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.
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