Page 8
DECEmbEr 31, 2014
ThE hiGh SChooL SPorTS rEPorT
Southern Eagle Distributing proudly
salutes the Porter Gaud Lady Cyclones!
#1 Marla Sagetelian
Senior #9 Jordan Hollingsworth
#2 Mackenzie Leinbach
Junior
Junior #10 Bailey Allen
Junior
Right side hitter
Defensive Specialist
One of the most improved players of the 2014 season
Second on the team in total digs and digs per game
Great teammate
Outstanding server
Very enthusiastic
Led the team in serving efficiency
#3 Tanner Renken
Senior #11 Priyanka Fernandes
Setter
Team Captain and court leader
Always calm and collected on the court
Distributes the ball well to all hitters
Sophomore #12 Lauren Tapp
Led the team in kills per game and total kills in 2014
Puts up a solid block
Huge threat offensively.
#6 Maggie Cochrane
#7 Chelsea McKelvey
y
Lexie Dormin
Freshman
Junior
Defensive Specialist
Plays terrific defense
Never gives up on a ball
Able to spark and ignite energy on the court.
Junior
Outside and right side hitter
Solid all-around player/performer
Great serve/receive passer
Serve creates scoring opportunities
Able to be utilized in many spots
Senior Jack Gilchrist
Middle and right side hitter
Maggie Cochrane
Manager
A special salute to
team manager Jack Gilchrist!
Heart and soul of the 2014 team
Leads by example on and off the court
Only player in P-G volleyball history to win 5 state titles
#8 Hailey Turner
Coach Megan Parkerson
all smiles after another
SCISA AAA state volleyball
championship
Junior Head Coach Megan Parkerson
Setter
Led the 2014 squad in assists per game and total assists.
Able to connect with the middles at a high efficiency.
8 Pages
Defensive Specialist
Terrific platform and excellent passer
Solid defense
Junior #14 Sissy Freshley
Outside hitter
Amazing serve
Led the team in total aces and aces per game
2nd on the team in hitting percentage and kills per game
Solid passer and defender
Continues to be a bigger presence offensively each season
(843) 553-0264
Marla
Sagetelian
Junior #13 Kaylee Kemp
Outside hitter
December 31, 2014
Freshman
Middle and right side hitter
Fundamentally sound blocker
Quick arm swing out of the middle.
Middle
Aggressive and strong at the net offensively
Puts up a strong block in the middle
Led team in hitting percentage, total blocks, and blocks per game
Tough serve
Plays with passion
#5 Gracie Mogul
This Special Edition is dedicated to
all Cyclone volleyball players -past, present and future!
Southern Eagle Distributing
is a Proud Supporter of
Porter-Gaud Volleyball!
Middle Hitter
Second on the team in blocks per game
Fast & Athletic
Able to create lots of scoring opportunities.
Libero
Outstanding defensive player
Most digs in Porter-Gaud volleyball history
Team captain
Great passer
Always fun to watch.
#4 Lexie Dorminy
SALUTiNG ThE PorTEr GAUD LADY CYCLoNES!
HSSR SCISA Statewide volleyball Coach of the Year
led the Cyclones to their fifth straight state
championship!
Gracie Mogul
Photos Courtesy
Brink Norton - Porter Gaud
Page 2
DeCeMBeR 31, 2014
THe HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS RePORT
THe HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS RePORT
HSSR SCISA All-State Players Feature
Porter-Gaud volleyball led by HSSR SCISA AAA Player
of the Year Marla Sagatelian; Mogul, Dorminy and
Cochrane named HSSR SCISA All-State
By Billy G. Baker
how to read the hitters is so important.”
Publisher
After the state championship game Sagetelain
Charleston—Championship teams are led by motithought to herself, “Wow, I am a senior and soon I
vated, committed players and having won five straight
will not be seeing these girls two hours every day
AAA SCISA volleyball titles the athletes at Porter-Gaud
at practice. I was happy and sad at the same time
play the sport of volleyball at a high skill level with a
because it being my senior year I knew I had
passion for the game.
played my last game with a group of wonderful
They say in sports, to the victor go the spoils, so the
girls. It was a great game capping off a great seaHSSR is pleased to name five-year performer Marla
son but I will miss it tremendously, I know that.
Sagatelian the HSSR-SCISA AAA Player of the Year. In
We really were a true family.”
addition, talented sophomore middle hitter Lexie
After spending seven years in the Porter-Gaud
Dorminy, junior outside hitter Gracie Mogul, and junior program what does Sagatelian think about the fuMaggie Cochrane have been named to the HSSR-SCISA
ture success of the program?
all-state team. A statewide banquet will be held for vol“Nothing is ever a sure bet but I think we will
leyball by the HSSR in February at Seawell’s in Columbe favored to repeat again next year,” said
bia.
Sagatelian. “We have a lot of great returning playSagatelian joined the program as a sixth-grader and
ers and I am confident they will continue to do
played some on the varsity in the eighth-grade. She led
well.”
the Cyclones with 575 receptions and 437 digs during the
Sagatelian has recently been accepted to
season. She is one of three senior captains on the team
Miami where she hopes to study medicine.
and is an outstanding defensive player. For her career she
Dorminy has a strong goal of playing volleyhad over 1,000 digs.
ball at the next level and she is hoping to land inSagatelian, a two-year team captain, made the varsity
terests from SEC schools like Georgia and Ole
in the eighth-grade and that motivated her to become “to- Miss. She plays year-round volleyball for the Cartally invested” to the team.
olina Islanders based out of Summerville.
