Vikings Deal Former Coach a Defeat
Loudoun Valley 3, Heritage 0
By B.J. Koubaroulis
Special to The Washington Post
Sunday, September 2, 2007; LZ08

Each time she sets foot into Loudoun Valley's gymnasium, the barrage of handshakes and smiles turns into a kind of homecoming for Carmel Keilty. That's the treatment expected for the coach who made the Vikings volleyball team into a county powerhouse before she became the head coach at Heritage.
But Thursday, as Loudoun Valley ran through Heritage, 25-13, 25-16, 25-19, it was a reunion of sorts for all.
"It was comfortable," said Vikings senior outside hitter Cindy Murphy, who had match highs with 13 kills and nine digs.
This season, Loudoun Valley will compete in the AAA Cedar Run District -- its third district in four years after moving from the AA Dulles District into the AAA National District in 2005.
"You just have to get used to the long bus rides and teams you've never seen before," Murphy said. "We've had to adjust a lot."
Against a familiar opponent in Thursday's home opener, the Vikings appeared solid and dealt their former Dulles District rival its first loss of the season.
After taking the 16-12 lead, Loudoun Valley (2-0) went on a 9-2 run to close out the first game in a 12-point victory -- its biggest lead of the night.
Sophomore middle-hitter Lindsey Phipps's block on Heritage junior Ashley Scott's shot gave the Vikings the 20-13 lead and sparked a 5-3 run to close out the second game.
"Whenever we get a good play, we always get up and really excited, and that just makes us play harder, and we really want it after that," said Phipps, who spiked the game-winner in the second match.
Loudoun Valley senior outside-hitter Morgan Maddux (12 digs) started off the third game with one of her eight kills before miscues gave Heritage (3-1) its only lead of the night, 3-2. Sophomore Nicole Bennett (14 assists) and junior Ally Blaine (18 assists), both setters, paced the Vikings through a third game that had two ties and one lead change.
After Loudoun Valley took an 18-16 lead in the third game, Murphy tallied three kills to push the Vikings to the match victory.
"That's her senior leadership kicking in," said Vikings Coach Laird Johnson. "We went to her when we needed something."
Heritage senior Gaby Galvan, freshman Lian Bernett and Scott each tallied four kills.
"They weren't the same team that played in the first three matches," said Keilty. "They will bounce back."
Junior outside hitter Danielle Caputo, who was an all-district and all-region selection last season at Sherando, transferred to Loudoun Valley. The move puts Murphy, a left-handed outside hitter who has played out of her natural position for the past two seasons, back on the right. "That's just opened up so many things up for us," Johnson said.