metzger (4 kills and a block each), led the team at the net.  Katie Lansing dished out 17 assists.  Katie Chisarick led the team in passing (14) and digs (4).  In the finals, Magruder was played some of their best volleyball in game 1, winning 25-16.  Game two was close with Magruder losing 25-23 and Magruder won an equally close game three 15-13.  Katie Chisarick, Brittany and Dani EauClaire all made great defensive plays throughout the finals.  Junior Lizzi Walsh turned in a devastating 11 kills and three blocks at the net while Jen Gruber added 9 kills and 2 blocks, including a block on championship point to secure the win and tournament title.

Four varsity players earned honors.  Katie Lansing, Brittany EauClaire and Lizzi Walsh were named to the all-tournament team.  Jen Gruber was named the tournament MVP. More importantly, Magruder now has an 8-0 overall record on the season and won their 9th MHS Invitational title.  Congratulations to all the girls!

BLAKE

Magruder and Blake faced off for the 7th time in the last six years.  Some of these matches took place in the regular season and others took place deep in the playoffs including a 2007 Blake win in the regional semifinals and a 2008 Magruder win in the regional championship.  Last year the two teams played a five set match that Magruder won and both teams came into the match with a 1-0 record.  And both teams were sloppy at times, with neither team being able to find any kind of consistency throughout the match.  Magruder struggles serving in two of the three games (9 missed serves) and was plagued by hitting errors all night (a total of 19 in three games or over 6/game).  The result was a very uneven and choppy 25-14, 25-18, 25-20 win for Magruder.   Some match analysis stats are below:

Magruder won 54% of the points Blake served.  Blake won 39% of the points Magruder served.

Magruder hit .167 for the night, not a particularly high number.  The team had a high number of kills (33 or 11/game) but matched it with a high number of errors (19). Magruder combined for 33 kills and 19 hitting errors.

Magruder served 86% for the night. Magruder had 17 service aces and 9 service errors.

Magruder passed at a 68% efficiency for the night, an average number.

Magruder had 15 digs and 2 blocks

Individual Leaders

Kills: Jen Gruber (13) and Molly Weschler (5)

Blocks: Lizzi Schaerr and Xena Metzger (1)

Assists: Katie Lansing (31)

Aces: Caitlin Koenig (6) and Jen Gruber and Danielle EauClaire (3 each)

Good Passes:  Jen Gruber (20) and Brittany EauClaire (16)

Digs:  Jen Gruber and Brittany EauClaire (4 each)

URBANA

The 2012 season opened with Magruder facing off against traditional Frederick County Power Urbana High School.  The two teams met last year at Urbana with Magruder winning a long, hard fought five game match.  Magruder expected another battle this year and the start of the first game looked like there might be one.  After the first 25 points, Magruder led 14-12, but after that they rolled to a 25-15, 25-12, 25-9 win.  Led by senior outside hitter Jen Gruber's career high 11 aces, Magruder's strong serving attack (23 total aces) gave Urbana trouble all night.  The Colonels battled hard and played some outstanding team defense all night.  Offensively Magruder struggled in the first game with numerous hitting errors (7 for the game), but finished well (only 10 total for the night).  Some match analysis stats are below:

Magruder won 59% of the points Urbana served.  Urbana won 28% of the points Magruder served.  

Magruder hit .250 for the night, a good efficiency for the first match of the season.   Magruder combined for 23 kills and 10 hitting errors. 

Magruder served 88% for the night.    Magruder had 23 service aces and 9 service errors.

Magruder passed at a 66% efficiency for the night, an average number. 

Magruder had 14 digs and 1 block

Individual Leaders

Kills:  Jen Gruber (7) and Lizzy Schaerr (6)

Blocks: Lizzi Schaerr (1)

Assists: Katie Lansing (19) and Adjowa Pinkrah (1)

Aces: Jen Gruber (11) and Danielle EauClaire (4)

Good Passes:  Jen Gruber (15) and Katie Chisarick (11)

Digs:  Katie Chisarick (4) and Jen Gruber (3) 

2011 Match Analysis

Northwest

Magruder and Northwest played a two and a half hour five game match where 195 points were played with.  Northwest won the match, winning the fifth game 16-14 capping a remarkable match one of the officials called "among the most intense he'd ever seen".  The stats from the match back it up.  Both teams sided out at the exact same percentage, something almost unprecedented.  Of the 195 points played, Magruder won 98 and Northwest 97.  Both teams played with lots of intensity and heart and there were lead changes throughout the match including several in the fifth and final game. Magruder was plagued with hitting errors all night.  They totalled 44 hitting errors or around 45% of the points Northwest won.   In the end Northwest won both games that were close which was the difference in the match.  In game three Northwest fought off a game point and eventually won the game 27-25 and they won the fifth game 16-14.  Some match analysis stats are below:

Magruder won 51% of the points Northwest served.  Northwest won 51% of the points Magruder served.  

Magruder hit .092 for the night, below their season average.   Magruder combined for 59 kills and 44 hitting errors. 

Magruder served 91% for the night.    Magruder had 11 service aces and 10 service errors.

Magruder passed at a 67% efficiency for the night, below their season average. 

Magruder had 69 digs and 8 blocks

Individual Leaders

Kills:  Emma Geisser (15) and Lizzi Schaerr (11)

Blocks: Lizzi Schaerr (4) and Lizzy Walsh (2)

Assists: Katie Lansing (51) and Emma Geisser (4)

Aces: Katie Lansing and Katie Chisarick (2 each)

Good Passes:  Brittany EauClaire (38) and Emma Geisser (33)

Digs:  Brittany EauClaire (28) and Emma Geisser (12) 

Gaithersburg

Magruder and Gaithersburg again renewed their rivalry with the 8th playoff matchup since the 2011 season.  This time it was a 4A West regional playoff.   All of those previous matches took place in either in the regional semifinals or regional finals.  No other teams in MCPS and likely the state of Maryland have played this many playoff games in the last decade (this doesn't include their 9 regular season matches since then).  Both teams also brought an impressive streak into the match:  having made the regional semifinals each year for 10 straight years, the longest current streak of any MCPS schools.  Obviously there was a great deal riding on the match and both teams brought large crowds and intense play to the match.  Magruder took control of the match in game 1 by solid passing and running a diverse offense.  Magruder totalled a season high (for one game) 16 kills and hit .303.  Game two was relatively similar as Magruder again was able to run their offense effectively (hitting .286) and playing good defense throughout the game.  However Gaithersburg is not a team to let down and they came out fired up game three, playing some of their best volleyball.  For the first time during the match they consistently scored points serving and forced Magruder into poor passing, resulting in Magruder's offense sputtering (7 kills and 8 errors in the game).  Additionally Gaithersburg tactics of tipping and setting the ball into the corners began to score points consistently.  Gaithersburg won the game.  Game four was close until about 10-10 when Magruder pulled away winning 15 of the last 20 points.  Five of these points were on aces, with many of the rest coming on Magruder's 13 kills for the game.  Magruder ran a balanced offense on the night which was able to keep Gaithersburg's strong defense off-balance.  Middle hitters Lizzi Walsh (2.5 blocks) and Lizzy Schaerr (1 block) combined for 23 kills while Magruder outside hitters Emma Geisser (26 good passes, 8 digs, 2 assists), Molly Weschler and Jen Gruber combined for 22 kills.  Katie Lansing did a great job setting, finishing with 44 assists, 3 digs and 1 ace.  Brittany EauClaire (32 good passes, 12 digs), Katie Chisarick (27 good passes, 8 digs, 3 aces) and Dani EauClaire (18 good passes, 4 digs and 4 aces) consistently passed well and played solid defense all night, providing the basis of Magruder's stellar play.  Some match analysis stats are below:

Magruder won 58% of the points Gaithersburg served, a high percentage against a good team.  Gaithersburg won 43% of the points Magruder served.  

Magruder hit .190 for the night, slightly above their season average. In the three games Magruder won they hit .261 and in the game they lost Magruder hit -.034.   Magruder combined for 47 kills and 24 hitting errors. 

Magruder served 88% for the night.    Magruder had 11 service aces and 11 service errors.

Magruder passed at a 70% efficiency for the night, right at their season average. 

Magruder had 38 digs and 4 blocks

Individual Leaders

Kills:  Emma Geisser (14)  and Lizzi Walsh (13)

Blocks: Lizzi Walsh (2.5) and Lizzy Schaerr (1)

Assists: Katie Lansing (44) and Emma Geisser (2)

Aces: Dani EauClaire (4) and Katie Chisarick (3)

Good Passes:  Brittany EauClaire (32) and Katie Chisarick (27)

Digs:  Brittany EauClaire (12) and Emma Geisser (8)

Urbana

Magruder closed out their 2011 regular season with their first ever trip to Frederick County for a match against 2009 4A Regional Champion and Frederick county powerhouse Urbana High School (it's a beautiful drive up 355 once you get north of Clarksburg).  Magruder and Urbana have played several times in recent years at the Magruder Invitational, but this was the first regular season match between a Frederick County school and an MCPS school.  The match did not start well for Magruder as their serve receive was picked apart by strong Urbana serving.  When Magruder did manage to pass their serves, their offense was totally out of sync with Magruder hitting -.125 for the game.  Magruder only won 8 of the 24 points that Urbana served and lost 25-14.  In the remaining three games Magruder's passing became much steadier and their play improved with it.  In these three games Magruder won 53% of the points Urbana served, much closer to their normal percentages.  The offense improved as well with Magruder hitting over .200 for the remainder of the match.  Magruder won games 2-4 to win the match but each was a hard fought with Urbana playing some very good volleyball.  Some match analysis stats are below:

Magruder won 47% of the points Urbana served, among their lowest of the year.  Urbana won 38% of the points Magruder served.  

