The Yorktown volleyball team improved to 6-2, 2-0 in the National District with a 3-0 (25-9, 25-8, 25-3) victory over Mount Vernon on Monday at YHS.
Yorktown was without senior hitter Elyse Bush, last season’s National District MVP, but it didn’t matter. Ashley Rock and Malaika Bain-Peachey picked up the slack, each finishing with nine kills. Katie Rock and Courtney Duran each recorded six kills and Eva Muszynski had five aces.
Yorktown coach Brittanie Behar said Bush did not play due to not feeling well. She also said the Patriots can benefit from experience without the heavily relied-upon Bush, including the underclassmen who won’t have Bush as a safety net next season.
"I think it’s good for … confidence for everyone else because we rely on her for so much and we know that she does so much for us," Behar said. "For [underclassmen] to start getting used to [playing without Bush] is always a good thing."
While the contest was filled with Yorktown runs, the most dominant came in game three. The Patriots scored the first two points of the game before being whistled for a net violation. Leading 2-1, Yorktown scored the next 22 points before closing the match with a 25-3 win.
The Patriots defeated George Mason, 3-0, on Sept. 16 and lost to Robinson, 3-1, on Sept. 17. Despite the loss to Robinson, Behar said she was pleased with Yorktown’s performance.
"They were the best team we’ve played all year," she said, "and it’s the best we’ve played all year."
Behar said the team’s focus is now on Thursday’s match at Hayfield, which is in its first season as a member of the National District. Hayfield is 7-2, including a loss to Herndon on Monday.
<b>Yorktown Football Loses Late</b>
The Yorktown football team lost to Centreville, 21-20, on Thursday.
Centreville, trailing 20-13 late in the fourth quarter, scored a touchdown to pull within one. The Wildcats went for two and Yorktown was flagged for pass interference — a penalty Yorktown coach Bruce Hanson said he strongly disagreed with. Centreville ran a successful quarterback sneak on the ensuing two-point attempt to take a 21-20 lead.
Yorktown (1-2) hosts Hayfield on Friday.
<b>Washington-Lee Drops to 0-3</b>
The Washington-Lee football team lost its National District opener to Hayfield, 35-0, on Thursday.
The Generals (0-3 overall, 0-1) host Falls Church on Friday.
<b>Wakefield Falls to McLean</b>
The Wakefield football team lost to McLean, 28-8, on Thursday.
The Warriors (0-3) host their National District opener against Edison on Friday.