Oakton Volleyball Eyes Late-Season Surge

One year removed from setting a school record for wins in a season, the Oakton High School volleyball team has its sights set on making history yet again, this time with a run in the Northern Region tournament.

In 2009, the Cougars finished with a 17-6 record, won their first Concorde District game since 2005, and advanced from the first round of the postseason district tournament for the first time, thereby qualifying for the region tournament.

Although the team fell to Hayfield in the first round of regional competition and has, in the eyes of third-year head coach Steve Drumm, underperformed so far this season, they presently sit at 8-5, according to the Oakton High School athletics website. The goal this year is to step up against the region's best.

Drumm said, "I mean, we haven't done as well record-wise [as 2009], but I told them, you know, last year was more about teaching them how to win, this year was more, now that I think they know how to win, it's can we push to the highest levels of, you know, district and region play and not be just satisfied with making it to the region tournament, but hopefully getting in there and making some noise and, you know, advancing a couple rounds."

Part of Drumm's optimism comes from the parity that's played out across the Northern Region this fall, but also from headway made by his current squad over the course of Drumm's tenure.

The only clear favorite in the region this year is Stone Bridge, Drumm said, but "beyond that it's anyone's guess as to who's two through nine, or two through 10." Fairfax was ranked fifth recently by the Northern Region coaches, but Drumm's Cougars swept them in straight sets on the Rebels' home court Monday night. Fairfax had earlier defeated Heritage, to which Oakton lost 3-1. Meanwhile, the Herndon Hornets, back when they were listed at 1-5, knocked off a very highly ranked South County team.

The Concorde District is relatively open, too, though Robinson is the early favorite because it returned a number of top players from last year's team. Chantilly, for instance, graduated nine seniors from last year's 13-player roster. But only a couple of district contests having played out so far, it's hard to say exactly how the regular season will wrap up.

One of those Concorde District match-ups was between Oakton and visiting Chantilly, which the Cougars dropped in straight sets. But Drumm believes his team may have turned a corner in their most recent win over the Rebels.

"I think, [Monday] night, versus Fairfax, they played as good of a match, the match that I've been expecting them to play. We've been underperforming a lot, but I thought that [Monday] night, they really turned a corner," Drumm said.

Drumm and his coaching staff have such high expectations because of how this team has grown over the last few years.

When Drumm took over the Oakton program three years ago, he put his faith in a group of young players that, really for the first time in program history, had concentrated their energies on volleyball year-round.

Now those players—seniors Sammy Hodges, Sami Olson, Marisa Sheffield, and Karalee Thomas, as well as  junior Kelsey Wildman—are the foundation of the team. Thomas and Sheffield are the team's captains, and Wildman has, according to Drumm, "been our offensive MVP and is one of, I would say, one of the top-10 hitters in the region."

Seeing that group take steps the Oakton volleyball program has never taken in its history and the opportunity to help them to do more is Drumm's favorite aspect of coaching this team.

"I think what's most special about it is the senior class, inasmuch that they are the reason really for the turnaround of the program," he said.

Add into the mix the younger talent the Cougars have added, and it's easy to see why Drumm is optimistic about Oakton's chances, both this year as well as in the near future. The team boasts three sophomores on its 12-player squad, and the offense goes through one of those.

Sophomore setter Emma Olson, who Drumm describes as a "tall, athletic, left-handed setter. They don't come very often, and once you get one, you're really excited because there's a lot of things that you can do in terms of running a dynamic offense" because of the natural attacking advantages held by left-handed setters in volleyball.

Even though Oakton seemed to find its stride against Fairfax on Monday, the Cougars won't have an opportunity to see if they are headed in the right direction following their slow start until next Thursday when the Cougars host Washington and Lee.

Such a break in the middle of the season is rather uncharacteristic, but the Cougars plan to use it to the best advantage they can.

Part of the plan is to recharge. Following the Washington and Lee game, Oakton has four district matches to end the regular season, and a strong finish could land the Cougars a bye into the district semifinals as well as the regional tournament. Moreover, the high school season runs from August 10 through November, with long practices in the evenings, and the busy club schedule tips off right after the high school season ends.

Perhaps more importantly, the Cougars also hope to use the extra time to refine their game.

Oakton is still looking for the winning formula on the court, Drumm said, but the team will have more on its mind in the Washington and Lee match because of the Dig Pink Night that goes with it.

Dig Pink is a fundraising event for Side-Out Foundation, which connects volleyball players across the country to raise breast cancer awareness in addition to funds to support research.

Rick Dunetz, who coaches Oakton's freshmen volleyball team, established the Side-Out Foundation in 2004 after his mother, Gloria, was diagnosed with breast cancer for the second time. Gloria Duentz died in August.

At last year's Dig Pink Night, Oakton defeated Centreville to capture their first district game in three years. This year's team, Drumm said, should be equally energized, if not more.

"I know the girls will—you know, you could bring a college team in that night and I feel like we could beat them. I mean, the girls are going to be so fired up for that night, that event, so it's certainly going to be a special night."

Oakton will host Washington and Lee for their Dig Pink Night at 7:15 p.m. Oct. 14.