Magruder hit .129 for the night.  Magruder combined for 37 kills and 22 hitting errors, 10 of which took place in game 1. 

Magruder served 87% for the night.    Magruder had 14 service aces and 12 service errors.

Magruder passed at a 68% efficiency for the night, slightly below their season average. 

Magruder had 38 digs and 6 blocks

Individual Leaders

Kills: Lizzi Walsh (13), and Emma Geisser and Lizzy Schaerr (9 each)

Blocks: Lizzi Schaerr (3) and Lizzi Walsh (2)

Assists: Katie Lansing (29) and Emma Geisser (4)

Aces: Katie Chisarick (6) and Brittany EauClaire (4)

Good Passes:  Brittany EauClaire (40) and Katie Chisarick (32)

Digs:  Winna Pumrihun (15) and Emma Geisser (11)

Springbrook

At the last regular season home game of the year, Magruder traditionally honoros their graduating seniors.  This year Magruder has two outstanding seniors:  Emma Geisser and Winna Pumhirun.   While they are great volleyball players they are even better people and have been a huge asset to Magruder volleyball. Apparently they have been on this path together since they attended the same preschool through being teammates for three years at Magruder.  And both played well in their senior night.  Emma had 4 kills, 3 aces, 2 digs and 11 good passes while Winna had a team high 4 dig and 15 good passes to go with 1 ace.  Overall Magruder played another clean match with minimal errors.  Some match analysis stats are below:

Magruder won 69% of the points Springbrook served, well above their season average.  Springbrook won 39% of the points Magruder served.  

Magruder hit .295 for the night, their 2nd highest percentage of the year.  Magruder combined for 21 kills and 5 hitting errors. 

Magruder didn't have one of their better nights serving.   The team served 84% for the night.    Magruder did have 20 service aces but also had 10 service errors in three games.

Magruder  passed at a 72% efficiency for the night, above their season average. 

Magruder had 11 digs and 4 blocks

Individual Leaders

Kills: Lizzi Walsh (6),  Molly Weschler, Emma Geisser and Lizzy Schaerr (4 each)

Blocks: Lizzi Schaerr (3) and Jen Gruber (1)

Assists: Katie Lansing (16)

Aces: Katie Chisarick (5), Nicole Cheng and Lizzi Walsh (4 each)

Good Passes:  Winna Pumrihun (15) and Emma Geisser (11)

Digs:  Winna Pumhirun (4), several with 2 

Poolesville

Magruder played one of their better matches in recent week by defeating a scrappy Poolesville team in 3 games.  In games 1 and 3 Magruder had large run of points to seize control of the game.  Game 1 featured Katie Chisarick serving for 9 straight points and Game 3 featured Dani EauClaire serving for 8 straight points (with a team high four aces).  Magruder won both of these games 25-17.  Game two was closer (25-21) as Magruder missed 5 of 9 serves for the night and Poolesville stabilized their passing/defense. Magruder had one of their better nights attacking the ball finishing with 38 kills in three games (a relatively high number) and only 12 attack errors.  Some match analysis stats are below:

Magruder won 59% of the points Poolesville served, slightly above their season average.  Poolesville won 43% of the points Magruder served.  

Magruder hit .313 for the night, a very high number for high school and by far their best of the season.  Magruder combined for 38 kills and 12 hitting errors. 

Magruder had a good night serving.   The team served 86% for the night.    Magruder had 10 service aces against a solid passing team and only 9 errors.

Magruder  passed at a 73% efficiency for the night, above their season average. 

Magruder had 35 digs and 4 blocks

Individual Leaders

Kills: Lizzi Walsh (13) and Lizzy Schaerr and Jen Gruber (8)

Blocks: Lizzi Schaerr (2) and Jen Gruber and Lizzi Walsh (1)

Assists: Katie Lansing (34)

Aces: Dani EauClaire (4) and Katie Chisarick and Emma Geisser (2)

Good Passes:  Brittany EauClaire (20) and Katie Chisarick (14)

Digs:  Emma Geisser and Brittany EauClaire (9 each) 

Blake

Coming off two big matches the week before Magruder faced an always tough Blake squad.  These two schools have developed a nice rivalry over the past 5-6 years.  They've played nearly every year and met twice in the playoffs.  While Magruder has won all but one of these matchups they have generally been very close and hard fought.  With Magruder missing two key team members for the match, the Magruder coaching staff was concerned about a let down.   Blake came out ready to play, took control of the first game and was very focused.  However a trend quickly established itself.  Magruder was scoring most of the points, both for and against themselves.   Magruder lost games 1 and 4.  In those games Magruder had a combined total of 17 hitting errors and 9 service errors (or 26 of Blake's 50 points).  Magruder won games 2, 3 and 5 with only 13 hitting errors and 6 service errors.  They also totalled 30 of their 47 kills and a 9 of their 14 aces.    In the end (game 5) Magruder played a very solid game, hitting nearly .300 and playing some great defense.  Some match analysis stats are below:

Magruder won 52% of the points Blake served, slightly below their season average.  Blake won 43% of the points Magruder served.   For a five game match this is a rather large difference.

Magruder hit .133 for the night, a relatively low number.  Magruder combined for 47 kills and 30 hitting errors. 

For the third night in a row Magruder struggled serving at times.   The team served 87% for the night, their third straight match below 90%.    Magruder had 14 service aces and 15 service errors.

Magruder  passed at a 70% efficiency for the night, right at their season average. 

Magruder had 47 digs and 8 blocks

Individual Leaders

Kills: Lizzi Walsh (18-career high) and Emma Geisser (9)

Blocks: Lizzi Schaerr (3.5) and Jen Gruber (2)

Assists: Katie Lansing (42)

Aces: Lizzi Walsh (4) and Jen Gruber (3)

Good Passes:  Katie Chisarick (36) and Emma Geisser (35)

Digs:  Katie Chisarick and  Emma Geisser (16) 

Gaithersburg

There is a reason most local volleyball people think Magruder/Gaithersburg is perhaps the best high school girls volleyball rivalry in Montgomery County.   The two school share a geographic school boundary.  They've been among the best programs in MCPS over the last decade winning a combined 15 division titles and 7 regional championships.  They've also played more than any two schools in MCPS.  The 2011 regular season match was the 16th between the two schools in the last 10 years, including 9 regular season matches and 7 playoff matches.  But every good rivalry needs a fan base and these two schools consistently turn out fans for a Gaithersburg/Magruder match more than any other volleyball rivalry around.  This year was no different.  An estimated (by Magruder's AD) 500 fans came to Magruder to watch.  While the play wasn't always brillant, they were treated to a two and a half hour, five game classic barn burner of a match, filled with momentum swings, lead changes and exciting play.  Gaithersburg seized control of game 1 and never gave up the lead winning 25-20.  Game 2 started the same with Gaithersburg taking a 5-0 lead.  Gaithersburg's serving caused Magruder all kinds of fits up to this point.  However after a timeout the Colonels stabilized and tied the game at 8.  Magruder took control of game 2 with Emma Geisser serving by pinning Gaithersburg in a bad rotation and scored 6 straight points.  They won game 2 25-22.  Game three was a close battle throughout with neither team opening more than a three point lead.  Gaitherburg rallied to tie the game at 21, but Magruder won 4 of the next 5 points to close out the game.  In game 4 Gaithersburg fell behind early and then had a substitution error that cost them a point to give Magruder a 16-7 lead.  However the long time to correct the error seemed to sap some of the momentum Magruder had.  When Gaithersburg won the next three points, the tide turned.  The Trojans staged a furious rally, playing some of their best volleyball and tied the game at 21-21.  They scored 4 of the next 6 points to finish the game.  Game 5 Magruder played their best volleyball of the match.  As a team they hit over .400 and recorded two blocks to dominate at the net.  Additionally Magruder served over 80% of their serves to the location called from the bench.  Magruder won the fifth game 15-7, allowing Gaithersburg only 1 point while they served.  In the end, Magruder had more firepower at the net (hitting and blocking) and also (barely) won the serve/serve receive battle (8 aces vs. 6 aces).  Some match analysis stats are below:

Magruder won 54% of the points Gaithersburg served, slightly below their season average.  Gaithersburg won 49% of the points Magruder served.   The shows how close the match was.

Magruder hit .167 for the night, a relatively low number, but this was certainly influenced by the great defense played during the match.  Magruder combined for 50 kills and 26 hitting errors. 

