Eyeing state three-peat, unbeaten Arundel steamrolls past Bowie
Arundel coach Ashley Yuscavage rarely isn’t nervous and Monday was no exception. Though her 2022 team has a knack for calming her down, she wasn’t expecting her players to do it in a state semifinal.
And yet, just as they have each other’s back on the court, the Wildcats had their coach’s too.
Shortly into the first set against Bowie on Monday, Yuscavage’s anxieties melted into joy as her undefeated No. 1 Wildcats demonstrated just how eager they were to play for their third consecutive Class 4A state title by hurrying the Bulldogs in and out, 25-5, 25-8, 25-5.
The Wildcats (19-0) are overflowing with confidence heading into Thursday’s final against Urbana at 7 p.m. Thursday at Harford Community College.
“They are ready for whatever happens,” Yuscavage said, “whether it’s consistent serving or volleying balls over the net, they
are ready for it.”
After Monday’s match, Yuscavage wept. Several of her seniors, such as Audrey Owens (two kills, eight digs) and Emily Liu (21 assists), helped earn the first championship as freshmen in 2019. And no matter what happens in two days, this would be their last game on Arundel’s court together.
“We lost their sophomore year [to the coronavirus pandemic], which we had such high hopes for. To have the chance to do it again last year, it just seems like they have given us so much,” Yuscavage said. “It’s exciting to be able to have the opportunity to go back again with them.”
To Owens and the seniors, going back to the state final is a “full circle moment.”
“We saw as freshmen how much work and determination it takes to go there,” Owens said. “I think people have this mindset that, ‘Oh, Arundel just goes in and they win.’ But every game, we really put so much mental preparation, so much thought, so much hard work into this season. Going to Thursday, I want to see it all pay off.”
Bowie’s prosperous run ended two points into the first set. Captain Lonni Rogers left the floor with what was determined later to be a concussion. The remaining Bulldogs offered little resistance.
“We haven’t faced anybody that fast all year long,” Bowie coach Luanne Smith said. “[Threw us] completely out of position.”
The Wildcats flexed what has made them so different than their previous championship squads: balance. Just as senior Payton Swinton (eight kills) dropped kills, so did junior Kiara Harmon, Owens and Kennedy McDowney. Eight players had Arundel’s 34 kills, but no one hit double digits. Bailey Swinton accounted for 14 digs, but nine other Wildcats made those kinds of saves, too.
It’s one of the main catalysts that’s sweetened their chemistry this fall. Rather than everyone swirling around a future player of the year like in years past, everyone plays their part.
“Everyone shares a special moment together. When we end the games, everyone feels as though they were seen,” said junior Taylor Johnson, who had a team-high nine kills.
During practices, Yuscavage employs the book “Mind Gym: An Athlete’s Guide to Inner Excellence” as a tool to guide conversations about trusting teammates, focusing and staying relaxed. The players apply their reading to the floor, allowing themselves to communicate freely with one another even more than they might have before.
“We also know the stakes of the game,” Owens added. “This is the state semifinals. You kind of have to keep composure the whole way through to win.”
Arundel sometimes falls into the habit of crushing a team in one set and allowing it to catch up the next. The Wildcats did parry some Bowie attacks in the second set. The Bulldogs even tied the score three times in the first eight points, though that would amass half their total points for the 25-8 frame.
Once the Wildcats felt confident that this would truly be a laid-back match after all, they started flipping a few pages deeper into the playbook. Part of why Swinton dominated so consistently from the right side was that Liu had the freedom to pelt her with quick serves.
In the third set, she targeted Johnson, who normally isn’t fed so many short serves. As Liu helped steer Arundel to 12 straight points from the line, the team couldn’t rotate.
Since Johnson was frozen on center stage, she was going to grab the limelight and put it to good use. Five of Arundel’s many kills that set belonged to her while Liu dished out a few aces.
“It just felt like stress release. A fun game before going into states,” Johnson said. “Just trusting and knowing that we know what to do on the court. An easier game makes it easier for us to play the same on Thursday.”
At a point, Yuscavage cycled in some of her players that don’t typically see much time. Abby Finch almost immediately hit a kill.
When freshman Spring Terry rotated on, Johnson took her under her wing. She’d been waiting for the chance to do this, ever since former Player of the Year Brooke Watts did the same for her years ago when Johnson subbed in just as green and inexperienced.
“It was really special for me and I wanted to make it special for her,” Johnson said. “I know that’s a really big game situation to come in, at semis. At the last point. It’s very stressful. I’m really proud of her.”