“My role in my freshman and sophomore year was to
This past year she had 302 kills and a team
play defense and last
leading 119 blocked shots on deyear our setter Tanfense.
ner Renken got sick
“We worked so hard for it with
and I became a setter
work-outs starting in January and
out of necessity. This
we worked hard over the summer
year I was a defenconditioning and going to a team
sive specialist and I
camp,” said Dorminy. “I was the
loved being a team
youngest starter and my teammates really
leader.
supported me. It meant a lot to me to help
“Last year we
the team win a state championship.”
didn’t have any senDorminy is six-foot tall and she does
iors so I enjoyed
a great job at controlling the middle of
being a team leader
the court on both offense and defense.
and trying to keep
“My role as a middle blocker is to
everyone humble off
line up with the opponent’s hitters and
the court as well,”
take away a part of the court so the desaid Sagatelian. “I
fense can line up and pass to set up our
tried to be a reflection
offense,” said Dorminy. “I like playing in
of Coach Parkerson,
the middle and I love being in on the acwho is always telling
tion near the net.”
us to make good
She has a strong goal of playing at the
choices and to take
next level. “I am working hard to have
good care of our bodthe opportunity to play at the next level,”
ies and to have fun
said Dorminy. “I feel like I play defense
while we are competwell and I am quick enough to place the
ing.”
block and I am big enough to push over
Sagatelian said to
and make it hard for opponents to hit
play well on defense
around or over me.”
you have to be able to
Dorminy said she is developing her
read the ball and
skills at transitioning off the net and perstudy the hitters to
fecting her hitting skills.
sense where the ball
“After you land after a block you
is headed. “You have
have to be able to react quickly to be able
to figure out their arm
to hit the ball over to your setter so she
strength as well becan set up a play,” said Dorminy. “If you
cause that will deterland late it affects how soon you can get
mine where the ball is
the ball over to the setter. I am working
going also,” she said.
hard at improving my speed and foot
“I have a competitive
work.”
urge to want to go get
Dorminy began playing volleyball in
the ball. I want to get
the 8th grade and she was influenced to
to the ball and you
play by her mother who was a good
never want it to hit
player
in high school. “She encouraged
Marla Sagetelian
the floor. Learning
me to try-out for the team and I fell in the
DeCeMBeR 31, 2014
Page 7
SCISA AAA Volleyball Championship Game Story
Gracie Mogul
love with the sport and I have not quit playing,” said
Dorminy. “I love the sport and am working hard to get
better. It is a sport that takes all six players communicating and working together for the good of the team.”
Junior Maggie Cochrane was an outside hitter with
303 kills and 220 digs on defense.
“Honestly, I think the key to our success is the hard
work and dedication of our coaches,” said Cochrane.
“They do an awesome job working with us and helping
us improve our skill levels.
“I have never been on a team where everyone is so
close on and off the court. We are friends off and on the
court and that is really cool about our team.”
Cochrane talked about the thrill of the kill. “Some
people don’t understand volleyball but a kill is such an
exciting can to accomplish,” she said. “It’s a lot of fun
anticipating the pass and then attacking the ball.
“You have to have good communication skills with
your setter. Some hitters like to receive the ball high,
some like it a little lower, and some like to get the ball
quicker. Without a good setter you can’t set up your kills.
You have to have a good pass to get off a good shot. It’s
all about team work and all of us worked well together.”
Cochrane said at this point she is just happy to be
playing for Porter-Gaud without any serious goals to play
at the next level. “My goal is to come back for my senior
year and be a good team leader like Marla was this year. I
am having so much fun playing volleyball and I am already looking forward to next year. Cochrane is also a
small forward on the basketball team and her team is 4-2
after six games.
Cochrane said players at Porter-Gaud are required to
participate in 25 weight lifting sessions plus numerous
conditioning drills as well.
“We do a lot of running as well as lifting weights and
I am worn out after our conditioning drills and we incor-
See All-State Players, pg. 3
Porter Gaud wins fifth consecutive AAA volleyball title
By David Shelton
Senior Writer
Charleston – Porter-Gaud’s volleyball program
continues to dominate the AAA SCISA ranks, capturing a fifth consecutive state championship with a
3-0 win over area rival First Baptist on Wednesday
night.
Porter-Gaud won, 25-12, 25-23, 25-18, and completed the season undefeated against SCISA competition this season. The Cyclones did not lose a set to
a SCISA team this fall.
First Baptist was making its first appearance in
the AAA finals and lost three times to Porter-Gaud
this season.
“This is not just a volleyball team, it’s a family,”
said Porter-Gaud’s second-year head coach Megan
Parkerson, who was an assistant on the previous
three title teams before taking over the program.
“It’s an amazing group of girls and they really came
to play tonight. I could see their confidence from the
moment we stepped on the court. We played very
well and I am so happy for them.”
Senior libero Marla Sagatelian led a strong defensive effort for Porter-Gaud with 22 digs. PorterGaud’s power and depth at the net proved to be a
major difference. Junior Gracie Mogul had 11 kills
while juniors Maggie Cochrane and Jordan
Hollingsworth added 10 kills each. Sophomore middle hitter Lexie Dorminy finished with nine kills.
Setters Hailey Turner and Tanner Renken finished with 20 and 18 assists, respectively.
“We have so many girls that contribute on this
team,” said Parkerson. “The way we played tonight
is the way we played all season.”
First Baptist jumped out to a 4-1 lead in the first
set and made several runs throughout the night, but
could not overcome the stronger, deeper and more
experienced Cyclones.
Porter-Gaud used a 4-0 run to grab an 11-7 lead
in the first set and never looked back, winning eight
of the final nine points.
The Cyclones took early control of the second
set, opening up a 12-6 lead. First Baptist managed
to cut the margin to three at 15-12 but Cochrane and
Mogul quickly upped the advantage back to 19-13.