Magruder again didn't have one of their better nights serving.   The team served 85% for the night, likely their lowest percentage of the season.  Additionally they struggled with hitting their service locations in the two games they lost.   Magruder had 8 service aces and 15 service errors.

Magruder  passed at a 69% efficiency for the night, right at their season average. 

Magruder had 55 digs and a season high 12 blocks

Individual Leaders

Kills: Lizzi Walsh (14) and Emma Geisser (12)

Blocks: Lizzi Schaerr (7) and Jen Gruber (2.5)

Assists: Katie Lansing (45)

Aces: Emma Geisser (3) and Winna Pumrihun and Brittany EauClaire (2)

Good Passes:  Emma Geisser (41, school record) and Brittany EauClaire (40)

Digs:  Brittany EauClaire (20) and Emma Geisser (14) 

Damascus

Magruder and Damascus both entered their match undefeated (Sherwood is the only other undefeated team) in one of the most anticipated matches of the year.  It didn't live up to the billing as Damascus easily handed Magruder their first loss of the season by dominating nearly every major portion of the game.  Magruder struggled passing (Damascus recorded 9 aces in three games), serving (Magruder only had 2 aces), and running their offense (Magruder had more hitting errors than kills).  Magruder scored only 13 "real points"  (points won with your team serving), while Damascus scored 43, a huge difference in the match.  The difference in scoring was evident as Magruder never scored more than 3 points in a row while Damascus scored 3 or more points in a row 8 times during the match.  Some match analysis stats are below:

Magruder won 40% of the points Damascus served, easily their lowest percentage of the season.  Damascus won 70% of the points Magruder served.  

Magruder hit .-088 for the night, a disastrously low number.  The team combined for 15 kills and had 21 attack errors. 

Magruder didn't have one of their better nights serving.   The team served 88% for the night.   Magruder had 2 service aces and 5 service errors.

Magruder  passed at a 60% efficiency for the night, their lowest efficiency of the year. 

Magruder had 25  digs and 9 blocks

Individual Leaders

Kills: Lizzi Walsh (6) and Molly Weschler (4)

Blocks: Lizzi Schaerr (4) and Lizzy Walsh (3)

Assists: Katie Lansing (14)

Aces: Katie Lansing and Katie Chisarick (1 each)

Good Passes:  Brittany EauClaire (14) and Dani EauClaire (11)

Digs:  Brittany EauClaire (10) and four with 3 

Watkins Mill

Magruder resumed their non-division schedule with a home match against Watkins Mill.  And Magruder had a Jekyll and Hyde night.  The first game Magruder played some very good volleyball, hitting .258 and generally playing error free volleyball.  However in both games 2 and 3 the Colonels literally had more hitting errors than kills (22 hitting errors and 16 kills). Magruder struggled in both serve receive and free ball situations.  The team had 17 hitting errors out of serve receive (with only 16 kills) and was an equally anemic in free ball situations (10 kills, 8 errors in 30 swings).  For the night Magruder hit a paltry .030, their lowest attack percentage of the season.  Each game also had a different feel to it.  In game 1 the teams combined to sideout 63% of the time, a very high percentage, yet in Game 2 the two teams combined to sideout 35% of the time, a very low percentage.  Game 3 split the difference at 48%.  In the end Magruder's strong service game (13 aces, 91% serving) and reliable passing (only aced twice) enabled Magruder to close out games 2 and 3.    Some match analysis stats are below:

Magruder won 54% of the points Watkins Mill served, well below their season average.  Watkins Mill won 41% of the points Magruder served.  

Magruder hit .030 for the night, a disastrously low number.  The team combined for 32 kills and had 29 attack errors.

Magruder had another outstanding night serving.   The team served 91% for the night, their fifth straight match serving over 90%.   Magruder also had 13 service aces and only 7 service errors.

Magruder  passed at a 69% efficiency for the night, well below the season average.  However while many of these passes were able to be set, a larger percentage than normal were only able to be set outside.

Magruder had 29  digs and  blocks

Individual Leaders

Kills: Molly Weschler (11) and Lizzi Walsh (8)

Blocks: Lizzi Walsh and Lizzy Schaerr (1.5 each)

Assists: Katie Lansing (31)

Aces: Emma Geisser (5) and Winna Pumrihun (4)

Good Passes:  Katie Chisarick (27) and Emma Geisser (24)

Digs:  Katie Chisarick (13) and Katie Lansing (6)

Quince Orchard

Magruder finished their 2011 division schedule at Quince Orchard against an opponent that was ready to play some volleyball.  Magruder played nearly flawless volleyball for the first 15 points of the match and opened a large lead, but Quince Orchard rallied behind some stellar play of their own before Magruder won 25-17.  In Game 2, Quince Orchard came out smoking hot and took a 7-0 lead off of several service aces and Magruder hitting errors.  Magruder rallied with Katie Lansing serving 6 straight points (including two aces).  The game continued this pattern throughout, with both teams scoring points in streaks due to their own play and their opponents errors.  Quince Orchard had a 22-19 lead, but after a side out, Brittany EauClaire served 5 straight points to win the game.  Magruder dominated game 3, holding a 20-9 lead before winning 25-16.  With the win the Colonels clinch their county division title.  This is Magruder's 9th county championship.  All nine of these titles have been won in the last 11 years.  Only Wootton (10 titles) has more in county history.  Congratulations to the girls for a nice accomplishment that can be celebrated at the END OF THE SEASON.  Some match analysis stats are below:

Magruder won 51% of the points Quince Orchard served, well below their season average of 51%.  Magruder had a horrible time in rotation 1 winning on 26% of the points Quince Orchard served.  Quince Orchard won 38% of the points Magruder served.   They had an equally difficult time with Magruder serving in rotation 1.  Strange pattern for the match.   

Magruder hit .212 for the night, slightly above their season average.  The team combined for 37 kills and had 15 attack errors.

Magruder had another outstanding night serving.   The team served 93% for the night, their third straight match serving well over 90%.   Magruder also had 18 service aces and only 7 service errors.

Magruder struggled passing, especially in game 2.  As a team they passed at a 68% efficiency for the night, well below the season average.

Magruder had 30  digs and 3 blocks

Individual Leaders

Kills: Jen Gruber (10) and Lizzi Walsh (9)

Blocks: Lizzi Walsh (2)

Assists: Katie Lansing (33)

Aces: Lizzi Walsh (5) and Dani EauClaire (4)

Good Passes:  Brittany EauClaire (19) and Katie Chisarick (17)

Digs: Brittany EauClaire (9) and Katie Chisarick (8) 

Wootton

With division play coming to a close across Montgomery County there are several key matchups this week that will determine who wins the county championships this season.  The Magruder/Wootton matchup was one of these.  The two teams entered the matches with 3-0 division records and the winner would be one step closer to clinching a county title.  Magruder started quickly in all three games and was able to dominate using a strong service game (9 aces) and featured one of their best offensive matches of the season (33 kills in 3 games).  Magruder also played strong defense and passed exceptionally well for the match.  All of this helped the Colonels win in three games and gain the chance to win their county division in their next match against Quince Orchard.  Some match analysis stats are below: 

Magruder won 61% of the points Wootton served, right at their season average of 60%.  Wootton won 30% of the points Magruder served. 

Magruder hit .270 for the night, their first match over .200 in some time.  The team combined for 33 kills and had 15 attack errors.

Magruder had another outstanding night serving.   The team served 96% for the night with 24 aces and only 2 errors.

Magruder passed at a 74% efficiency for the night, well above the season average.

Magruder had 26  digs and 5 blocks

Individual Leaders

Kills:  Emma Geisser (8) and Jen Gruber (7)

Blocks: Lizzie Walsh and Lizzy Schaerr (1.5 each)

Assists: Katie Lansing (29)

Aces: Molly Weschler, Katie Chisarick and Dani EauClaire (2 each)

Good Passes:  Brittany EauClaire (17) and Emma Geisser (16)

Digs: Brittany EauClaire (8) and Emma Gesiier (7) 

Clarksburg

Over the past week Magruder has continued to win matches while struggling throughout matches.  The inconsistent play has been marked with numerous unforced errors and many lost opportunities to score points (think free balls).  What has carried the team through is some outstanding serving and serve receive.  The match with Clarksburg was no different.  Magruder had 26 hitting errors for the match or 41% of the points Clarksburg scored.  However, the team also had a season high 24 aces, hit 63% of the their service locations and only missed 5 serves.  Serving and passing well gives you a chance to win matches even when struggling.  In the end Magruder won the match 3 games to 1 to improve to 11-0.     Some match analysis stats are below: 

Magruder won 54% of the points Clarksburg served, well below their average of 60%.  Clarksburg won 41% of the points Magruder served. 

Magruder hit a disastrous .046 for the night.  The team combined for 31 kills and had 26 attack errors, likely the highest total in quite some time for the Colonels.

Magruder had an absolutely great night serving.   The team served 95% for the night with a season high 24 aces and only 5 errors.  This was one of the best serving performances that Coach Zanni can remember.

Magruder passed at a 70% efficiency for the night, right near their season average.

