With their main goal accomplished ? winning the Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland A Conference title ? the Archbishop Spalding girls volleyball team is now looking forward to proving itself against some of the best teams in the entire Baltimore-Washington, D.C., region.
The Cavaliers (17-3) have accepted an invitation to play in the prestigious Maryland/D.C. private school tournament. Featuring top squads like Good Counsel (23-0), Bryn Mawr (17-2), Covenant Community School (14-3) and old nemesis St. Paul?s (20-3), the field is full of-top notch competition.
“Now, we just have to do the little things,” Spalding senior Nicole Reeder said. “Go back to the basics and keep up what we have here.”
Last year, Spalding lost in the semifinals to Good Counsel, the eventual champion. This year, a rematch with the defending champs from Montgomery County wouldn?t occur until the championship round. However, barring a major upset, the highlight of the tournament would be a second-round rubber match against St. Paul?s, which is sure to want a shot at Spalding.
Trailing St. Paul?s, 2-1, in games and down, 24-23 in the fourth game, Spalding?s hopes of winning its first IAAM A Conference championship looked bleak last Saturday. But for a resilient team with eight seniors as its heart and soul, one last chance was all it needed. Rallying to take the fourth game, 26-24, Spalding held on through a tense fifth set to take the match, 3-2, and capture their first banner.
“As you can see, they are gamers,” Spalding coach Scott Rombach said. “Our seniors had a goal of winning a championship banner, and we haven?t had one since the Catholic league split. It?s been a while coming.”
The Cavaliers put themselves in position for the IAAM title by playing strong all year, earning the second seed in the conference tournament. The players wanted something to remember their careers at Spalding. They got that something Saturday night.
The banner “is totally awesome, and it?s something that will always be here when you come back,” said Spalding senior standout Brittany Born,who had 41 assists in the championship match.