Senior McKala Rhodes rallied the Hurricanes
with back-to-back kills to cut the advantage to 2016 and Mary Alvanos delivered a pair of kills to
bring First Baptist to within three at 23-20. Mogul’s
hitting error made it 23-21 and Alvanos dropped a
shot at the net to make it 23-22.
Another Mogul error made it 23-23 but Mogul
answered with a kill to take a one-point lead. PorterGaud ended the game when Rhodes hit an attempt
into the net.
Like a shark smelling blood in the water, the Cyclones opened the third set with a 6-1 lead but First
Baptist rallied to grab an 8-7 lead. Undeterred,
Porter-Gaud put together a nice run to take a 12-9
lead. First Baptist made several runs but PorterGaud never relinquished the lead, scoring the final
six points of the set.
First Baptist, at times showed signs of nerves on
the big stage, but coach Cole Dawley made no excuses.
“Certainly, with Porter-Gaud having been here in
this setting before, I think it helped them, but they
really played like a champion tonight,” said Dawley.
“Nothing hit the floor on their side and they definitely played very well.
“I knew that we would have to play our best to
win and we didn’t, but I can’t take anything from
Porter-Gaud. They are so well-coached and so experienced. They were the better team. This was a great
experience for our program and if we can make it
back here we should be better prepared.”
Page 6
DECEMBER 31, 2014
THE HIGH SCHooL SPoRTS REPoRT
In the First Person: Coach Megan Parkerson
Parkerson living the dream teaching, coaching volleyball
By Billy G. Baker
joining the Cyclone volPublisher
leyball program as she
Charleston—Megan Parkerson is living her
teaches her students.
American Dream as a sixth-grade math teacher and
“I get to know the
head volleyball coach at Porter-Gaud, where she replayers at a very early age
cently coached the Lady Cyclones to their 5th straight
and I get to know them as
SCISA A AA volleyball title with a win over First Bap- students before they betist at the College of Charleston in late October.
come players,” said
For all her work and dedication to the sport, the
Coach Parkerson.
HSSR is pleased to select her as the statewide HSSR“We combine our 7th
SCISA Volleyball Coach of the Year for the 2014 seaand 8th grader into two
son in South Carolina. This past season Porter-Gaud
teams. I run the entire
went 36-12-1 and they didn’t lose a match to a SCISA
volleyball program. For
team all season. One highlight of the season was defeat- the past two years all our
ing Bishop England in five games, 18-16, for the first
coaches have been Portertime in school history on the road.
gaud teachers and I think
As the former team captain of the College of
that says a lot our school
Charleston volleyball team, coaching volleyball at P-G
and our program because
allows Coach Parkerson to keep in touch with a sport
we are involved in their
that meant so much to her during her high school days
lives during the day, not
in Tennessee. After high school she walked-on the voljust the hour or two at
leyball team at The College of Charleston in 2003. She
practice in the afternoons.
worked hard to improve, eventually earning a scholar“
ship, and becoming team captain. Coach Parkerson is a
The middle school
Coach Megan Parkerson with seniors Jack Gilchrist and
living example that you can achieve your goals through
coaches consist of Marcia
senior captains Tanner Renken, Marla Sagetelian and
hard work.
Englehardt, Jen Currie,
Chelsea McKelvey
After finishing the College of Charleston in 2007
and Yvonne Duncan. The
she got a teaching job at Porter-Gaud and became an as- varsity assistants are
“She has been playing since her freshman year and
sistant to her former college assistant coach Ashley
Ragan Wood, Gina Icano and Cassandra Uribe. The
she is a solid all-around player for us,” said Coach
Heidke, who took over the Cyclone program in 2008.
hard working team manager is Jack Gilchrist and the
Parkerson.
Two years ago, when Coach Heidke moved to Atlanta
athletic trainer is Laura Richins.
Renken missed three tournaments with a bout with
with her husband and newborn, Parkerson was elevated
The 2014 team was anchored by the HSSR-SCISA
pneumonia and McKelvey was hampered throughout
to the head coaching position and the program has not
AAA Player of the year Marla Sagatelian who led the
the season with a bad ankle injury.
skipped a beat.
team with 437 digs. Sagatelian has been in the program
“Tanner was able to get back and help us over the
“Without a doubt Coach Heidke built the program
since the 6th grade. Sagatelian joins the team’s other two last three weeks of the season and she has been a good
from the ground up and she is still one of my dear and
seniors - Tanner Renken and Chelsea McKelvey - as
leader in our program, and I was able to get Chelsea in
closest friends,” said Parkerson. “She got the program
team tri-captains.
during the last two points of the state championship
turned around and she took it to the championsip level
“Marla was the one player who stayed on the court
game. Both these girls have been solid players for us
and I am just thankful to be able to keep our tradition
24/7 for us this season,” said Coach Parkerson. “She
the past few seasons.”
going. She talked me all about structure and organizahas been in the program since the 6th grade and she
Coach Parkerson said that due to injuries freshman
tion and she felt like you coach up your players and
played on varsity as an 8th grader. She is an outstanding
Priyanka Fernandes stepped up from the jayvee team
then let them go out and enjoy playing the game in a
defensive player, fun to watch, and the glue of our team. and did a good job along with junior Hailey Turner.
fun, yet competitive way.
Her passion for the sport spills over
“Priyanka is going to be a player for us to build the
Everyone had so much reto the entire team.”
program around in the future,” said Coach Parkerson.
spect for Ashley and her
Junior Gracie Mogul, named to
“She is fundamentally sound and puts up a really good
vast knowledge of the
the HSSR-SCISA all-state team, led
block. Hailey is a promising junior and we are looking
game.
the team in kills with 329.
forward to her being back for her senior year.”