Magruder had 39  digs and 12 blocks

Individual Leaders

Kills:  Molly Weschler and Jen Gruber (8 each)

Blocks: Lizzie Walsh (6, ties school record) and Xena Metzger (3)

Assists: Emma Geisser (29)

Aces: Katie Chisarick (9) and Dani EauClaire (7)

Good Passes:  Brittany EauClaire (33) and Katie Chisarick (18)

Digs: Brittany EauClaire (33) and Katie Chisarick (9) 

Northwood

Magruder defeats a depleted Northwood squad who was missing two of their best players.   The Lady Colonels advance to 10-0 for the fourth time in the past give years and more importantly to 2-0 in their division this year.     Some match analysis stats are below: 

Magruder won 63% of the points Northwood served, slightly higher than their season average. Northwood  won 30% of the points Magruder served. 

Magruder hit .191 for the night.  The team combined for 31 kills and had 15 attack errors. 

Magruder had a good night serving.   The team served 86% for the night, missing 8 serves in the first game and only two in the rest of the match.    The team recorded 14 aces, and 10 service errors.

Magruder passed at a 74% efficiency for the night, a number slightly better than their team average.

Magruder had 27  digs and  blocks

Individual Leaders

Kills:  Lizzy Schaerr (10) and Jen Gruber (7 each)

Blocks: four players with 1

Assists: Emma Geisser (27)

Aces: Emma Geisser (5) and Katie Chisarick (4)

Good Passes:  Katie Chisarick (24) and Jen Gruber 14)

Digs: Katie Chisarick (8) and three with 4

Rockville

Division play starts this week in the MCPS Girls Volleyball world.  Local rivals Magruder and Rockville played in their first division match.  Magruder won in three games despite a high number of errors throughout games 1 and 3.  For the match Magruder had a total of 28 hitting and service errors (or exactly half of Rockville's total points).  The result was that while Magruder was generally in control of all three games and never trailed after the middle of each game, Magruder was never able to generate a big run of points to gain separation.   Once again though Magruder played very good defense and generally passed well throughout the match.  Some match analysis stats are below: 

Magruder won 64% of the points Rockville served, slightly higher than their season average. Rockville won 49% of the points Magruder served.  This is the 2nd match in a row that Magruder had problems scoring points while serving.

Magruder hit .187 for the night, a relatively low number mainly (again)  due to the number of attack errors.  The team combined for 38 kills and had 18 attack errors. 

Magruder had a good night serving.   The team served 88% for the night, just below their season average.    The team recorded 16 aces, and 10 service errors.

Magruder passed at a 70% efficiency for the night, a number slightly better than their team average.

Magruder had 40  digs and 8 blocks

Individual Leaders

Kills:  Lizzy Schaerr (10) and Lizzi Walsh (8)

Blocks: Lizzy Schaerr (3.5) and Lizzi Walsh (2.5)

Assists: Katie Lansing (32)

Aces: Dani EauClaire (4), Brittany EauClaire and Katie Chisarick (3 each)

Good Passes:  Brittany EauClaire (25) and Emma Geisser (23)

Digs: Brittany EauClaire (14) and Katie Chisarick (8)

Bethesda-Chevy Chase

They say it's hard to beat a good team three times.  They aren't kidding.  Magruder and BCC scrimmaged in late August and met again in the semi-finals of the MHS Invitational three days ago.  Magruder won both of those matchups.  The third contest was much more hotly contested with Magruder winning in 5 long games.  The match time was approximately two and a half hours.  Both teams had stretches where they played well and stretches where they struggled.  Magruder really struggled in transition, giving away many scoring opportunities from the end of the second game to the early part of game 4.  Magruder had a combined 48 attack and service errors for the match (or close to ten points/game).  In the end though, Magruder's passers did a great job, being aced only once in 5 games, a pretty amazing statistic.   Some match analysis stats are below: 

Magruder won 61% of the points BCC served a pretty high number. BCC won 59% of the points Magruder served.  These numbers are pretty close and demonstrate how close the match was.

Magruder hit .199 for the night, a relatively low number mainly due to the number of attack errors.  The team combined for 61 kills and had 33 attack errors. 

Magruder had a fair night serving   The team served 86% for the night.    The team recorded 10 aces, but had 15 service errors.

Magruder passed at a 68% efficiency for the night, an average number.

Magruder had 59  digs and 10 blocks

Individual Leaders

Kills:  Lizzi Walsh and Lizzy Schaerr (13 kills each)

Blocks: Lizzy Schaerr (4.5) and Lizzi Walsh (3)

Assists: Katie Lansing (49, 2nd highest total in school history)

Aces: Brittany EauClaire (6) and Emma Geisser (2)

Good Passes:  Brittany EauClaire (30) and Emma Geisser (29)

Digs: Emma Geisser (16) and Brittany EauClaire (15)

MAGRUDER INVITATIONAL

Magruder won their 6th straight MHS Volleyball Invitational championship by using great serving, solid passing and defense and timely setting and hitting.  The team played their best stretch of volleyball yet this season in winning six best of three matches, dropping only one game (to Richard Montgomery in the finals).   Playing six matches in a day requires a true team effort and every player on the varsity team (plus JV callup Xena Metzger) made positive contributions throughout the day.  By rotating players throughout the four pool play matches Magruder was rather rested as the playoff began.  In the first pool play match of the day against Churchill, freshman defensive specialist Danielle EauClaire led the team with stellar serving (13/14 serving with 3 aces) while junior setter Katie Lansing had a team high 15 assists.  In match two against Wootton junior outside hitter Molly Weschler had a team high 5 kills while junior middle hitter Lizzi Schaerr added three kills and a match high 4 blocks.  Match three of the day was against Northwood.  Magruder was led by many of their younger players.  Sophomore Katie Sweeney had a career high 6 kills and fellow sophomore Adjowa Pinkrah added two.  Junior outside hitter Nicole Cheng had 4 good passes and 1 kill and JV callup sophomore middle hitter Xena Metzger made her varsity debut with 3 kills and 1 block.  Senior Emma Geisser set the entire match and had a career high 12 assists.  The final match of pool play was against Leonardtown (a 2A team that was 17-2 in 2010).  Magruder took an early lead and ended up dominating the match, winning 25-13, 25-16.  Emma Geisser had 5 kills while sophomore middle hitter Lizzy Walsh also had 5 kills and 2 blocks.  Lizzi Schaerr again added 4 blocks.  Junior defensive specialist Katie Chisarick was 7 of 8 serving with 2 aces and 3 digs.  In the semifinals, Magruder defeated B-CC in two games.  Senior defensive specialist Winna Pumhurin had 6 good passes and 2 digs.  Lizzy Walsh led the offense with 5 kills and Katie Lansing had 14 assists.  In the finals, Magruder won the first game handily by a score of 25-14, was totally dominated in the 2nd game (losing 25-11) and won the third game 15-12.  Junior libero Brittany EauClaire led the team serving with 5 aces in 17 of 18 serving.  Juniors Molly Weschler (8 kills) and Jen Gruber (7 kills) led the team offensively, while Lizzy Walsh again turned in a fine performance with 5 kills and 2 blocks.  Katie Lansing had a career high 23 assists. 

The tournament win was the 6th straight Magruder Invitational title for Magruder.  Congratulations to all the girls for a great performance.

GEORGETOWN VISITATION

Season opener for both schools and it showed at times.  Serving and passing win games.  Magruder had a great night serving and scored points in bunches while serving.  However, Magruder had an average night passing.  At times the varsity team passed the ball very well and when they did, the offense ran fairly smoothly.  At times the varsity team did not pass well and which forced Magruder into unforced errors that Georgetown Visitation took advantage of. Magruder's intensity also varied throughout the night as well.  Lots of room to improve.  Some interesting notes from the match:  1)Magruder alum Sherri Liang (class of 2005) is now an assistant coach at Georgetown Visitation.  Looked a little weird to see her wearing something other than a Magruder volleyball shirt.  2)Senior Emma Geisser made her setting debut.  3)The match was the first ever for Magruder for a non-Maryland school.  Next year Magruder will travel to Visitation and play their first out of state match ever.

 Some match analysis stats are below: 

Magruder won 63% of the points Visititation served.  Visitation won 33% of the points Magruder served.  Magruder's side out percentage (63%) is actually higher than it appears.  Visitation missed about a dozen serves in three games.  Taking those out, Magruder won points on just less than 50% of the time.

Magruder hit .236 for the night, a relatively average percentage.  The team combined for 24 kills and had 8 attack errors. 

Magruder had a great night serving.   The team served 93% for the night.    The team recorded 15 aces with only 5 service errors.

Magruder passed at a 69% efficiency for the night, an average number.

