Sterling, VA (November 4, 2019) - The first round of the Dulles District volleyball is always an exciting time. Some teams advance and build momentum for possible championships and regional play while others end their seasons and say "thank you" to their seniors.

Such was the case when the Tuscarora Huskies  travelled to meet the Dominion Titans. The home team was the higher seed, but not by a wide margin. The Titans had finished 7-5 in district competition, and the Huskies had finished 5-7.

Chas Sumser Photography was there to capture the action and emotion and posted a gallery of images from the game.

The closest match in an eight-team tournament is usually the one between the 4th and 5th seeded teams, and this was it.

Knowledgeable fans said that the favored Titans came out a bit slow, but that was not readily apparent. Having already beaten Tuscarora twice in the regular season, by 3-2 and 3-0 scores, they easily took the first set, 25-16.

But the Huskies were not going down without a fight, and they roared back with a 6-0 run to start the second set. Their defense was key as they found a way to stifle the Titans' senior hitter Lauren May. Dominion got back into it, but couldn't fully reverse Tuscarora's early momentum, and the Huskies won, 25-23, to tie the match.

From that point on, the Titans dominated. It was not a runaway, but it was a decisive match victory as they won the next two matches by 25-16 and 25-18 scores. Sophomore Char Cottrell was instrumental in the victory with several critical and crushing hits contributing mightily.

Dominion's victory sets up a semi-final match with perennial powerhouse Loudoun County on their home court. In two previous meetings, the Raiders swept each match 3-0, so it's not going to be easy. But great things can happen in the playoffs, and Dominion has started off well.

Final Score: Dominion 3 - Tuscarora 1