“Our team is like one
“Gracie led us in kills and she is
Surprisingly, the majority of the team does not play
big family and the players
a big outside force for us and she is
volleyball year round.
are very close off the court
big and physical and very strong,’
“I think if you have a strong desire to play college
too. We work real hard to be
said Coach Parkerson. “This year
volleyball you should play year-round but we only have
the best we can be and it’s
she improved her passing skills and
one rising senior (Sissy Freshly) currently playing yearalways great when you
she was able to play a more relaxed
round but most of our girls play at least one other sport.
compete for and win state
and comfortable role for the team.
Lexie Dorminy is a year-round player and she has a
championships.”
She likes to play with high energy
goal of playing in college. Both of our freshman FerCoach Parkerson pracand she is a game-time player who
nandes and Lauren Tapp also play year-round.
tices the jayvee teams and
wants the ball in pressure situa“Our goal for the players at Porter-Gaud is if they
varsity teams as one unit.
tions.”
are not playing volleyball year round they should partic“In this way the younger
Talented sophomore middle
ipate in other sports.”
players can learn from prachitter Lexie Dorminy was second on
With an undefeated jayvee team and 11 players reticing with the older players
the team with 302 kills and she has
turning for next goal season Porter-Gaud should be the
and the older players can
also been named to the HSSRfavorites to add to their thumb win they picked up this
even learn from the younger
SCISA all-state team also.
season. With eight juniors, one sophomore and two
players as well,” said Coach
“Lexie is a real physical and agfreshmen returning for next season the winning tradiParkerson. “We start the
gressive player at the net,” said
tion for Porter-Gaud volleyball is likely to continue.
program with the middle
Coach Parkerson. “She seizes a lot
“We have been lucky to have self-motivated and
Coach Megan Parkerson
schoolers in the sixth grade.
of scoring opportunities for herself
hard working athletes in our system over the past few
We have between three and
because she is so strong. She also
years,” said Coach Parkerson. “We certainly hope to
four teams at the middle school level. This past year we picks up a lot of huge blocks that allows our back row
continue to compete for championships and play at a
had three teams comprised of 6th and 7th graders.
to play around her easily.”
high level. We look forward to competing each season.”
Due to the fact Coach Parkerson teaches 6th grade
Another HSSR-SCISA all-state player is junior
math she is in an excellent position to sell the merits of
Maggie Cochrane.
THE HIGH SCHooL SPoRTS REPoRT
DECEMBER 31, 2014
Page 3
HSSR SCISA All-State Players Feature
All-State Players, continued
that we won again with good teamwork with
little pressure on us.”
porate a lot of different things into our conditioning.”
Mogul said that a lot of her best moCochrane said the team is like one big family. “We
ments came in practice. “I love to practice
eat lunch together as a group nearly every day and we
and getting some good set up passes can be
keep in touch and we are a close knit team for sure. We
a lot of fun,” she said. “I think we can win
do a lot of things together outside of volleyball.”
again next year but we know we have to
Talented junior Gracie Mogul is proud to have been
work hard to earn it.”
a player on three state title teams and she was mainly an
Mogul said practices at Porter-Gaud are
outside hitter with a team
super intense
leading 329 kills. One of her
and hard so by
goals is to possibly attend
the time you get
South Carolina and participate
in a game the
in the beach volleyball proteam plays regram that is gaining popularlaxed and rarely
ity and funding around the
“freak out.”
country.
Mogul calls
Mogul is also a member of
her teammates
the soccer team at her school.
“best friends for“My role changed some
ever.”
this year because our entire
A look at the
front line was extremely talfinal team stats
ented and the team wasn’t as
also reveals that
dependent on the outside hitjunior Bailey
ters like maybe in the past,”
Allen also had a
said Mogul. “Lexi did a good
good year. She
job in the middle and we had
scored 257 points
good players on the right side
off serves and
so we spread the scoring
had a team high 98.2 serving
around this season. We played
percentage along with 282
well as a team and we passed
digs. Junior Kaylee Kemp
the ball around really well.”
also contributed with 236
Mogul said the team
digs as a defender.
played their best when they
In the state championship
were not uptight. “When we
game against First Baptist
played it was like having fun
balance was once again a key
and not stressful at all. It was
on offense. Mogul had 11
Maggie Cochrane
an incredible feeling to know
kills while
Cochrane and
junior Jordan
Hollingsworth
had 10 kills
also. Dorminy
contributed
nine kills as
well.
Sagatelian
led a determined defensive effort in
the finals with
22 digs, Setters
Hailey Turner
and Tanner
Renken played
well also combining for 20
and 18 assists
respectively.
The team
will also return
talented freshmen Priyanka
Lexie Dorminy
Fernanders and
Lauren Tapp
next year. The team will have eight seniors next year, including Mackenzie Leinbach,
After the state title match, Coach Parkerson said,
“This is not just a volleyball team, it’s a family. It’s an
amazing group of girls and they really came to play
tonight. I could see their confidence from the minute we
stepped on the court. We played very well and I am so
happy for them.”
Season in Review, continued from pg. 5
and Hollingsworth had four each. Sagatelian had 11 digs
and Kemp added six. Turner recorded 14 assists with
Renken posting 10.
Mogul and Cochrane led in kills with eight and five,
respectively. Dorminy had four block assists and
Sagatelian had nine digs. Turner and Renken shared time
at setter, finishing with eight and seven assists, respectively.
Cyclones 1, Nation Ford 1
Next up in pool play was another matchup with Nation Ford. PG lost the first set, 25-20, but rallied with a
25-10 second set win.
Cochrane’s eight kills led the way for the Cyclones.
