The local high-school girls volleyball season has marked the return of Kendal Hall and the Madison Warhawks to playoff prominence.
Hall was a former standout player for Madison, leading the high-school team to the 2015 state championship, when her mom, Carrie Hall, coached the squad. During this past off season, Kendal Hall was hired as Madison’s new head coach.
Her rookie season in charge has become a huge success. So far, Hall has led Madison to district and region-tournament championships.
The latest 6D North Region title came in dramatic fashion when the Warhawks (24-3) rallied to win the final three sets and defeat the host and six-time region champion Langley Saxons, 3-2, in the Nov. 8 championship match.
The region crown was Madison’s second, with the first in 2014. The win over Langley (24-3) was Madison’s third over the squad this season, another also being in five sets.
Since those 2014 and 2015 seasons, Madison hadn’t enjoyed the same. That changed when Kendal Hall was hired.
“There are good volleyball players at Madison. As new coaches, we wanted to make things more competitive, maximize what the players can do on the court, and asked more of them,” Kendal Hall said.
Madison was 3-0 in the region tourney and Langley 2-1. Each team entered the final with an 11-match winning streak.
In the final, Langley made few errors, hit well and won the first two sets, 25-18, 25-14. Madison built early leads in each of the final three sets and tightened what has been a season-long strong defense to win those, 25-21, 25-20, 15-7.
After the second set, Madison made a tactical change to have another front-row blocker in an attempt to tighten its defense and minimize Langley’s kills.
“That made us stronger at the net, and we had a strong defense behind those blockers,” Kendal Hall said.
Langley coach Susan Shifflett said her team made many more unforced errors in the final three sets, and tired.
“Madison is a really good defensive team and they are good at serving and passing,” Shifflett said. “In that third set we lost our emotions that we had in the first two, and couldn’t get it back,” Shifflett said.
Langley senior and region Player of the Year Chloe Hokenson agreed that the Saxons stumbled and lost momentum in the third set.
“We lost some of our drive in that third set,” Hokenson said. “Madison is so scrappy and plays really good defense, and that tired us out.”
Leading Madison statistically was Camille Pomeroy with 14 kills or winners and multiple blocks. Others with the same were Riley Lynch, Laila Chadwick, Aubrey Loughlin, Chloe Barth and Michelle Jargalan.
Sydney Pham had multiple service aces. Other players contributing in various manners were Norah Vaudo, Briana Vo and Samantha Van Vollenhoven.
For Langley, Ana Toumazatos had 22 kills or winners, Hokenson had 13 and three aces, Leni Stanton-Parker had 11 kills, Riley Buddie and Amajion Eligwe had eight kills each and Ava Barnett three. Amber Smith had five aces and Claire Mo one.
Also in the region tourney, Madison defeated Wakefield, 3-0, in the first round, then Marshall, 3-1, in the semifinals. Langley downed South Lakes, 3-0, in the first round then defending champion Chantilly, 3-0, in the semifinals.
Langley and Madison advance to the Virginia High School League’s Class 6 state tournament.
NOTE: Pomeroy, Chadwick, Toumazatos and Hokenson were chosen first-team all-region. Smith, Stanton-Parker, Buddie and Pham made second team. Shifflett was chosen as the region’s Coach of the Year.
