BRISTOL, Va. – For the second straight year, John Battle faces a long road to the Group A state volleyball tournament.
The first leg of the journey begins Tuesday as the Trojans must endure a nearly four-hour bus ride to Hot Springs to play Pioneer District champion Bath County in the quarterfinals. Battle was swept by Auburn in last year’s quarterfinals.
Complicating matters for John Battle coach Gary Griffitts is the status of star hitter, Kelsey Griffitts. The 5-foot-10 senior hitter saw limited action in Thursday’s 3-0 loss to Gate City in the Region D championship due to an inflamed hip joint and has not practiced since.
Griffitts was scheduled to receive more treatment on her hip Monday after she signed a scholarship to play volleyball at King College.
“Kelsey may not be at 100 percent Tuesday, but we’re hoping that the rest will help her,” Coach Griffitts said.
Gary Griffitts scouted Saturday’s Region C tournament in Buena Vista, where Bath County (23-1) emerged as the surprise winner in a field that included Auburn (17-5), Radford (16-8) and Galax (18-5). This will be the first state quarterfinal appearance for Bath County, whose lone loss came against Group AAA Centreville.
“Bath County is in a district we don’t know a lot about, but they have good size and talent,” Griffitts said.
Defending Group A state champion Gate City (22-1) will host Region C runnerup Radford Tuesday at 7. GC swept John Battle in three games last week en route to its sixth straight Region D title, while Radford rallied to stop Galax in five games at the Region C semifinals.
Bath County relies on the hitting tandem of Hillary Jessee and senior Carey Trimble. Jessee collected 19 kills to guide the Chargers to a sweep over Auburn Saturday.
According to Griffitts, Bath County and John Battle have several common threads.
“Both teams rely on more athletic ability than pure volleyball skill,” Griffitts said. “Bath County has one extremely talented hitter who can hit from all spots on the front line like Kelsey, and they remind me of Rye Cove with the way they hustle and work together.”
John Battle (20-4) stopped Rye Cove in five games in the Region D semifinals. All four losses for Battle came against Gate City.
In addition to the long journey up Interstate 81 last season to Auburn, the Trojans were forced to adjust to a tiny gym packed with fans and a low ceiling which came into play on several points.
“That was a tough atmosphere, but I hope the experience pays off this year,” Griffitts said. “We overcame a challenge against Rye Cove and we’ve actually played better on the road in some of our matches.”
The Group A state semifinals are set for noon and 2 p.m. Friday at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond.
“The mental side takes over in the playoffs, but this is what we all play for,” Griffitts said. “We’re definitely going to have to play one of our best matches of the season to advance.”
Gate City edged Auburn in five games in last year’s Group A state semifinals, then swept Strasburg in the finals.
agregory@bristolnews.com|(276) 645-2544
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