Fort Falls To Wolfpack In Class 2 Championship Match

SALEM -- Fort Defiance High School's volleyball team encountered two large obstacles Saturday.

First, 4,000-seat Salem Civic Center where the Indians walked in wide-eyed to play in the VHSL Class 2 volleyball championship.

Second and perhaps more imposing, Fort's opponent: the Ridgeview High Wolfpack.

The spacious venue and the girls from Buchanan County proved too much for the Shenandoah District and Region 2B runners-up. Ridgeview took control early and never let up in a 25-21, 25-22, 25-17 victory for its first state volleyball title and just the second in any sport in the school's nine-year history.

Fort Defiance (26-3) defeated Bruton in five sets in its Class 2 quarterfinal, and overcame a two-sets-to-one deficit against Clarke County in Tuesday's semifinal, but there was no late magic Saturday.

Ridgeview (32-2) trailed only once -- at 2-1 in the opening set -- en route to a stress-free coronation.

"Our energy lacked a little bit and it's really important that we keep our energy up, we keep our positivity up," Fort coach Amber Pitsenbarger said. "I think that lacked a little bit today. We could see little spurts here and there, but it wasn't 100 percent across all three sets.

"It is hard when you're playing from behind but these girls, we were down 6-1 in the fifth set before. I had faith and confidence that we still could come back. They're a really good team and I thought we played ... to our potential. We didn't give up."

The Indians did plenty of looking up Ridgeview's three emphatic senior hitters: Leah Sutherland, Mackenzie Wright and Tsega Mullins. The triumvirate combined for 30 kills with Sutherland hammering 13 including four in a row late in the third set.

Senior MaKinley Owens set the table with 36 assists, adding to her total of more than 1,000 just this season.

Ridgeview's balanced attack had Fort on a swivel. Which Wolfpack player deserves the focus?

"Everybody," Fort junior Maecy Frizzelle said. "You didn't know where it was coming from. Honestly, they were just good all-round. They had good offense and good defense."

Wright, Mullins and Sutherland each smacked a kill for Ridgeview's first three points of the championship. Wright's spike on the opening point was an extreme confidence builder.

"It was just setting the tone," the Ridgeview hitter said. "Just the feeling. I was like, 'Wow, we're going to win this thing.' "

Fort Defiance's unease began when the team walked into the cavernous civic center, where the likes of Johnny Cash and Julius Erving have demonstrated various forms of string music over the years.

"We've just been playing tiny schools," said Shreckhise, Fort's senior captain. "Being here, you walk in and you're like, 'Wow, this is a really big deal.' It's just hard to get here and then have to go play right away."

While Fort was seeking its fifth VHSL volleyball title in six finals appearances, the other four took place in 1987, '88, '90 and '95. Playing for all the marbles was new for this year's team and its third-year coach.

"The shock of being in the state championship. It's a lot of pressure," said Frizzelle, the Region 2B Player of the Year.

Add that to a loud and large contingent of Ridgeview fans who made the three-hour trip from Dickenson County and the Indians knew they weren't in Augusta County anymore.

Ridgeview built an 18-11 lead in the first set and cruised to a 1-0 advantage. The second set headed for a repeat, but Fort cut a 17-11 deficit to 22-21 on the serving of senior Riley Davis. Kills by Ridgeview sophomore Brooke Beavers and Wright ended the threat.

The Wolfpack built an 18-10 cushion in the third set before Davis, Shreckhise and Caroline Hanger led a comeback that cut Ridgeview's lead to 18-15.

A phenomenal one-handed, diving dig by Ridgeview junior Jaeda Dingus helped the Region 2D champions over the final hurdle. The Wolfpack closed the show on Sutherland's final kill.

"I just went in there confidently in that mindset. I'm not going to be scared," Sutherland said. "I'm going to be aggressive and play my game. It was my last game ever so I was just wanting to leave it all on the floor."

Ridgeview was ready from the jump.

"Their defense was so good and we weren't getting the kills that we're used to getting," Pitsenbarger said. "It was hard for us to continue with our offense doing that. They were hitting balls quick. They were really attacking us."

Frizzelle finished with 17 kills to give her 565 on the season. Davis had 19 assists for Fort, while Shreckhise added five kills, two aces and 18 digs, giving her 405 in 2024. Norah Anderson contributed 19 digs for Fort, while Hanger had seven kills and eight digs against the talented Wolfpack.

Ridgeview's two losses in 2024 were at the hands of Class 3 Abingdon, first in a Mountain 7 District match and again in a playoff for the league's regular-season title. The Wolfpack avenged those setbacks in the district tournament final, part of a sweep of their nine postseason matches.

"As a coach, you have a long-term vision of building a successful program and maybe winning a state championship," Ridgeview coach Holly Hyden Fleming said with emotion evident in her voice. "I knew we would have a good team this year, but I didn't know we would be this good. We were a very strong offensive team, good defensively, great setter. These kids have dug in deep and embraced the process.

"This has been the most rewarding season I've been a part of. I'm so thankful for these kids putting up with me for the last four years too. This has been the most emotional season for me too."

Fort entered Saturday's final with the knowledge that win or lose, the 2024 season would conclude.

"Even if we had won it still would have been the end," Frizzelle said. "I was still emotional, but I was less emotional because either way it was going to be an end."

Shreckhise said she just soaked in the fact she was playing in a state final, a dream she was not certain she would achieve.

"It's been really cool," the senior said. "I got to talk to so many girls, and I wasn't going to be that girl. During the game I looked down, because it was so cool to be where I was at. It's fun to be out here. Volleyball's a fun sport so I'm just going to have fun and enjoy it."