Commemorating a special season Meet the 2015 Colonials Seventeen wins. The eighteenth would be the biggest. The Colonial Heights boys volleyball team followed up a stellar, near perfect campaign in 2014 with a year that will be remembered fondly. It’s one game away from being all the more special. The Colonials began this season by beating the defending state champions Midlothian in the 2015 opener.
They became the 4A East Western Section regional champions after beating Midlothian 3-0. They’ll get Midlothian again in the 4A state championship game at Virginia Commonwealth University’s Siegel Center in Richmond today, Friday, November 20 at 1 p.m.
There have been more ups than downs for the Colonials in 2015, currently 17-7, and the team’s closeknit bond has shone from start to finish. Head Coach Mark Lee before the start of the season emphasized the importance of his team having fun, of the athletes enjoying their time together on the team. And they could be the first Colonials to bring home a state title since 1986. Their talent, camaraderie and determination have led up to this moment. Today, take a trip down memory lane and revisit the successes of the 2015 Colonials as they aim to crown their achievements this season with the biggest prize of them all: the state championship.
Kai Heydet (9)
Noah Self (6)
Logan Kidd (10)
Clay Ackerman (3)
By Nicholas Vandeloecht, Sports Editor | Photography by Scott P. Yates, Multimedia Editor The ProgressIndex
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COLONIALS PLAYER #14: NOAH MURDOCK It’s extremely likely that all teams who faced Colonial Heights this year ended up asking one universal question. How do you block Noah Murdock? It seems that question has yet to be fully answered. Murdock’s superb athleticism, domineering height at six-foot-seven and missile launcher of an arm has powered Colonial Heights’ fiery and at times unstoppable attack on the court. Last year’s first team allstate
player has not only lasered in several kills with the fast and furious spikes, but he’s also employed versatility in his attacks, floating in his fair share of dink kills that have caught his opponents offguard. Murdock is often the one leading his team in kills, but that’s not the only stat line in which he’s been a force. He’s pulled off multiple tripledoubles, including September 24 against Douglas Freeman with 21 kills, 18 assists and 11 blocks; October 1 against Matoaca with 23 kills, 14 assists and 11 blocks; October 27 against Matoaca where he pulled off 31 kills,17 blocks and 18 assists; and November 10 in the regional semifinals against Monacan where he had 36 kills, 24 blocks and 14 digs. The humble senior has excelled not only in boys volleyball, but also in basketball and baseball- the sport he will play in college when he attends the University of Virginia next fall and joins the reigning championship team of the Cavaliers. Look for Murdock to be a key leader for the Colonials in Friday’s finale against Midlothian.
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COLONIALS PLAYER
#4: TYLER GINGRICH
He’s not the flashiest player on the team. But he’s been crucial to the Colonials’ success this season. Behind many, many points on the year, Tyler Gingrich has set the scoring ball.
Last year’s second team all-state player has been a model of focus and steady play, leading his team in assists with regular showings of 30 to 49 assists in any given night. Gingrich put up 36 assists in the state semifinals against Churchland, 42 against Midlothian in the regional championship game and a commanding 47 in the regional semifinals matchup against Monacan. Gingrich has also sprinkled in his share of aces, blocks, digs and kills. The senior missed a good chunk of this year due to injury, but he came back swinging, contributing to all three of his Colonials’ playoff wins in 2015. Teammate Stuart Crinkley said in reference to Gingrich: “... we’ve been down a player, he comes back in a week with no practice whatsoever. We get right back in the swing of things — everything runs smoothly.” Gingrich’s setting power and versatility should be key in Friday’s state championship matchup when they take on Midlothian.
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COLONIALS PLAYER
#4: STUART CRINKLEY Energy. Enthusiasm. Positivity. Results. Stuart Crinkley delivers it all. A big block or a key kill from #13 isn’t special just for the point it adds to Colonial Heights’ total, but for the reaction it brings. Crinkley unleashes a roaring cheer, pumping up his entire team. His infectious and electric energy has carried over to his teammates throughout the season, highlighting the team bond that the Colonials’ athletes share. “It just comes to me,” Crinkley said of his enthusiasm after the first game of the season. “If something good happens, if I do it or one of my teammates does it, I’m so excited for them. If something bad happens, okay, it happened, get over it, go for the next play. “If something great happens ... you’ve got to get up and be excited to play in order to win,” he said. Crinkley has also consistently brought in strong numbers, at times posting kills in the double- digits multiple times while also being there for the block. In the state semifinals against Churchland, he reeled off 13 kills and eight blocks. In the regional finals against Midlothian, he put up nine kills, seven blocks and three digs. In the regional semifinals against Monacan, he was three digs away from a tripledouble with 17 kills, 16 blocks and seven digs. Expect this senior to bring the passion in Friday’s state championship game against Midlothian.