Magruder had 22  digs and 3 blocks

Individual Leaders

Kills:  Jen Gruber (6) and Emma Geisser (5)

Blocks: Jen Gruber, Lizzy Walsh and Lizzie Schaerr (1 each)

Assists: Katie Lansing (16) and Emma Geisser (6)

Aces: Katie Chisarick (7) and Brittany EauClaire (3)

Good Passes:  Brittany EauClaire (14) and Katie Chisarick (9)

Digs: Brittany EauClaire (7) and Katie Lansing (5)

2010 Match Analysis

SEASON WRAPUP

The start of the 2010 season brought many questions to the Magruder Volleyball Program.  With 10 players gone from the 2009 state finalist team, the immediate questions were who would replace these players and would Magruder continue to remain among the elite in the county?  Also unanswered is how would the new players gel with the five returning players?  Would the team continue the tradition of closeknit comradarie and fun?  There wasn't much time to find answers to these questions as three weeks after the first tryout Magruder embarked on perhaps the most challenging schedule in the county.  The schedule included the top ranked private school in Maryland (Good Counsel), a challenging array of teams at the MHS Invitational and regular season matches with 4A powers Sherwood, Gaithersburg, Paint Branch and Wootton plus matches with nearly every good 3A team in the county.  When the season was over Magruder posted a 19-4 record against a schedule that included  Good Counsel, five matches against the top 4A schools in MCPS and four matches against the top four 3A schools in MCPS.  Despite a tough loss in the 4A West Regional Semifinals and given the challenges faced,  it's hard to argue the 2010 season was anything less than a success. 

The five returning seniors, Julie Chapin, Becca Culver, Molly Hirrlinger, Xiaoyi Li and Katie Kohler provided the leadership throughout the year for the youngest team in school history.  The team had 7 underclassmen including two freshman (Brittany EauClaire and Lizzi Walsh) and five sophomores (Katie Chisarick, Jen Gruber, Katie Lansing, Lizzy Schaerr and Molly Weschler).  Joining them on varsity were two juniors, both with only one year of volleyball experience (Emma Geisser and Winna Pumrihun).  The seniors quickly scheduled several team building activities which successfully brought the team together.  And most importantly the play on the court improved in the first few weeks. 

Magruder began the year with a convincing win over Rockville where the entire team contributed.  Next the team lost to a senior laden and talented Good Counsel team that would spend the year ranked #1 in Montgomery County.  That same week Magruder won their 6th straight MHS Invitational defeating Wootton and Sherwood in the playoffs.  At this point the team had a 7-1 record and was off to a great start.  As Magruder continued through the season, they won some close contests and eventually lost to both Sherwood (in 3 games) and Gaithersburg (5 games) to finish the regular season 17-3, one of the better records in school history.  Magruder recorded wins over Walter Johnson (4A Regional Finalist), Blake (3A regional champ), Damascus (3A regional finalist) and a host of other solid programs.  Their first playoff match was against Blair, which Magruder won 3-0.  Next up was Wootton, a strong program, that always plays Magruder tough.  After winning the first two games in convincing fashion, Magruder came from behind to win game 3 and the match.  The win put Magruder into the 4A West Semifinals for the 9th straight season.  Unfortunately Magruder lost to a talented Sherwood team that eventually won the 4A West Region to advance to the state tournament.  The loss brought an end to the season with a final record of 19-4, the 8th straight year Magruder has won at least 19 games.

Given the challenges at the outset of the year, the players should be proud of their accomplishments on the court.  Each of them improved over the year and their improvement contributed to the great year.  The coaching staff looks forward to celebrating the season at the end of the year banquet!

SHERWOOD MATCH

Over the last 15 years the Magruder/Sherwood matchups have been consistently one sided.  From 1996-1999 Sherwood dominated the rivalry winning 6 of 7 matches including eliminating Magruder twice in the playoffs.  From 2000-2009 Magruder dominated the rivalry winning 16 of 17 matches (losing only the 2005 MHS Invitational Final).  However, in 2010 the teams played twice and had split, each winning a championship in one of the matches (Magruder won the MHS Invitational and Sherwood won their county/division title).  Both teams appeared a little nervous at the beginning of game 1, making errors uncharacteristic of their team.  With the game tied, Sherwood recorded three straight aces to take a lead they would not give up.  Game two was similar.  Close throughout until Sherwood scored six points in a row, three from aces.  Game three was close with Sherwood winning 25-23, ending Magruder's season.  While sophomore Alex Holston had a great night hitting (21 kills) the key difference was that Sherwood consistently won the passing/serving battle throughout the match.  Sherwood finished with 13 aces to Magruder's 5.  This pattern is pretty indicative how much Magruder struggled to run their offense while Sherwood was able to run their offense more consistently (hence the great hitting night for Alex).  Some match analysis stats are below: 

Magruder did not have a scorekeeper at the match so serve receive data is not available. 

Magruder hit .102 for the night, a very low percentage.  This is a reflection of Magruder's struggles to run their offense with good passes and their inability to run an effective middle.  The team had a season low 21 kills and also had 12 hitting errors.

After missing 5 serves early in game 1, Magruder finished with good night serving.  The team served just under 87%, but was unable to score many directly with their serve.  The team had only 6 aces for the night (and finished with 8 errors).

Magruder passed at a 61% efficiency for the night, well below their season average

Magruder had 31  digs and 5 blocks

Individual Leaders

Kills:  Jen Gruber (7) and Molly Hirrlinger (6)

Blocks: Jen Gruber (2) and several with 1

Assists: Xiaoyi Li (19)

Aces: Xiaoyi Li (2) and several with 1

Good Passes:  Brittany EauClaire (14) and Molly Hirrlinger (12)

Digs: Molly Hirrlinger (9) and Brittany EauClaire (7)

WOOTTON MATCH

Wootton and Magruder met in the 2nd round of the 4A West Regional playoffs with the winner advancing to the Region Final Four (Semifinals).  Wootton had won their previous playoff match against BCC in three games and the two teams had previously met this year in the semifinals of the Magruder Invitational (with Magruder winning in two games).  Both teams played hard all night and produced some great defense plays to bolster their team.  Some of the key differences in the match were Magruder's ability to get kills from all front row positions.  Setter Xiaoyi Li did a great job running the offense and getting her teammates chances to hit from passes that most setters can't set.  Magruder also had a pretty good night serving and disrupting Wootton's serve receive.  Some match analysis stats are below: 

Magruder won 63% of the points Wootton served, well above their season average.   Wootton won 50% of the points Magruder served. 

Magruder hit .263 for the night, a good number against a solid defensive team.  The team combined for 34 kills and had 11 attack errors. 

Magruder had another good night serving.   The team served 90% for the night, barely above their season average of 89%.    The team recorded 11 aces with 8 errors.

Magruder passed at a 70% efficiency for the night, well above their season average.

Magruder had 36  digs and 5 blocks

Individual Leaders

Kills:  Molly Hirrlinger (9) and Emma Geisser (6)

Blocks: Katie Kohler (2) and several with 1

Assists: Xiaoyi Li (30) and Julie Chapin (2)

Aces: Xiaoyi Li (3) and Becca Culver (3 each)

Good Passes:  Brittany EauClaire (21) and Molly Hirrlinger (16)

Digs: Molly Hirrlinger and Brittany EauClaire (9 each)

BLAIR MATCH

The first round of the 4A West playoffs matched Blair against Magruder for the 2nd time in two years.  The teams also played during the regular season each of the last two years.  Magruder had won those three previous contests and perhaps that factored into their slow start as Blair used some strong serves and defense to capitalize on several Magruder errors.  In what seemed like a blip, Magruder was down 7-1.  However, the team recovered and won the first game 25-20 and continued to play well as they won the next two games 25-7, 25-13.  Magruder struggled serving during the first and third games (missing 8 of their 10 serves for the night), but had a great night attacking the ball at the net and played good defense.  Some match analysis stats are below.

Magruder won 65% of the points Blair served, well above their season average.   Blair won 36% of the points Magruder served.  Of those points, 37% were won due to Magruder service errors.

Magruder hit 318. for the night, one of their higher percentages of the season.  The team combined for 33 kills and had 10 attack errors. 

Magruder had a good night serving, often creating problems for Blair's serve receive, but missed more serves than normal.   The team served 85% for the night, below their season average.    The team recorded 11 aces with 10 errors.

Magruder passed at a 75% efficiency for the night, well above their season average.

Magruder had 22  digs and 5 blocks

Individual Leaders

Kills:  Molly Hirrlinger (13) and Katie Kohler (7)

Blocks: Xiaoyi Li (2) and several with 1

Assists: Xiaoyi Li (27) and Jen Gruber (2)

Aces: Xiaoyi Li (3), Emma Geisser, Becca Culver and Julie Chapin (2 each)

Good Passes:  Brittany EauClaire (17) and Molly Hirrlinger (11)

Digs: Molly Hirrlinger and Julie Chapin (6 each)

QUINCE ORCHARD MATCH

Magruder and Quince Orchard ended their season in an unsual matchup of two of the top seeded teams in their respective state playoff regions.  Quince Orchard entered the night with an 11-4 record and the top seed in the 3A West Region, while Magruder is the #4 seed in the 4A West Region and a 16-3 record.  Magruder was also celebrating their five seniors on senior night:  Julie Chapin, Becca Culver, Molly Hirrlinger, Katie Kohler and Xiayoi Li.  After a rather slow start, Magruder cruised to a 3 game win behind very strong serving (89% serving with 16 aces) and some very good team defense.  As they have all year, all five seniors had a major impact on the win.  Julie Chapin played three solid games at libero leading the team in digs and had a good night serving. Becca Culver had a great night serving (17 for 18 with 4 aces) and added four kills.  Katie Kohler had 4 kills and a block.  Molly Hirrlinger had a team high 11 kills and Xiaoyi Li had a team high 7 aces and 30 assists.  Two interesting notes from the match:  1)During the regular season Magruder played all four of the top 3A teams (Quince Orchard, Damascus, Blake and Northwood), all three of the top seede 4A teams (Sherwood, Walter Johnson and Gaithersburg) and the top private school in the county (Good Counsel) and 2)Xiaoyi Li established a new school record for assists in a career.  She now has 1330 assists breaking Alison Musser's record of 1303.  Congrats to Xiaoyi!  Some match analysis stats are below.

