Bears aim to be Commonwealth volleyball contenders

t has been a season of firsts for the Riverbend volleyball team.

The Bears have nondistrict victories over Battlefield District powers Courtland and Chancellor.

They have wins against perennial Commonwealth District front-runners Colonial Forge and Albemarle.

But this Riverbend team is thinking big. It’s not simply pleased with regular-season wins.

“We’re hoping to be better in the playoffs this year than we’ve been in the past,” Riverbend coach Paul Ehrich said yesterday.

With three games left in the regular season, Riverbend remains within striking distance of Colonial Forge for the No. 2 seed in the upcoming Commonwealth District tournament.

The Bears are 10–3 in the district and 13–4 overall, one game behind the defending district champion Eagles.

“We’ve come up short in a few games I thought we should’ve won,” Ehrich said, “but overall they’ve progressed well throughout the season.”

The Bears have been led by Cindy Ehrich, whose 479 digs put her among the area leaders.

Also, Morgan Rasmussen and Bryanna Smith have 108 and 103 kills, respectively. The Bears face Albemarle tonight.

“We just have to not make mental errors,” Ehrich said. “Unfortunately, we don’t have a lot of height. We’re a defensive team, and sometimes that hurts you when it comes to the end of a game.”

—Adam Himmelsbach

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