Charlottesville Area Volleyball hosted two days of Junior Olympic volleyball tournaments at the University of Virginia's Memorial Gym March 3-4. Five of the club's eight teams participated, with three teams taking third place in their respective age groups.

After dropping two games to RVC-Zonal, CAV 17 En Fuego went on the attack to win five of the remaining six games of the tournament. With the help of strong serving from Carrie Brown, Trudy McIntire and Alex Tomko, the CAV 17 team beat both RVC-Regional and Hampton Roads. They split the remaining two games with VB4Y to take third place in the tournament.

Alex Ernst led the team in kills and blocks, and teammates Kathleen Doyle, Liz Grogan and Stephanie Adams also contributed to the offensive attack. After dropping the first game against VB4Y, Lindsey Hurt, Megan Pimentel and Tori Woolheater provided clean setting and defensive play during the final game to help En Fuego earn the split and dash VB4Y's hopes for a first-place playoff match.

In other action, Alli Miles and Kristen Pack led the point totals for the morning while Sarah Harper and Chastity Lacy ruled net play - Lacy had 10 kills and three blocks. Harper added eight kills of her own in the two matches - as the CAV 15 Hot Tamales team fished up morning play with a four-game win streak.

The success would not continue in the afternoon, however, as clubs from Roanoke and Virginia Beach proved too strong and the Hot Tamales dropped four straight games to finish in third place. Elizabeth Via played well at libero during the losses and Emily Smethurst successfully handled all setting duties in the absence of injured Megan Adams.

The CAV 16 Smakboomers had a strong showing, finishing first in their pool with an overall record of 6-3 before losing to the HOV 16 National team in the elimination round. The Smakboomers won their first three matches, but fatigue set in during the playoffs. Powerful serves and strong net play helped HOV prevail over the CAV squad, which finished in third place.

The CAV 14 Rubies won their first game but struggled after that, losing seven straight to end the day. Strong serving helped the Rubies early as Katie Lawson started the first game with a serving streak of four points. Alicia Schmertzler and Taylor Hopkins followed with serving streaks of five points each. Anna Asher, Savannah Crowder and Lawson all had kills to help the Rubies win the game, 25-12, but Richmond rebounded to take the next one, 25-17.

Against Fredericksburg, Riley Martin and Carolyn Smith provided timely offense, but the Rubies dropped two straight. The Rubies lost two more to Roanoke and, despite powerful serving from Marin Crowder and Madye James, the CAV squad dropped another pair of games to Volleyball Youth from Virginia Beach in the final match.

Following an impressive 22-0 performance in their first two tournaments, the CAV 16 Young Guns struggled to a 0-8 record against four of the top teams in the region at Memorial Gym on March 3.

The team rallied the next day at the Mary Baldwin Girls 16 tournament, racking up nine wins and suffering only three losses. The only match loss was in the semifinals to the Roanoke Girls, who took the tournament championship in the subsequent match.

CAV 18 Velocity traveled to Mary Baldwin College on March 3 for an eight-team tournament, taking second place in pool play and advancing to the semifinals before finishing third in the event.

Leading Velocity's offense were setters Madelena Pimentel and Laura Wilson. Kill leaders for the team were Ashley Johnson, Laura Stankovic, Jessie Carter and Caitlin Shelley. Aja Linton and Allison Otis passed and served well, while libero Jessie Bell consistently initiated the CAV offense.

In Mechanicsville, led by man of the match James Fealey, the Virginia Rugby Football Club opened the spring season with a 46-22 victory over James River Rugby Club on March 3 and extend Virginia's winning streak to nine games, with a 20-point margin of victory in every contest.

The Washington Irish put an end to the streak the following week. In Accokeek Md., the Irish topped Virginia 23-10, pulling away late after holding a slim two-point lead at the half in Saturday's contest.

Virginia's new big man in the backfield, "Mongo" Montgomery scored the only try for VRFC in the 55th minute with a conversion by Fealey. The Irish were successful on two of three penalty kicks after that and scored a try in the 77th minute to clinch the victory.

Virginia plays host to Warrenton on Saturday at 1 p.m. at Edgehill Farm. Admission is free and directions to the pitch are on the club's web site: www.virginiarugby.org .

47 swimmers with qualifying times, up from 31 last year when CYAC finished fourth overall and earned five individual titles and one relay championship.

This will be the last swim meet in the YMCA winter short-course season, before CYAC's eligible teen swimmers travel to YMCA National Championships in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., in April.

Last weekend, six CYAC swimmers competed in the Virginia Senior Championships at UVa, with Allie Beckenstein, Madeline Bowe, Natalie Cronk, Katie Roddy and Keenan Timko each clocking personal-best times. Brenna Broadus was a top-16 finalist in the 200-yard butterfly, and the girls relay team of Cronk, Broadus, Bowe and Beckenstein finished in 13th place.

Battlefield Area Star Swimmers (BASS) competitors Christa Ann Saunders (13), Emma Chronister (13), Nick Montes de Oca (15), Jake Maloy (16) and Daniel Martyn (17), competed in the Senior Championship meet held March 8-11 at the UVa Aquatic and Fitness Center. The Senior Championships are the most prestigious USA Swimming meet at the state level for swimmers who meet a qualifying time.

Placing for BASS were Maloy (23rd in the 50 freestyle and 24th in the 100 backstroke and the 100 butterfly), Montes de Oca (14th in the 100 breaststroke and 200 breaststroke) and Chronister (ninth in the 100 backstroke). Maloy, Montes de Oca and Chronister all recorded personal-best times in their respective events.

In Chesterfield, the U14 SOCA Express finished in a three-way tie for first in the Gold Division, Bracket II at the Chesterfield Icebreaker Soccer Tournament, but they failed to advance to the championship game on the tiebreaking procedures.

SOCA lost its first game, 3-1, to the Crusaders United Cushing (Md.) in a sloppily played game. Josh Hinkle netted the goal on a corner kick from Reuben Chapman in the first half.

The Express won their second game, 6-0, over CASL United White (N.C.). Goals were scored by Aaron Myers (two), Taylor Rafaly, Hinkle, Chapman and Michael Abel. Rafaly (two), Myers and Jay Everett assisted on the goals.

SOCA won its third game, 3-2, against the Redland (Pa.) Raptors. Myers scored twice and Nick Kalinsky added the third goal. Everett, Rafaly and Micah Areseaunalt assisted on the goals.

The Northside Cal Ripken League is still accepting registrations for T-ball (ages 5-6) and blastball (age 4). For more information, including the registration form, visit the league web site at www.northside.nextel.net .

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