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Colonial heights
c o lonials
2015 Boys Volleyball Team Seniors: Stuart Crinkley Jacob Ezell Tyler Gingrich Noah Murdock Noah Sears Juniors: Clayton Ackerman Noah Bryant Cameron Cox Dante Jennings
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Michael Livesay Brandon Smith Jackson Steele; Freshmen: Grayson Andrews Benjamin Burchard Adam Heydet Logan Kidd Noah Selfe Jonathan Staley
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TEAM EFFORT Multiple Colonials step up The fall of 2015 has undoubtedly featured standout performances from Noah Murdock, Tyler Gingrich and Stuart Crinkley, but the season overall has belonged to the team with several players adding crucial blocks and kills to help the Colonials win big sets. Senior Noah Sears has contributed notable kills, digs and blocks throughout 2015. Junior Noah Bryant has been a consistent attacking force, having an 11-kill day earlier in the season against Douglas Freeman. Dante Jennings has saved many would be points from hitting the ground and kept the drives alive long enough for his team to power the scoring ball over the net. Cameron Cox put up 23 assists in Colonial Heights’ Oct. 27 matchup against Matoaca. Look for these guys and their teammates to contribute to the Colonials’ state championship efforts against Midlothian on Friday.
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Noah Bryant (11)
Dante Jennings (5)
Noah Sears (12)
Cameron Cox (1)
DEPTH AND COMMITTMENT One of Colonial Heights boys volleyball’s biggest strengths this season has been its sheer depth and the commitment of its players. Take a look at the athletes who helped comprise the 2015 edition of the Colonials.
Mikey Livesay (20)
Brandon Smith (8)
Jacob Exell (15)
Ben Burchard (16
Jack Steele (18)
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IT BEGINS They expected to be one of the best, and they were COLONIAL HEIGHTS Coach of the Year. Player of the Year. A perfect regular season.
Player of the Year Blake Cox, both of whom graduated in June. Lee had called Cox a “tremendous, tremendous athlete” that they would never be able to completely replace.
Colonial Heights Boys Volleyball had a 2014 to remember.
They did more than that.
But several players, including all-state athletes Noah Murdock and Tyler Gingrich, came back with an explosive combination of experience, height, athleticism, focus and leadership that elevated the Colonials to the final game of the season.
Colonial Heights not only stood out as one of the best teams in the area they pulled off something they didn’t do in 2014 despite going undefeated in the regular season: advance to the state tournament.
“In the past, I’ve had the athletes, but a lot of times lacking experience [in] what’s going on during the game,” Lee said. “That makes a huge difference a lot of times.”
And now, just one game separates them from the state trophy.
It certainly did in the Colonials’ case, as they have been led by dynamic seniors Noah Murdock, Tyler Gingrich, Stuart Crinkley and Noah Sears, and a junior class including Brandon Smith, Noah Bryant, Dante Jennings and Cameron Cox.
But the question was whether they could repeat the magic in 2015.
The Colonials delivered strong seasons over the past several years with talented athletes on the roster. But the 2014 campaign, while not a breakout year, was, in head coach Mark Lee’s words, their best. They rolled out an undefeated 180 campaign and reached the regional playoffs. Lee said his group of players was “by far the most talented group I’ve had in quite a while as far as being athletic,” and added, “I’ve always had different parts in the past, but ... last year, all those parts were there at the same time and made a huge difference.” But what about this time around? No, they didn’t have the perfect record of 2014. And yes, they’re now without the services of Max Haynie and 2014 VHSL 3A/4A State
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Colonial Heights saw their 2014 season end against Midlothian, who would go on to win the state championship that year. This year, the Colonials have beaten the defending champs in two of three meetings: the first game of the year, and the regional championship game. They’ll have to beat them a third time on Friday, Nov. 20 to win the state title.
leading up to state Season Highlights
would win 15-12 to take the match at 3-2.
they knew what they had to do and they did it.