Sagatelian had 10 digs while Renken and Turner each
had seven assists.
Cyclones 2, Ashley Hall 0
Porter-Gaud beat Ashley Hall for a fourth time, winning 25-17, 25-19. Mogul had seven kills while Dorminy
added five. No player had more than one dig and
Sagatelian led with three assists.
Cyclones 2, Bluffton 0
Another pool play game in the Wando Invitational resulted in a 25-10, 25-18 victory for the Cyclones.
Freshley led the team in kills with five while
Cochrane had four. Kaylee Kemp had six digs to lead defensively. Sagatelian and Allen added five digs each.
Turner did most of the setting and had 19 assists.
Cyclones 2, Aiken 0
Porter-Gaud advanced to the Gold bracket semi-finals
with a 25-15, 25-22 win over Aiken High. Dorminy had a
strong match with eight kills and three total blocks.
Cochrane had seven kills and Mogul added five.
Sagatelian picked up 14 digs and Turner added 20 assists as the Cyclones improved to 31-11-1.
Cyclones 1, Hillcrest 2
Again Porter-Gaud faced the mighty Hillcrest Rams
in the semi-finals of the gold bracket. This time the Cyclones stretched the match into a third-set tie-breaker before falling, 15-6.
Mogul and Cochrane kept the Cyclones close with
seven kills each. Dorminy was solid defensively at the
net with five total blocks. Sagatelian had 10 digs and
Allen had eight. Turner had 11 assists and Renken had
seven.
Cyclones 2, Cane Bay 0
Porter-Gaud played a tri-match with Cane Bay and
Wando to close out the regular season. In the win over
Cane Bay, Cochrane had 14 kills to lead the way. Turner
had 12 assists and Renken had 11 in the easy win.
Cyclones 0, Wando 2
Wando played like a team that would contend for a
state title in an impressive showing against Porter-Gaud
in the final match of the regular season.
Mogul had seven kills but Porter-Gaud managed only
18 in the two sets. Sagatelian had seven digs and Renken
had 13 assists in the loss.
Cyclones 2, Pinewood Prep 0
In the opening round of the SCISA AAA state playoffs, the Cyclones faced region foe Pinewood Prep, a
team they beat twice during the regular season. The playoff matchup was never close as Porter-Gaud won, 25-8,
25-9.
Dorminy had nine kills while Cochrane had eight and
Mogul had six. Sagatelian had 12 of her team’s 37 digs
with Kemp adding seven digs. Turner finished with 13
assists and Renken had 11.
Cyclones 2, Cardinal Newman 0
A second-round playoff opponent, Cardinal Newman,
was no match for Porter-Gaud as the Cyclones won, 2515, 25-16.
Dorminy continued her strong play in the post-season
with 11 kills. Mogul added seven kills while Cochrane
Cyclones 2, Ashley Hall 0
In the state semi-final showdown between Charleston
area powers, the Cyclones again had Ashley Hall’s number, winning 25-17, 25-18.
The trio of Dorminy, Cochrane and Mogul combined
for 20 kills with DorminCyclones 2, Ashley Hall 0
In the state semi-final showdown between Charleston
area powers, the Cyclones again had Ashley Hall’s number, winning 25-17, 25-18.
The trio of Dorminy, Cochrane and Mogul combined
for 20 kills with Dormin and Mogul each getting seven.
Sagatelian again was the leader defensively with 13 digs.
Turner had 15 assists and Renken had 11.
Cyclones 3, First Baptist 0 – State Champions once
again!!!
The Cyclones wasted little time in staking claim to a
fifth consecutive state championship, winning the opening set, 25-13.
The second set was closer as Porter-Gaud held on for
a 25-23 win, and the Cyclones closed out the deal with a
25-18 win in the third set.
Porter-Gaud finished the season without losing a set
to a SCISA opponent all year.
Mogul tallied 11 kills in the title match, while
Cochrane and Hollingsworth each had 10, and Dorminy
followed with nine.
Sagatelian was again tremendous with 22 digs and
Turner added 10. Turner also finished with 20 assists and
Renken had 18 assists in her final match as a Porter-Gaud
player.
The victory left no doubt as to the top team in SCISA.
And the dynasty continues!
Page 4
DECEMBER 31, 2014
THE HIGH SCHooL SPoRTS REPoRT
THE HIGH SCHooL SPoRTS REPoRT
DECEMBER 31, 2014
Page 5
Porter Gaud Lady Cyclones Season in Review
Parkerson leads Lady Cyclones to fifth consecutive SCISA AAA state volleyball championship
By David Shelton
Senior Writer
High School Sports Report
Charleston – A tough non-region
schedule proved beneficial to the 2014
Porter-Gaud volleyball team. While the
team suffered a few defeats over the course
of an action-packed season, the final results
in late October were proof positive that the
difficult schedule paid off.
The Cyclones posted 36 victories
against 12 defeats during their run to a fifth
consecutive state AAA SCISA championship. Following is a recap of the 2014
season – a season that ended with “one for
the thumb.”
Cyclones 3, Palmetto Christian 0
The season got off to a good start with
an impressive win, 25-11, 25-6, 25-10. The
Cyclones had a balanced effort offensively
with senior Chelsea McKelvey, junior
Sissy Freshley and junior Gracie Mogul
each producing seven kills. Jordan
Hollingsworth added five kills.
Junior Bailey Allen had 11 of the
team’s 29 digs while senior Marla
Sagatelian added eight digs. Senior Tanner Renken and junior Hailey Turner
each handled 12 assists with only one ballhandling error between the duo.
Cyclones 2, Goose Creek 0
Porter-Gaud hosted their annual PorterGaud Invitational tournament, which included several strong teams and state title
contenders.
