Following Friday's four-set victory over North Dorchester in the 1A east region title match, Perryville players posed for photos with four fingers raised on each hand. The gesture signified the Panthers' eighth straight region championship. "It's really amazing," Perryville's record-setting setter Jordan Carr said. "Not a lot of sports at our school get to experience this eight years in a row. Coming in and being a part of the team there's an expectation that we've got to be region champs again. That's what we strive for every year. That's our mindset throughout the season." Still seeking a first state title, the Panthers have claimed a total of 12 region crowns. Perryville plays west champ Clear Spring Thursday night at 6 in Ritchie Coliseum on the campus of the University of Maryland. Smithsburg had won the last four state titles and eight out of the last nine. "We were so happy about that," Carr said. "They are a great team. We love playing them, but it's definitely a good feeling to get a change-up to see different teams in states." Coach Matt Borrelli says the Panthers would be prepared no matter who they play next. "We would be ready for anybody we had to face," said Borrelli. "Part of us would like to beat Smithsburg because it would be such a challenge. It would be a really good accomplishment. But part of me also feels a little variety would be nice as well. So I think we'd be ready to face whoever is there. I am surprised not to see them, though." Although it's not Smithsburg, the Panthers realize they will still be facing a formidable foe. "The biggest thing is just limiting our errors," Borrelli said. "I think you saw that [Friday night]. In the first, second, and fourth set, we were really clean with our play. They were hustling but we were making smart decisions. In the third set, we made a lot of serving errors, hitting errors, miscommunication. I think if we limit our errors we have the talent to go all the way. It's just a matter of cleaning things up and staying consistently error-free throughout the entire match." Carr also says consistency is key. "We need to put in as much effort as we can in practice," she said. "There are some plays that fall apart. We give up on them. But then the last game, everyone was there. Everyone played their hearts out. We left it all on the court. That's what happens when we're communicating, not making mistakes, getting our serves in. That's when everything really comes together." After breezing through the first two sets, North Dorchester showed its mettle by edging a sloppy Panthers squad in the third set. "They're a scrappy team and they threw a lot of different balls at us," outside hitter Alex Leslie said. "I feel like we lost focus and just had a hard time moving. But I think we got it back together." Perryville quickly regrouped and stormed out to a 15-5 lead in the fourth set. Leslie was never overly concerned. "I always feel confident in our team," she said. During the match, Carr, a junior, became the first player in school history with 1,000 career assists. Carr finished with 33 assists, eight aces, and six kills. Alex Leslie recorded a team-high 12 kills. Gracey Stevens provided eight kills and Becca Holman supplied seven. Regardless of what occurs in Thursday's state semifinal match, Perryville can take pride in this region run. "It just shows how dedicated our teammates are," Leslie said. "We work hard every year. We play club [volleyball]. We really put all our focus on this team. We love this team so much." Said Borrelli: "It's a credit to the players and their dedication and their focus year after year, that they want to keep that tradition going. It's a credit to the players that we have and the leadership that our captains give to the team to keep. It's a credit to the wonderful players we have and the great leaders we have on this team." Perryville 3, Patterson Mill 0 Perryville swept visiting Patterson Mill 25-8, 25-13, 25-15 in a region semifinal match Wednesday, November 7. Jordan Carr collected 25 assists, five kills, and three aces. Becca Holman supplied eight kills and five blocks. Alex Leslie, Gracey Stevens, and Mandy Wagner each provided five kills. Melissa Savin had six digs. Perryville 3, Bohemia Manor 0 Perryville opened the playoffs with a 25-13, 25-13, 25-20 sweep of visiting Bohemia Manor Monday night, November 5. Jordan Carr recorded 28 assists and eight aces. Becca Holman had seven kills and five digs. Alex Leslie contributed nine kills, eight aces, and four digs. Photos are this match are HERE. Comments are closed.
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