August 30: Season opener against Midlothian
The Colonials came out strong in the first set. Noah Murdock of the Colonials had three laser hits in a row to help his team win the first, 25-20.
Overall Record: 17-7
The Colonials came together to defeat Midlothian 3-1 and open the 2015 season with a bang. Colonials Boys Volleyball head coach Mark Lee called the win a team effort against an excellent, well-coached team in the Trojans.
Lee noted the opponents may have overlooked them a little, but he added of his Colonials, “I think we were very good tonight.”
“Hopefully we can play that way again the next night,” Lee said. “That’s the thing. Can we keep this level of play up?”
September 15: Home game versus Thomas Dale: The Colonials answered Thomas Dale’s oneset lead by taking the following three to win 3-1.
Noah Murdock slammed a kill down the middle to open up scoring for his team after Thomas Dale took a 1-0 lead in the first set and kept piling on the points throughout the evening.
“You know Murdock always does a great job,” Lee said. “The big thing about him, whether he’s having a good night or a bad night, he’s on their minds, and they’re thinking about him, and that opens up a lot of stuff for everybody else.”
Tyler Gingrich said his coach told them to stay steady and focused, and that the Colonials set their goals on playing smart, not doing anything too fancy and the benefits came.
November 10: Regional semifinals versus Monacan:
In an intense five-set nail biter, Colonial Heights defeated the Monacan Chiefs in a head-to-head regionals battle. After a neck-and-neck final set, the Colonials
The Chiefs challenged the Colonials, defeating them in both the second and third sets. But the Colonials fought hard in both of those, losing out by just two points in the second (25-23) and keeping pace with the Chiefs in the third until the visitors outclimbed them at 28-26. Colonial Heights did not give up as they won the fourth set, 25-19. Both teams would go head to head in the entire last set until the Colonials edged ahead and captured the victory. “Our team wanted it more,” said Noah Murdock. “We knew what was on the line, so we executed.” November 12: Regional finals versus Midlothian Hardhit kills, crucial blocks and steady play factored into three nailbiter sets that the Colonial Heights boys volleyball team captured by the slimmest of margins to defeat Midlothian for the regional championship. Stuart Crinkley said, “It’s just a great feeling to know that we have that much confidence in ourselves ... knowing that we can come out and win games like this.”
Colonials Boys Volleyball head coach Mark Lee said his players blocked better — and he thinks they can block even better than they did. He added that this game was one of his team’s better times. “Overall we played very well. The other team played down tonight, which helped us, but we were very steady,” Lee said. “We kept our heads ... one I thing I liked most of all is we didn’t get upset when we were down a few points.” Lee said his Colonials weren’t too high or too low
Colonial Heights Results: Regular Season August 31: Win versus Midlothian, 3-1 September 4: Loss to Cosby (Volleyball showcase), 1-2 September 4: Win over J.R. Tucker (Volleyball showcase), 2-1 September 4: Loss to Atlee (Volleyball showcase), 0-3 September 5: Win over Douglas Freeman (Volleyball showcase), 2-1 September 5: Win over James River (Volleyball showcase), 2-1 September 15: Win versus Thomas Dale, 3-1 September 17: Win at Meadowbrook, 3-0 September 22: Win versus Prince George, 3-0 September 23: Loss at Midlothian, 1-3 September 24: Loss versus Douglas Freeman, 2-3 September 29: Win versus Dinwiddie, 3-1 October 1: Win at Matoaca, 3-1 October 5: Win at Thomas Dale, 3-0 October 6: Win versus Petersburg, 3-1 October 13: Win versus Meadowbrook, 3-0 October 15: Loss at Prince George, 2-3 October 20: Loss at James River, 0-3 October 22: Win at Dinwiddie, 3-1 October 27: Loss versus Matoaca, 2-3 October 29: Win at Petersburg, 3-0 Regional Tournament Semis: November 10: Win versus Monacan, 3-2 Finals: November 12: Win at Midlothian, 3-0 State Tournament Semis: November 17: Win versus Churchland, 3-1 Finals: November 20: Versus Midlothian in Richmond, 1pm
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