MUCH IMPROVED PETKOVICH LEADS EAST VOLLEYBALL TO VICTORY

Morgan Petkovich was still serving underhand in her sophomore season at Loudoun County.

But in Wednesday’s Virginia High School Coaches Association All-Star Week volleyball game – Petkovich’s final high school game – the lanky Loudoun County graduate showed she came a long way since then.

Petkovich earned Most Valuable Player honors in the East’s 3-1 (25-21, 25-19, 22-25, 25-18) victory over the West All-Stars. Petkovich, who will play for Villanova next year, led all hitters with 14 kills.

“I would have never imagined that this would be me, but it feels really good,” Petkovich said of earning the MVP award. “I was never that great at sports until a couple years ago when I started getting better.”

Growing up, Petkovich played basketball and softball. She only took up volleyball in seventh grade at the urging of her best friend. And even then she said she only played for fun. It wasn’t until a couple years later that she started taking volleyball seriously – or somewhat seriously that is.

“I just started having so much fun,” Petkovich said. “The coaches were so good that I just got really into it and got really competitive and developed.”

Petkovich was part of the 2006 AA state runner-up team and the 2007 state champions. She was named 1st team All-State and was the Dulles District and Washington metro Player of the Year. Those are only a few of her many accolades.

But while Petkovich was the biggest star on the day, she was surrounded by smaller teammates. But what the East lacked in size, it made up for with gritty play.

Before the game, the East coaches — Claire LeBlanc of Cox, Suzanne Mathias of Strasburg and Jenica Mathias of Loudoun County – described the West as “trees.”

The trees, led by Most Valuable Player and American University-bound Bianca Richardson and her 12 kills, consistently held a lead through the first game. But the East fought back, reaching its first lead at 21-20 and went on to close out the game.

The East led for much of the second game, taking a 20-13 lead at one point, before Richardson and Maryland-bound Lisa Scott turned things around late in the third game. Trailing 21-20, the West rattled off five of the next six points.

“The East and West have this big competition since the West hasn’t really won the past few years,” Richardson said, referring to the East’s three-straight wins. “I really wanted to win.”

Ultimately, the West’s balance prevailed. Strasburg’s Katie Baker came through with two big blocks, one coming against Richardson. The blocks were a pleasant surprise considering that Baker only notched one block during the entire practice the day before.

“I wasn’t too sure of myself,” Baker said. “If I couldn’t block the short girls on our team I wasn’t sure I ould block the bigger girls on the other team. … They had tress as hitters – monsters. We were very intimidated for sure. Getting a block on some of their biggest hitters who are going to Division I schools, it’s definitely one of the best feelings in the world.”

“I can’t believe we pulled it off to be honest,” Baker continued. “But height isn’t everything.”

Rosters:

East
1 Katie Baker, Strasburg
2 Rebecca Dancy, Loudoun County
3 Amanda Hall, Frank W. Cox
4 Ashley Henry, Page County
5 Elena Kritter, Rappahannock County
6 Kim Maroon, Frank W. Cox
7 Erin Paton, Western Branch
8 Morgan Petkovich, Loudoun County
10 Kaitlin Smoot, Strasburg
11 Laura Wilson, Western Albemarle

West
1 Mikaela Anders, Grayson County
2 Samantha Brummette, J.J. Kelly
3 Kate Feldman, Patrick Henry
4 Rachel Fertitta, Northside
5 Amanda Friday, Lee
6 Megan Funk, Grayson County
7 Vavon Jones, Heritage
9 Bianca Richardson, Colonial Forge
10 Lisa Scott, Langley
11 Megan Shifflett, Langley
12 Paige Shifflett, Richlands