The Cyclones opened the tournament
with a 2-0 win over Goose Creek in pool
play, winning 25-14, 25-16. Sophomore
Lexie Dorminy led with five kills while
Mogul had three. Renken had eight assists
with juniors Bailey Allen and Kaylee
Kemp each producing a pair of digs.
Cyclones 2, Savannah Country Day 0
The Cyclones improved to 2-0 in pool
play with another 2-0 victory, winning 2511, 25-19. Dorminy again the play offensively with seven kills. Mogul, Maggie
Cochrane, Freshley and McKelvey each
added three kills.
Sagatelian had five of the team’s 14
total digs and Renken had 16 of the team’s
17 assists.
Cyclones 2, Hilton Head 0
In what would be the team’s toughest
match of the early season, Porter-Gaud
was able to fend off a strong challenge
from Hilton Head, winning 25-22, 25-23.
Hilton Head, a class AAA public school,
would go on to win the AAA lower state
championship later in the season.
Mogul had a productive day at the net,
finishing with seven kills while McKelvey
added six. Dorminy contributed five kills
and Cochrane had four.
Sagatelian posted eight digs and Kemp
chipped in with seven. Cochrane also had
five digs. Renken again led the team in assists with 23.
Cyclones 2, Hammond 0
Porter-Gaud faced a fellow SCISA
AAA competitor and easily dispatched of
the Skyhawks with 25-10, 25-12 victories
to advance in tournament play.
Cochrane and Freshley led the team
with six kills each, while Dorminy and
McKelvey contributed four kills.
Sagatelian had nine digs and Allen had
five. Hailey Turner led with 14 assists with
Renken dishing out 11.
Cyclones 2, West Ashley 0
The roll continued as the Cyclones beat
an area foe, West Ashley, 25-15, 25-15, improving to 6-0 on the season. Freshley had
her best outing of the early season, leading
the Cyclones with 10 kills. Dorminy added
seven and Mogul had five kills.
Bailey Allen led defensively with eight
digs while Freshley, Sagatelian and Renken
each had five in a balanced team defensive
effort. Renken also finished with 20 assists.
Cyclones 2, Nation Ford 0
Porter-Gaud took on AAAA public
school foe Nation Ford, posting a 25-17,
25-15 victory. Once again, balance was the
key to victory as seven different players
recorded kills.
Mogul led the way with eight, while
Cochrane and Dorminy had six and five
kills, respectively. Kaylee Kemp had
seven digs with Cochrane and Sagatelian
added five digs each. Renken continued her
solid play, distributing 23 assists.
Cyclones 2, Ashley Hall 0
Porter-Gaud advanced to the gold
bracket semi-finals and met up with local
SCISA rival Ashley Hall for the right to
move into the championship game.
As expected, the battle of two titans
was competitive throughout but PorterGaud came out ahead in the end, winning
25-21, 25-19.
Mogul had 11 kills in a very solid effort. McKelvey and Dorminy each added
four kills. The Cyclones recorded 34 digs
in a solid defensive showing. Cochrane had
a game-high 10 digs while Allen had
seven. Renken had 19 assists and no ballhandling errors.
Cyclones 1, St. Joseph’s 2
Porter-Gaud would taste defeat for the
first time in the 2014 season, falling in the
championship match of the tournament to
Class A public school powerhouse St.
Joseph’s.
The Cyclones won the first set, 25-18,
but dropped a competitive second set, 2325. Forced into a third set tie-breaker, the
back-and-forth battle ended up in favor of a
St. Joseph’s 15-12 victory.
Mogul led PG with 10 kills while
Cochrane had nine and Dorminy added six.
McKelvey and Jordan Hollingsworth
each added five kills in another balanced
effort.
Sagatelian recorded 10 digs and
Renken had nine digs with 31 assists. Bailey Allen added eight digs while Freshley
and Cochrane each had six.
Cyclones 3, Pinewood Prep 0
Moving back into regular season play
for two weeks, Porter-Gaud opened region
play with a solid win over Pinewood Prep,
winning 25-21, 25-10, 25-9.
Mogul reached double figures in kills
with 10. Cochrane added eight kills and
Dorminy had six.
Three players recorded double figures
in digs, led by Bailey Allen’s and Kaylee
Kemp 12 digs each. Sagatelian added 10
digs. Renken had 19 assists and Hailey
Turner had nine.
Cyclones 3, Ashley Hall 0
A second meeting with rival Ashley
Hall but this matchup was more important
as it counted in conference play. The Cyclones came out prepared and fired up
mentally and easily won, 25-13, 25-19, 2510, to improve to 10-1 on the season.
The size and power along the net
proved to be the difference for PorterGaud. Dorminy led with nine kills, followed by Cochrane’s eight. Mogul and
McKelvey each tallied seven kills.
Cochrane also contributed six service aces
and nine digs, and Dorminy had six total
blocks.
With Renken out due to injury, Hailey
Turner stepped up at setter with 29 assists.
Sagatelian again was a defensive presence
with 10 digs.
Cyclones 3, Bishop England 2
In perhaps the best volleyball match
played in the Lowcountry during the 2014
season, the Cyclones managed a huge program victory with a 3-2 win over perennial
AA public school powerhouse Bishop England.
After winning the first set, 26-24, the
Cyclones lost the next two – 21-25, 21-25.
Needing to win the fourth set to stay alive,
Porter-Gaud responded with a 25-16 win,
setting up a tie-breaking fifth set. The final
set went back and forth and extended past
15 before Porter-Gaud came away with a
19-17 victory.
Mogul made her presence felt with a 24
kill performance. Dorminy (14) and
Cochrane (11) also reached double figures
in kills.
