Damascsus

[Scott Zanni]

Damascus posted their 13th straight winning season in 2017 with a 19-4 record (12-2 in the regular season). Damascus will again participate in the Westminster volleyball tournament and in the 2A state tournament (only one of 2 MCPS schools in 2A).

Gone are three all-county players from the 2017 squad, leaving Sara Gruber as the top returning attacker. Coach Becky Ronquillo returns to the bench.

Key questions for Damascus are:
Does Damascus have enough returning talent to post their 14th straight winning season?
If so, can they remain among the top teams in MCPS and their state classification?
Who are their key players?

[vballfan]

Damascus was at Churchill this evening for a 3-team scrimmage (St. John's (DC) was the other team). St. John's was the best team today (beating both other teams rather convincingly ... they have some really impressive players and I think should be able to challenge Holy Cross for the WCAC title). But Damascus looked pretty good (slightly better than Churchill). They still have a lot of talent in their starting lineup, even with the graduation of Olivia and 2 of the 3 Sara's, and are a lock to have a winning season this year. The remaining Sara (Gruber, OH) was solid all-around tonight, with a number of well-placed kills. Rose Opara is an athletic middle with quick feet and a good block. Kaylen Bernota is a reliable setter; her younger sister (freshman Landis) is a dynamic all-around player who can serve, hit and pass, and could develop rather quickly into an all-county player. Another freshman Julianna Gray showed some flashes of brilliance in part-time action. Cecelia Groves played libero pretty well, but she could have used some help in the back row. The Hornets do not appear to be very deep, so they'll need to stay healthy and they'll also need to improve their defense (serve-receive was fine, but they had trouble digging a lot of the big hits, especially against St. John's). They also need to find a consistent pin hitter (one of the freshman?) to lessen the burden on Gruber. If they do that, they should have a year as good as last ... among the top 5 teams in the county, and getting to at least the regional semifinal in the state tournament. That would be pretty impressive considering what they lost in talent and leadership from last year's team.