Magruder won 58% of the points Quince Orchard served, right at their season average.   Quince Orchard won 45% of the points Magruder served. 

Magruder hit 305. for the night, well above their season average.  The team combined for 34 kills and had 11 attack errors. 

Magruder continued their strong serving from previous matches.   The team served 89% for the night, right near their season average of 90%.    The team recorded 16 aces with only 8 errors.

Magruder passed at a 67% efficiency for the night, right near their season average. 

Magruder had 23  digs and 2 blocks

Individual Leaders

Kills:  Molly Hirrlinger (11) and Lizzy Schaerr (6)

Blocks: Jen Gruber and Katie Kohler (1 each)

Assists: Xiaoyi Li (30)

Aces: Xiaoyi Li (7) and Becca Culver (4)

Good Passes:  Molly Hirrlinger and Julie Chapin (14 each)

Digs: Molly Hirrlinger and Julie Chapin (6 each)

GAITHERSBURG MATCH

There is some great history between Magruder and Gaithersburg over the last decade.  Since the 2000 season the teams have played 14 times, 7 times in the regular season and 7 times in the playoffs with Magruder holding a 9-5 advantage.  During this time no other MCPS teams have played each other this often and it's likely no other two schools consistently draw bigger crowds when they play against each other.  With both teams again among the county elite and playoff seeding on the line, the 2010 matchup was another big chapter in what is likely the best volleyball rivalry in MCPS.  The match did not disappoint.  In front of hundreds of fans, Gaithersburg prevailed in a long five game match.  Gaithersburg won the first two games and Magruder rallied to win the next two before Gaithersburg prevailed in the deciding 5th set.  The match was incredibly close.  Three of the five games were won by two points.  218 total points were played with Gaithersburg winning two more points than Magruder.  Strangely the first three games were won by the team that faced game point.  Gaithersburg rallied in games 1-2 after facing game point and Magruder did the same in game 3 (facing match point).  Most games were won by the team that had the server that got on a hot streak and caused their opponent's passing to break down and have to play out of system.  Some match analysis stats are below.

Magruder won 51% of the points Gaithersburg served,  one of their lower percentages of the season.  This was mainly due to a combination of strong Gaithersburg serving and inconsistent passing from Magruder.  Gaithersburg won 53% of the points Magruder served. 

Magruder hit .180 for the night, below their season average.  The team combined for 43 kills and had 21 attack errors.  The 43 kills is low for the three game match and the 21 errors are 4/game (set).  Gaithersburg played great defense all night and kept Magruder from running their offense with strong serving.

Magruder continued their strong serving from previous matches.   The team served 89% for the night, right near their season average of 90%.    The team recorded 10 aces with only 12 errors.

Magruder passed at a 60% efficiency for the night, their lowest average of the year.  They were plaqued by inconsistency all night.  Some was caused by strong serving from Gaithersburg and some was a result of their inability to consistently pass free balls.  Not a good night passing for Magruder.

Magruder had 57  digs and 9 blocks

Individual Leaders

Kills:  Katie Kohler, Emma Geisser and Molly Hirrligner (8 each)

Blocks: Jen Gruber and Katie Kohler (3 each)

Assists: Xiaoyi Li (35)

Aces: Julie Chapin (4) and Molly Hirrlinger (3)

Good Passes:  Brittany EauClaire (35) and Julie Chapin (16)

Digs: Brittany EauClaire (17) and Molly Hirrlinger (13)

DAMASCUS MATCH

Magruder traveled to the land of Jimmie Cone (only to discover it's closed for the season) to take on a tough Damascus team that had already won a county championship this year and entered the night with an 8-3 record.  Similar to their last match with Blake, Magruder and Damascus have had some memorable regular season, tournament and playoff matches in recent years.   While neither team played their best volleyball last night, there were some very well played points, some spectacular defense at times and very entertaining points.  Magruder won the match in three games.  After being outplayed for all of game one, Magruder rallied from 24-22 to win 27-25.  Magruder struggled passing (Damascus registered 5 aces in game 1) and was plaqued by hitting errors.  Magruder then controlled games 2 and 3 winning 25-21 and 25-18.  The key difference was that Magruder starting passing better and playing better defense.  Magruder still struggled attacking the ball from the outside, but turned to a very effective middle attack (the middle hitters combined for 15 of the 29 team kills).   Some match analysis stats are below.

Serve recieve data is not available.  Magruder did not have a scorekeeper at the match.

Magruder hit .145 for the night, well below their season average.  The team combined for 29 kills and had 17 attack errors.  The 29 kills is a little low for the three game match and the 17 errors are nearly 6/game (set).

Magruder continued their strong serving from previous matches.   The team served 88% for the night, right near their season average of 90%.    The team recorded 10 aces with only 9 errors.

Magruder passed at a 65% efficiency for the night, one of their lower averages of the year.  They were plaqued by inconsistency all night.

Magruder had 38 digs and 8 blocks

Individual Leaders

Kills:  Katie Kohler (10) and Molly Hirrlinger (9)

Blocks: Lizzy Schaerr (4) and Katie Kohler (2)

Assists: Xiaoyi Li (24)

Aces: Brittany EauClaire (4) and Emma Geisser (3)

Good Passes: Molly Hirrlinger (23) and Brittany EauClaire (22)

Digs: Brittany EauClaire (11) and Molly Hirrlinger (10)

BLAKE MATCH

Magruder and Blake have had some memorable matches in past years including two big playoff matches.  In 2007 Blake defeated Magruder in four games in the 4A West Regional Semifinals and the following year Magruder defeated Blake in the Regional Championship match.  The teams also met last year in a well played match at Blake with Magruder winning a relatively close contest.  With Blake entering the night with an 8-2 record and Magruder missing two key players it looked like another night where both teams would have a good chance at victory.  Magruder was able to win the first and third game behind very strong serving, but struggled throughout the match to pass efficiently.  In both games Magruder scored lots of points to start the game with Julie Chapin serving.  However, in the second game, Blake took the early 8-1 lead and fought hard to keep it finally gaining a 24-20 lead.  Magruder won the sideout out and then scored three straight points to tie the game.  Each team missed a serve and Magruder then scored the next two points to win 27-25.    Games 2 and 3 were a testament to why volleyball is a "team sport".  A variety of players stepped into roles, some of which they hadn't really played before, and made major contributions to help win games 2 and 3.  That's always nice to see.   Some match analysis stats are below.

Magruder won 51% of the points Blake served,  one of their lowest percentages of the season.  This was mainly due to a combination of strong Blake serving and inconsistent passing from Magruder.  Blake won 40%  of the points that Magruder served. 

Magruder hit .163 for the night, well below their season average.  The team combined for 20 kills and had 11 attack errors.

Magruder continued their strong serving from previous matches.  The team served for a high percentage and consistently forced Blake out of their offense.  The team served 88% for the night, right near their season average of 90%.    The team recorded 13 aces with only 8 errors.

Magruder passed at a 61% efficiency for the night, one of their lowest averages of the year. 

Magruder had 30 digs and 5 blocks

Individual Leaders

Kills:  Molly Hirrlinger (7), Emma Geisser and Katie Kohler (4 each)

Blocks: five players with one block each

Assists: Xiaoyi Li (19)

Aces: Julie Chapin (5) and Brittany EauClaire (3)

Good Passes: Molly Hirrlinger (15) and Brittany EauClaire (11)

Digs: Brittany EauClaire (7) and Julie Chapin (6)

WHITMAN MATCH

Magruder defeated Whitman in 3 games behind a strong team effort.  Magruder was especially efficient serving and passing all night which enabled them to score points in bunches in each of the three games.    The team again served well,  attacked with a high percentage and played solid defense.   Some match analysis stats are below.

Magruder won 65% of the points that Whitman served,  a number well above their season average.  Whitman won 38%  of the points that Magruder served. 

Magruder hit a season high .215 for the night, slightly below their season average.  The team combined for 26 kills, but had 11 attack errors.

Magruder had a strong night serving, despite missing more serves than normal.  The team served 87% for the night, slightly below their season average of 90%.    The team recorded17 aces and had 10 errors. 

Magruder passed at a 72% efficiency for the night (percentage of passes that can be set by the setter).   

