In soccer it’s called “work rate.” It refers to a player’s level of fitness. Sherwood seniors Ryan Hock, Pat Norfolk and Jeff Sandusky are familiar with the term. They powered the school’s two-time 4A state championship soccer team.
But Hock, Norfolk and Sandusky also play volleyball. Thursday night at Magruder in the Montgomery County Coed Championship, they used their superior work rate to outlast Blake, 25-23, 23-25, 22-25, 25-15, 15-7 in a grueling, competitive match.
Sherwood (16-0) finished its perfect season in style, winning its sixth coed title in nine years and first under coach Pete Siarkis.
“Playing soccer, we’re in pretty good shape. I think that helped,” said Hock. “But even more than that, it’s playing with each other all those years, knowing each other and being confident in each other.”
Sherwood perhaps needed a confidence boost after Blake middle hitter David Fitzgerald (35 kills) dominated games two and three. The 6-foot-7 Fitzgerald, a former basketball player at Blake, had 20 of his kills as the Bengals claimed games two and three.
But late in the fourth game, the tide turned. A well-placed dink by Norfolk (17 kills) started a rally. Julia McCarty followed with an ace and Sandusky (21 kills) had three kills as Sherwood won 11 of the final 13 points to win the game.
“We didn’t expect Blake to be that tough. We beat them pretty easy in the regular season,” said Sandusky. “[Fitzgerald] gave us a lot of problems. But we adjusted in the last two games, keeping the ball away from his side.”
Sherwood rode its momentum into the final game, taking a 7-1 lead as Sandusky registered an ace and three kills. Then Norfolk took over, banging kills to account for four of the Warriors final five points, including the clincher.
“We played for this team as freshmen and won a championship,” said Hock (17 kills). “I guess all that experience pays off when you get into a tough match.”
Perfect ending
» It wasn’t the first time Sherwood faced a dominant hitter in a county final. Last year, the Warriors fell to William Price and Gaithersburg in a memorable five-game championship match.
» Outside hitter Claire Kodan, setter Kerry Collins and libero Katie Friedgen also excelled for Sherwood.
» Sherwood (15-0) and Blair (14-1) played for the Montgomery County boys title in a rematch of last year championship game, won by Blair.
