Orange girls open with win

Staff report
Published: August 28, 2008

The Orange County High School varsity volleyball team opened its 2008 season with a surprising sweep of Madison last Tuesday night at the Hornet Sports Center in Orange.
The girls opened the match with a tight 25-23 win over the visiting Mountaineers and followed it with a decisive 25-17 win. In the third set, the Hornets held on for victory, winning 25-22 to get their fall campaign off to a good start.
Junior Maria Kotulka recorded 20 assists and an ace in Tuesday’s victory. Senior Megan Roberts had four kills, four aces, two blocks and a dig. Freshman Rachel Donaldson had five kills and seven blocks, while senior Christina Nicholson recorded three kills, three aces and four digs. Senior Cali Allen added two kills, three blocks and six digs.
Fresh off that win, the Hornets hosted an early-season tournament Saturday at the Hornet Sports Center.
Orange finished third in its pool, but didn’t place in the tournament.
In the first match, Nelson County snuck by the Orange girls.
Nelson won the first game 25-22 and edged Orange 26-24 in the second. Jessika Morris had 10 digs, Mandy Murphy five kills and Kotulka nine assists in a losing effort.
In match two, Orange gave Monticello a tough time, but couldn’t prevail. The Mustangs opened with a 25-14 win in the first, but Orange rallied to take the second frame by the same score. In the decisive third frame, Monticello won 15-10. Allen had three kills, Murphy had five kills, Mary Beth Britten had five kills, Roberts had five kills and Kotulka had 16 assists in the loss.
In the third match, the Hornets opened with a narrow 25-23 win over Spotsylvania, before blasting them 25-11 in the second to win the match.
Morris had three digs, Murphy three aces, Roberts three kills and Kotulka 12 assists in the win.
In the final match against Fort Defiance, the third-place team from the opposite pool, Orange opened with a 15-20 win, but fell in the subsequent sets 25-21 and 15-13 to drop the match.
Kotulka recorded 17 assists, Morris had eight digs, Allen and Donaldson each had four kills, Murphy had six kills and Roberts three in the loss.
The Hornets travel to Madison next Tuesday for a rematch with the Mountaineers.