A Victory Season for Flint Hill Volleyball

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By Ellie VanDuyne, Section Editor

The trophies are piling up for Flint Hill’s Varsity Volleyball team! They took on Norfolk Academy in the Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association (VISAA) championship match Saturday with more than just the title on the line. After making it to states with an undefeated record, Norfolk Academy won the opening set in Richmond.

 

“We had never lost a set against this team,” Coach Patrice Arrington said. “As a coach, I was wondering, ‘Are we going to crumble, or are we going to come back from this?’” Despite losing their first and only set of the season, the Huskies became state champions and solidified a 36-0 record. This is their twelfth year as the VISAA Girls Volleyball Division I State Champions.

 

Adding to their list of successes, Flint Hill repeated as ISL AA champions, winning against Georgetown Day in straight sets the previous weekend. Though they missed out on a perfect set record, the completion of another victorious season has the Huskies beaming.

 

Captains Sydney Bryant, Natalie Nguyen, and Ryla Jones led the team to a win at the 17th Annual Flint Hill Invitational on September 24th. Sydney Bryant, Evie Huang, and Natalie Nguyen were selected to the All-Tournament Team, and Mickhalia Murray was the tournament MVP.

 

The Huskies traveled to compete in Tampa, Florida at the 30th Annual Berkeley Premier Tournament hosted by Berkeley Prep. On September 17 and 18, Flint Hill dominated the competition, winning against all five opponents, and securing them the championship. 

 

Additionally, several players were lucky enough to join the 2022 VISAA Volleyball All-State teams. The Division I First Team includes Player of the Year, Mickhalia Murray, Sydney Bryant, Renee Jones, Ryla Jones, and Natalie Nguyen. The Division I Second Team includes Isabelle Bardin and Evie Huang.

 

This has been a phenomenal success for the team, who finished last season with 32 wins and one loss. “I think these girls will be friends forever,” Arington said. “I’m just super excited to see where this team is going.” This is Arrington’s second year coaching the team, and her leadership has continued to lead the team to countless victories. Congrats to the Huskies on a season for the history books!