Magruder had 19 digs and 8 blocks

Individual Leaders

Kills:  Katie Kohler and Molly Hirrlinger (7 each)

Blocks: Katie Kohler, Xiaoyi Li, Jen Gruber and Lizzie Walsh (2 each)

Assists: Xiaoyi Li (20) and Katie Lansing (4)

Aces: Julie Chapin (7) and Brittany EauClaire (4)

Good Passes: Brittany EauClaire and Molly Hirrlinger (8 each)

Digs: Emma Geisser and Xiaoyi Li (4 each)

WATKINS MILL MATCH

Magruder continued their strong serving and efficient play with a win over Watkins Mill.  The team again served well,  attacked with a high percentage and played solid defense.   Some match analysis stats are below.

Magruder won 68% of the points that Watkins Mill served a number well above their season average.  Watkins Mill won 27%  of the points that Magruder served. 

Magruder hit a season high .361 for the night, well above the season average.  This was a team effort as the team combined for 29 kills with only 7 attack errors.

Magruder had a strong night serving, despite missing more serves than normal.  The team served 86% for the night, slightly below their season average of 90%.    The team recorded a season high 28 aces and had 11 errors. 

Magruder passed at a 70% efficiency for the night (percentage of passes that can be set by the setter).   

Magruder had 23 igs and 1 block.

Individual Leaders

Kills:  Jen Gruber and Becca Culver (5 each)

Blocks: Katie Kohler (1 each)

Assists: Xiaoyi Li (19) and Katie Lansing (8)

Aces: Becca Culver (10) and Xiaoyi Li (7)

Good Passes: Becca Culver and Julie Chapin (6 each)

Digs: Emma Geisser (3), several with 2

RICHARD MONTGOMERY MATCH

Magruder played one of their most efficient matches of the year in defeating Richard Montgomery in 3 games.  The team served very well, attacked with a high percentage, played strong defense and blocked well.  In game 1, Magruder took an early lead and won 25-14.  During Game 2, Richard Montgomery played some strong volleyball, blocking well, playing good defense and serving tough.  RM had an early lead, but Magruder regained control and won 25-18.  Game 3 was a dominating performance with Magruder winning 25-5.  Some match analysis stats are below.

Magruder won 59% of the points that Richard Montgomery served, slightly above their season average of winning 58% of points when the opponent serves.  Richard Montgomery won 29%  of the points that Magruder served. 

Magruder hit a season high .341 for the night, well above the season average.  This was a team effort as the team combined for 39 kills with only 8 attack errors.

Magruder has one of their best nights serving.  The team served 93% for the night, one of their highest percentages of the season.   The 18 ace, 6 error totals reflect how effective their serves were. 

Magruder passed with a season high 77% for the night (percentage of passes that can be set by the setter).   

Magruder had 25igs and 5blocks for the match. 

Individual Leaders

Kills: Molly Hirrlinger (12) and Katie Kohler (11)

Blocks: Jen Gruber and Katie Kohler (2 each)

Assists: Xiaoyi Li (31

Aces: Becca Culver (6) and Brittany EauClaire (5)

Good Passes: Molly Hirrlinger (26) and Brittany EauClaire (16)

Digs: Emma Geisser (7) and Brittany EauClaire (4)

SPRINGBROOK MATCH

In the early part of the 2000's Magruder and Springbrook had some of the stronger teams in MCPS and played numerous epic matches for county and tournament titles.   One of the players on those teams was Alexis Reed, who has now returned to Springbrook and has quiety been putting together a nice program there.  Her team entered the match with Magruder sporting a 7-3 record.  While Magruder won the match 3 games to 1, Springbrook played hard all night and turned in some very solid stretches of good volleyball.  The key differences to the match were Magruder's outstanding service game and some dominating blocking at the net.  Magruder had a great night serving (close to 94% serving for the night with 16 aces and only 6 errors) and did a very good job hitting their service spots.  Magruder also recorded 16 blocks for points for the night, likely one of the highest in school history.  Magruder also had several touches at the net that created good point scoring chances.  Some match analysis stats are below.

Magruder won 60% of the points that Springbrook served, slightly above their season average of winning 58% of points when the opponent serves.  Springbrook won nearly 50% (47/95) of the points that Magruder served.  Magruder struggled at times to convert their point scoring chances while serving. 

Magruder hit .302 for the night, well above the season average.  However, this number is a little misleading as it reflects Katie Kohler's outstanding 14 kill, .541 hitting percentage.    The good news was that Magruder limited their hitting errors in the match to a total of 11 (or less than 3/game). 

Magruder has one of their best nights serving.  The team served 94% for the night, one of their highest percentages of the season.   The 16 ace, 6 error totals reflect how effective their serves were.  Freshman libero Brittany EauClaire was 30 for 30 serving with 5 aces. 

Magruder passed with a 67% efficiency (percentage of passes that can be set by the setter).    This is right at the Magruder season average.

Magruder had 54 digs and 16 blocks for the match.  Katie Kohler turned in 8 total blocks setting a school record for blocks in a match. Sophomore Jen Gruber also set a career mark for herself with 4 total blocks.

Individual Leaders

Kills: Katie Kohler (14) and Molly Hirrlinger (13)

Blocks: Katie Kohler (8, school record) and Jen Gruber (4)

Assists: Xiaoyi Li (36)

Aces: Brittany EauClaire (5) and Xiaoyi Li (4)

Good Passes: Brittany EauClaire (33) and Molly Hirrlinger (31)

Digs: Brittany EauClaire (17) and Molly Hirrlinger (16)

PAINT BRANCH MATCH

Magruder and Paint Branch have both undergone major changes in their rosters since they played their epic five game playoff match in 2009.  Both teams feature many new players on their 2010 teams.  Magruder used a strong service game to score points (12 aces) and create numerous point scoring opportunities throughout the match.  At times Magruder struggled to consistent score points from the free balls their serves generated, but overall Magruder had enough firepower at the net to control all three games.  Freshman Lizzy Walsh and sophomore Katie Lansing made their first career starts.  Both played well.    Some match analysis stats are below.

Serve receive statistics are not available as Magruder did not have a scorekeeper at the match. 

Magruder hit .282 for the night, reasonably higher than their season average.  As a team they totalled a large number of kills for a three game match (38), but also had a higher number of errors (14) that they would like. 

Magruder served just under 85% for the match.  This is the second match in a row the team served under 85%, but this time Magruder was serving much more agressively and was very successful at forcing Paint Branch into passing errors.   Magruder had 12 aces and 12 errors. 

Magruder had a good, but not great night passing.  In the first game Magruder passed exceptionally well.  FOr the remainder of the match the team wa around their team average. 

Magruder had 35 digs and 7 blocks for the match

Individual Leaders

Kills: Molly Hirrlinger (14) and Katie Kohler (8)

Blocks: Lizzie Walsh and Jen Gruber (3 each)

Assists: Xiaoyi Li (27) and Katie Lansing (9)

Aces: Molly Hirrlinger (5) and Emma Geisser (3)

Good Passes: Molly Hirrlinger (20) and Julie Chapin (14)

Digs: Molly Hirrlinger (7) and Julie Chapin (6)

SHERWOOD MATCH

Magruder and Sherwood faced off in a rematch two weeks after the MHS Invitational in an anticipated rematch of two of the top ranked public schools in the county.  Similar to the first matchup the team that won the first game maintained the momentum and swept the match.   The teams played pretty evenly at the net, exchanging kills off of good passes, but Sherwood clearly won the serving battle.    Magruder struggled all night to simply serve the ball in the court and when they did the serves tended to be pretty easy to pass.  Magruder had 9 services errors in three games and only 1 ace.  Just as the Colonels couldn't find a rhythm serving, they also struggled to play consistently in games 2 and 3 making several unforced errors at key points of each game.  In the end Sherwood played a more consistent match throughout leading to their three game sweep.   Some match analysis stats are below.

Magruder won 51% of the points that Sherwood served, which is somewhat below their season average of 57%.  The real key difference to the match was that Magruder won only 38% of the points that it served, the lowest of the season and the 2nd lowest since Magruder started tracking serve receive points by rotation. 

Magruder hit .188 for the night, also below their season average, but somewhat expected given the talent level of both teams.  For the 2nd match in a row Magruder was plaqued by hitting errors (17 in 3 games).

Magruder served just under 85% for the match, one of their lowest percentages of the season.   The 1 ace, 9 error ration was easily the least effective of the season. 

After struggling in serve receive in parts of game 1 and the beginning of game 2 the team passed pretty well.  Magruder passed with a 68.5% efficiency (percentage of passes that can be set by the setter).    This is right at the Magruder season average.

Magruder had 46 digs and 8 blocks for the match

Individual Leaders

Kills: Molly Hirrlinger (11) and Lizzy Schaerr (9)

Blocks: Katie Kohler and Lizzy Schaerr (3 each)

Assists: Xiaoyi Li (33)

Aces: Julie Chapin (1)

Good Passes: Brittany EauClaire (26) and Molly Hirrlinger (23)

Digs: Brittany EauClaire (14) and Molly Hirrlinger (12)

BLAIR MATCH

Magruder opened their division play with a three game win that featured some well played points by both teams and some sporadic play at times.  The key difference in the match was Magruder's service game.  The Colonels served over 95% with a total of 18 aces (6/game).  The focus of the team was much better throughout the match as well which is an improvement from the Northwest match.  Some match analysis stats are below.