Sagatelian was again a defensive leader
with 22 digs. Kemp added 17 digs,
Cochrane had 11 and Hailey Turner had
10. Turner also directed the offense with 45
assists.
0
Cyclones 2, Christian Academy (Tn.)
Porter-Gaud made the trip to Spartanburg to participate in the prestigious Tournament of Champions at Dorman High
School. The field of teams included several
state champions from several states, including a few Palmetto State powerhouses.
The Cyclones’ opener against Christian
Academy of Knoxville proved to be a competitive battle. Porter-Gaud came out on
top with 25-23, 25-22 wins in the best of
the three pool play.
Cochrane led the Cyclones with six
kills. McKelvey, Mogul, Hollingsworth
and Freshley added three kills each.
Sagatelian had 10 of the team’s 41 digs and
Turner had 14 assists.
Cyclones 2, Aiken 0
The next pool play match in the Tournament of Champions was against a solid
public school state contender, Aiken.
Porter-Gaud again displayed good balance
and solid defense, winning 25-22, 25-19.
Dorminy had five kills and Mogul
added four to lead the way offensively.
Sagatelian had eight of the team’s 23 digs
and Turner had 14 assists.
Cyclones 1, Woodward Academy 2
Porter-Gaud dropped a pool play
matchup with Woodward Academy of
Georgia, winning the first set, 25-23, before dropping the next two – 22-25, 9-15.
Dorminy led in kills with seven, followed by Mogul and Cochrane with five
each. Cochrane and Freshley led in digs
with seven each while Allen had six.
Turner again tallied the most assists with
20.
Cyclones 0, Musselman (Wva) 2
Porter-Gaud dropped its second straight
pool play match, falling 25-21, 25-23 in a
competitive battle to the end.
Mogul and Cochrane each had six kills
to keep the Cyclones close. Bailey Allen
had 11 digs and Turner had 18 assists,
Sagatelian and Renken, two starters, did
not play in the match.
Cyclones 0, Dorman 2
Porter-Gaud battled perennial AAAA
state title contender Dorman in a tough 2-0
loss, losing 25-16, 25-21. The Cyclones
mustered only 12 kills in the match, led by
Mogul’s four. Sagatelian returned to action
and had five digs and Turner had 12 assists.
Porter-Gaud would get a little revenge
later in the day.
Cyclones 0, Wando 2
Another huge challenge for the Cyclones as they continued a tough stretch of
competitive matchups that would serve
them well later in the season.
Facing AAAA power Wando, the eventual AAAA state champion, Porter-Gaud
competed well but lost, 20-25, 22-25.
Cochrane led Porter-Gaud with seven
kills while Sagatelian recorded seven digs.
Turner again posted 12 assists.
Cyclones 2, Bishop England 0
Porter-Gaud faced the Bishops for a
second time, this time in the Tournament of
Champions and came away with another
hard-fought victory, 25-22, 25-13.
The win ended the mini-losing streak
and put the Cyclones back on track.
Cochrane posted nine kills and McKelvey added six to pace the offensive attack. Sagatelian and Kemp each added nine
digs while Allen had eight in a strong defensive effort. Turner was solid again with
21 assists and no errors.
Cyclones 2, Dorman 1
In the championship matchup of the
Silver bracket, Porter-Gaud got a little revenge on Dorman, winning 15-12 in a tiebreaking third set. PG won the first set,
26-24, before Dorman evened the match
with a 25-20 win.
Dorminy had six kills while Mogul and
Cochrane each had five in a balanced effort. Jordan Hollingsworth was solid in the
middle with four total blocks. Sagatelian
and Cochrane each had five digs while
Turner had 18 assists.
Cyclones 3, Northwood 0
Porter-Gaud ventured back into region
play after a strong tournament performance
and easily dispatched of Northwood Academy, 25-11, 25-8, 25-16.
Mogul led the offensive charge with
nine kills but balance was again evident.
Dorminy and Cochrane each posted six
kills and Freshley added
five.Hollingsworth added four kills and
three blocks and Sagatelian had five digs.
Turner finished the match with 33 assists.
Cyclones 3, First Baptist 0
First Baptist was set to give PorterGaud a major fight as the top two SCISA
title contenders met in region play for the
first time in the season.
While future matchups would be a bit
more competitive, Porter-Gaud made a
solid statement in posting a 25-13, 25-17,
25-16 victory.
Mogul (12), Dorminy (10) and
Cochrane (10) each reached double figures
in kills as the Cyclones seemed to click on
all cylinders. Dorminy added five total
blocks and Hollingsworth added seven
kills.
Hailey Turner led in digs with 12 to
go with her 35 assists. Kaylee Kemp
added 10 digs.
back. Turner would finish with 29 assists while Renken began her comeback
from injury with eight assists.
Cyclones 3, First Baptist 0
In the second region showdown
with First Baptist, the Cyclones had to
work a little harder the previous earlier
season victory.
Porter-Gaud managed a sweep in
close sets, winning 25-22, 25-21, 2522, to improve to 23-10 on the season.
Cochrane had a big night offensively with 13 kills. Mogul and
Dorminy each added eight kills while
Hollingsworth had seven. Dorminy also
would add six blocks at the net.
Cochrane and Sagatelian were defensive leaders with 13 digs each. Turner
had 20 assists and Renken added 13 in
the win.
Cyclones 3, Palmetto Christian 0
A second go-around with Palmetto
Christian yielded similar results as the
first as Porter-Gaud blitzed Palmetto
Christian – 25-3, 25-20, 25-17.
Sissy Freshley led the way with 12
kills and freshman Priyanka Fernandes
had nine kills as coach Megan Parkerson used the match to get some other
players time on the floor. Dorminy and
Cochrane each finished with five kills.
