The head coach was new but the end result was the same for the perennial power Flint Hill Huskies this fall.
As it has done so many times in recent years, the girls high-school volleyball team finished its season as private-school-conference and state-tournament champions, with 3-0 records in each. The Huskies (33-3) first won the Independent School League AA tourney, followed by the Division I state competition. They were the top seed and 3-0 in both.
The state title was the team’s 12th in program history and sixth in a row.
New head coach Thai Nguyen experienced his first such championship with the team.
“There is a lot of pressure on a coach who takes over a program that has had so much success in the past,” Nguyen said. “To be honest, I was hesitant to do so. Because no matter the coach, the goal every year is always the same here – to win the conference and state. Anything less is unacceptable. We were able to shine at the end again.”
The Huskies’ final match was a 3-1 victory over the second-seeded Bishop O’Connell Knights in the state championship. Flint Hill won the first two sets, 25-19, 25-17, lost the third, 25-18, then won the fourth, 25-17.
“They made a good adjustment to win the third set, then we adjusted back to win the fourth,” Nguyen said.
Flint Hill had 3-0 victories over No. 8 seed St. Gertrude in the first round, then fourth-seed Collegiate in the semifinals.
In the conference tourney, Flint Hill defeated Georgetown Day, 3-0, in the final and Holton-Arms and Potomac School by 3-0 finals in the first two rounds.
The season began for Flint Hill playing in a high-caliber tournament in Florida, where it lost two matches. The losses were its first in two seasons, and coming under a new coach.
“Whoa, the players weren’t used to that,” Nguyen said about the losses. “The competition was very good and made us better. We had to get refocused, but we shined at the end. The players were hungry and focused all season.”
Flint Hill’s top players were first-team all-state selections Ryla Jones (the all-state Player of the Year as a senior), seniors Mickhaila Murray and Natalie Nguyen, junior Isabelle Bardin and sophomore Evie Huang.
Jones will play in college at the University of Pittsburgh, and Nguyen at Georgetown University. Murray is uncommitted about which college she will attend and play.
Jones finished the season with 267 kills, 64 blocks, 45 digs and 26 aces. Murray had 359 kills, 326 digs and 60 aces. Bardin had 308 assists, 232 kills, 182 digs and 35 aces. Nguyen had 608 assists, 160 digs and 37 aces. Huang had 387 digs, 79 assist and 57 aces.
Seniors Emily Kearney and Sarah Manson were other key players for Flint Hill. Kearney will play at Bucknell University.
Other top players were juniors Audrey Sealock (140 kills) and Kadi Pynchon (202 digs) and freshmen Hunter Ross (131 kills, 43 blocks) and Alli Robinson.
“As the new coach, I wanted to keep the team’s past traditions alive and add my own touch. We wanted them to play at their top level every match and earn every point. We were able to do all of that,” Thai Nguyen said.
NOTES: Flint Hill lost only 11 sets in its 36 matches winning 27 times by 2-0 or 3-0 shutouts . . . The Huskies won their final 13 matches, after a 2-1 loss to undefeated Holy Cross on Oct. 7 . . . Overall, Flint Hill has won 11 ISL tournament titles, all in a row . . . Nguyen was chosen as the Division I all-state Coach of the Year.