Magruder won 57% of the points that Blair served, which is right near their season average.  However their efficiency varied widely throughout the match.  In game 1, Magruder won only 42% of the points Blair served, but in game 2, Magruder won 100% of the points Blair served.  Blair won 35% of the points that Magruder served. 

Magruder served 95% for the night with a total of 18 aces and 4 errors.  The 95% serving is the highest total of the season.

Magruder hit .228 for the night, slightly below their season average.  This is mainly due to a high number of hitting errors (16 in three games). 

Magruder's passing improved from their last match.  Magruder passed with a 66.5% efficiency (percentage of passes that can be set by the setter).    This is right at the Magruder season average.

Magruder had 31 digs and 4 blocks for the match

Individual Leaders

Kills: Molly Hirrlinger (10) and Katie Kohler (8)

Blocks: Katie Kohler (2)

Assists: Xiaoyi Li (30)

Aces: Julie Chapin and Becca Culver (4 each)

Good Passes: Molly Hirrlinger (18) and Brittany EauClaire (17)

Digs: Molly Hirrlinger (8) and Brittany EauClaire (7)

NORTHWEST MATCH

After a tough opening week of volleyball that included a match against top ranked Good Counsel and six matches at the Magruder Invitational Magruder fell somewhat flat against a young, talented and energetic Northwest squad.  Magruder won the first game 25-15, lost the second game 23-25, won the third 27-25 and won the 4th game 25-15.  After taking a 14-1 lead in game one, Magruder was outplayed through the middle of game.  Northwest outscored Magruder 54-43 over this stretch.  Faced with a 15-10 deficit Magruder finally picked up their energy level and focus.  With it the play of Magruder also picked up with Magruder outscoring Northwest 40-25 from the middle of game three to the end of the match.  Focus, effort, determination and tenacity matter a great deal in volleyball.  Teams have to bring it every night or they take great risks.  Hopefully this is a lesson learned. Some match analysis stats are below.

Magruder did not have a scorekeeper at the match so serve receive data is unavailable. 

Magruder served 87% for the night with a total of 13 aces and 13 errors.  This is below the 90% serving average Magruder entered the match with.  Magruder had an acceptable night serving to location with a 59% average.

Magruder hit .248 for the night, right near their season average.  This included 51 kills and 19 errors.   

Magruder's passing seemed to rise and fall with their focus.  Overall it wasn't a great night for passing numbers.   Only 64% of the passes from serves and free balls were able to be set.  This is well below the season average.

Magruder had 46 digs and 12 blocks for the match

Individual Leaders

Kills: Lizzy Schaerr (14), Katie Kohler (12) and Molly Hirrlinger (11)

Blocks: Lizzy Schaerr (5) and Katie Kohler (4)

Assists: Xiaoyi Li (43)

Aces: Brittany EauClaire (4), Julie Chapin and Molly Hirrlinger (3 each)

Good Passes: Brittany EauClaire (31) and Molly Hirrlinger (28)

Digs: Brittany EauClaire (15) and Molly Hirrlinger (14)

MAGRUDER INVITATIONAL

The 13th Annual Magruder Invitational featured 9 MCPS teams and Urbana High School (2009 4A North Regional Champion).  The tournament features a best of three format to help avoid ties and determine a true winner of each contest.  This format is somewhat different some of the other high school and club tournaments, but has gotten good feedback throughout the history of the tournament.  What follows is a brief breakdown of each match for Magruder

The first match of the day was against an improved Northwood team.  Magruder used all 13 players en route to their first win of the day.  Becca Culver played a solid all-around game with 2 kills, 2 aces, three good passes and two digs. 

The second match of the day was against Walter Johnson (Coach Demitz's alma mater).  Magruder used their strong middles to attack Walter Johnson.  Katie Kohler dominated at the net with a block.  Sophomore Lizzy Schaeer added 5 kills and block. 

The third match of the day took place against Richard Montgomery, who also entered the match 2-0 at the tournament.  Magruder won a close match using their serving and ball control.  Becca Culver had 10 good passes, while Julie Chapin added 7.   Freshman Lizzi Walsh chipped in two kills and a block during the match.  Molly Hirrlinger (6 aces) and Xiaoyi Li (3 aces) led the team in serving. 

The final match of the day was against Kennedy. With Magruder having already clinched first place in their pool, starting setter Xiaoyi Li rested the entire match and Becca Culver (3 assists) and Julie Chapin (11 assists) made their setting debut and led the team to victory (Sophomore setter Katie Lansing is injured).  They helped lead the team to victory.  Sophomore Jen Gruber had three kills and block while fellow sophomore Molly Weschler added two kills and a block.  Junior Winna Pumrihun led the team serving with 5 aces and also had 3 digs, while Katie Chisarick added 3 aces, 10 good passes and 5 digs. 

The semifinal match took place against an always tough Wootton squad.  Magruder won the first game handily (25-9) and then struggled in the 2nd game as Wootton raised their level of play.  In game 3, Magruder took an early 6-0 lead behind Emma Geisser's strong serving and Molly Hirrlinger's hitting (12 kills). The team won the game 15-9.   Freshman libero Brittany EauClaire turned in a strong match with perfect serving and 10 digs. 

In the tournament finals, Magruder faced Sherwood in a final that perhaps had been anticipated all day.  Both teams came into the match highly ranked by the Gazette (Sherwood #3, Magruder #4).  Sherwood opened an early lead, but Magruder staged a fierce rally scoring 13 points in a row to take game 1, 25-18.  Game two was much closer throughout and Magruder was able to open a 24-20 lead late and then win 25-21.  The victory marked the 7th time Magruder has won the MHS Invitational and is the 5th straight year the team has claimed first place.  Xiaoyi Li was named the tournament MVP while Molly Hirrlinger and Brittany EauClaire were named to the all-tournament team. 

GOOD COUNSEL MATCH

Serving, passing and defense.  Throughout the Magruder/Good Counsel match Magruder was able to match the serving, passing and defense of Good Counsel for stretches of points.  However, throughout the match Good Counsel's serving, passing and team defense was more consistent than Magruder's enabling them to set their powerful hitters on a more consistent basis.  In the end, Good Counsel's ability to mount a consistent attack was one of the primary reasons they were able to emerge victorious.  Some match analysis stats are below.

Magruder sided out 52% of the points Good Counsel served, which is a relatively good number against a strong team.   However, Good Counsel won 66% of the points that Magruder served, which is a very high percentage.

Magruder served 89% for the night with a total of 7 aces and 6 errors.  Generally a good night serving for location as well with over 60% accuracy to the correct spot.

Magruder hit .054 for the night, a very low number.  This included 21 kills and 13 errors.  Magruder had only 10 kills after the first game and three of those were from their setter.  The 13 errors is also a relatively high number for three games.  

As noted, Magruder struggled throughout the night passing.  Only 54% of the passes from serves and free balls were able to be set. 

Magruder had 35 digs and 7 blocks for the match

Individual Leaders

Kills: Molly Hirrlinger and Xiaoyi Li (5 each)

Blocks: Katie Kohler (3), Jen Gruber and Lizzy Schaerr (2 each)

Assists: Xiaoyi Li (16)

Aces: Xiaoyi Li (3)

Good Passes: Brittany EauClaire (26) and Molly Hirrlinger (18)

Digs: Brittany EauClaire (11) and Molly Hirrlinger (7)

ROCKVILLE MATCH

Magruder returned to action hosting local rival Rockville High School.  The experts in volleyball say passing and serving wins most matches.  That certainly held true.  Magruder was able to win the statistical serving and passing battle en route to a three game win.  The team started off a little shaky by getting aced on the first serve and then missing three of their first 8 serves.  However they recovered quickly.   For the night Magruder registered 21 aces for the match (or 7/game) and passed at a very high efficiency (see below). 

Magruder sided out 68% of the points Rockville served, a very high average, which only happens if a team is passing well.   Rockville  won 23% of the points that Magruder served, which is a reflection of the high number of aces.

Magruder served 87% for the night with a total of 21 aces and 9 errors.

Magruder hit .273 for the night, a pretty good number for high school.  For those new to this statistic it reflects the number of kills minus the number of errors, divided by the number of total attacks. 

Magruder passed well throughout the match with a 78% passing efficiency, on.  This reflects the percentage of serves and free balls that the setter can actually deliver a set. 

Magruder had 19 digs and 5 blocks for the match

Individual Leaders

Kills: Molly Hirrlinger (9), Lizzy Schaerr and Lizzy Walsh (4 each)

Blocks: Katie Kohler (2), several with 1

Assists: Xiaoyi Li (25)

Aces: Xiaoyi Li (8) and Julie Chapin (5)

Good Passes: Molly Hirrlinger (15) and Julie Chapin (11)

Digs: Brittany EauClaire (6) and Molly Hirrlinger (3)