Bailey Allen had 13 digs and Turner
added 10, to go with her 36 assists.
Cyclones 1, Wando 3
A regular season matchup with the
mighty Warriors proved to be competitive as the Cyclones pushed Wando
hard despite coming up short. PorterGaud won the first set, 25-21, but
Wando rallied for three straight wins 26-28, 21-25, 19-25.
Dorminy had an impressive outing with
16 kills. McKelvey added eight kills while
Cochrane and Hollingsworth each had
seven kills.
Sagatelian had 14 digs, with Turner
adding 13 digs. Kemp had 12 digs and
Allen chipped in 10 digs. Turner finished
the match with 43 assists.
Cyclones 3, Bishop England 2
Another local showdown in regular season play with the Bishops and the second
meeting was just as exciting as the first.
The teams went to a fifth set tie-breaker
with PG winning, 15-10. Again, PorterGaud had to come from behind, trailing 21, heading into the fourth set. The
Cyclones won that set, 25-21.
Dorminy was again a dominant force
with 18 kills and three blocks while Mogul
added 17 kills and four blocks. Freshley
had a solid outing as well with 14 kills.
Sagatelian finished with 27 digs while
Cochrane added 13. Bailey Allen and
Kemp each added 12 digs. Hailey Turner
had 53 assists and 10 digs in a solid floor
game.
Cyclones 0, Hillcrest 2
Porter-Gaud traveled to Georgia for another competitive tournament with championship caliber teams – the Southern
Invitational.
The Cyclones lost 2-0 to SC AAAA
three-time state champion Hillcrest – 2517, 25-13.
Mogul had six kills to lead offensively.
Sagatelian had five digs while Turner and
Kemp added four digs. Turner also had 14
assists.
Cyclones 2, East Coweta 1
A second matchup in the Southern Invitational yielded positive results as PorterGaud claimed a 25-17, 22-25, 15-13 win.
Dorminy had eight kills while Mogul,
Cochrane and Freshley each tallied five
kills. Sagatelian and Freshley led defensively with eight digs and Turner had 22
assists.
Cyclones 0, St. Agnes Academy 2
Porter-Gaud met St. Agnes Academy of
Memphis, Tennessee in a third game of the
Southern Invitational, losing 25-22, 25-13.
Dorminy had six kills as Porter-Gaud
managed only 16 kills in the two games.
Sagatelian recorded 15 digs and Turner had
14 assists.
Cyclones 1, Ravenwood (TN) 2
Another competitive matchup for
Porter-Gaud as they battled Ravenwood of
Brentwood, Tennessee into a third-set tiebreaker.
Ravenwood won the first set, 25-23,
but the Cyclones rallied for a 25-21 win in
the second. Ravenwood took control of the
tie-breaker early and won, 15-8.
Dorminy finished with eight kills
while Cochrane added six and Mogul five.
Bailey Allen led defensively with seven
digs, followed by Sagatelian and Cochrane
with six each. Turner finished with 20 assists.
Cyclones 2, South Forsyth (Ga) 0
Porter-Gaud closed out the Southern Invitational with a 2-0 win over the South
Forsyth War Eagles, winning 25-21, 25-22.
Mogul was the key offensive leader in
this win, finishing with 10 of Porter-Gaud’s
21 kills. Dorminy had four blocks and four
kills while Cochrane had four kills and 12
digs. Turner accumulated 17 assists in the
win.
Cyclones 3, James Island 0
Porter-Gaud returned to regular season
play for the stretch drive leading up to the
state playoffs. The Cyclones easily beat the
Trojans, 25-19, 25-20, 27-25.
Cochrane had 14 kills, Mogul had eight
and Freshley had seven to lead the way.
Jordan Hollingsworth had eight kills as
well.
Sagatelian, Allen and Cochrane all had
12 digs to lead a balanced effort in the
Cyclones 3, Northwood 0
Porter-Gaud continued to roll towards another conference title with an
easy straight set win over Northwood –
25-7, 25-5, 25-3.
Again, coach Parkerson was able to
use a lot of players on the roster, gaining valuable experience and depth. Mogus
tallied eight kills in two sets of work.
Cochrane had six kills in two sets and
Dorminy had five. Fernandes had four
blocks.
Allen led defensively with 11 digs
while Turner had 22 assists.
Cyclones 3, Ashley Hall 0
Porter-Gaud clinched the conference
championship with a 25-20, 25-22, 25-16
win over Ashley Hall.
Dorminy had 10 kills in a balanced performance. Cochrane had nine kills and
Mogul added eight. Freshley contributed
six kills as well.
Cochrane and Hollingsworth each had
five block assists. Sagatelian had 12 digs
and Allen had 10, while Turner had 24 assists.
Cyclones 3, Pinewood Prep 0
Porter-Gaud had no trouble in their
final conference match, easily beating
Pinewood Prep, 25-13, 25-11, 25-15 to improve to 26-10.
Dorminy was dominant at the net with
13 kills while Cochrane added 10.
Sagatelian was strong in the back with 11
digs and Renken returned for her most extensive action since the early season, finishing with 27 assists.
Cyclones 2, James Island 0
In the final tune-up before the SCISA
state playoffs, Porter-Gaud competed in the
Wando Invitational Tournament.
The Cyclones opened play with a 2522, 25-21 win over James Island.
Cochrane led offensively with six kills
while Sagatelian led defensively with 10
digs. Allen added nine digs and Renken
finished with 12 assists.
Cyclones 2, Eastside 0
Porter-Gaud faced AAA public school
title contender Eastside in a second pool
play game, winning a close match, 25-23,
25-21.