MORGANTOWN — It started in the sixth grade for Kaitlyn Anderson, and only because she was a little bit taller than the other girls in her class.
“Someone told me, ‘Hey, you’re tall, you should play volleyball,’ ” the Morgantown High outside hitter said. “I decided to give it a try.”
What started out as pure curiosity — Anderson admits to never even have watched a volleyball match on TV at that point — has turned into something special.
Fast forward a few years, and Anderson has developed a lively right arm that swings with both power and purpose.
“What I say is she has a gun for an arm,” Morgantown High coach Erica Manor said.
With that in mind, Anderson and the Mohigans shot down the competition Saturday in winning the Region I championship at Morgantown High.
The Mohigans (28-6-1) swept University High and Bridgeport for the regional, both by 3-0 scores.
The scores against University: 25-10, 25-22 and 25-16. In the finals against the Indians: 25-20, 25-15 and 25-22.
It now sets MHS up for next week’s state tournament. As the runner-up in Region I, Bridgeport advances, as well.
The tournament begins Wednesday at the Charleston Coliseum.
The Mohigans will wait for the tournament seeds and first-round opponent to be released Sunday.
“We would really be excited to be the No. 2 seed,” Manor said. “Musselman will likely be No. 1. We could be No. 2 or No. 3, it just depends. At least that’s how we see it, but you never know.”
Anderson did her part with 25 kills on the day, including 14 against Bridgeport.
Many of them looked as if they had been shot out of a gun, with little chance of a dig coming from the other side of the net.
“When I saw her come in as a freshman, you could tell she was going to be a really good player,” Manor said. “Each year, she’s continued to get better and stronger.”
Anderson credits her development as an outside hitter to her summer travel team she plays for, based out of Pittsburgh.
“I tried out for the team in the seventh grade, and I really didn’t know if I would make it,” she said. “I ended up on the top team.
“That’s really when I began to fall in love with the sport.”
Anderson’s rapid rise through the ranks — she’s still only a junior — has coincided with the Mohigans’ rise at the state level, too.
“The past few years, we would get close, or make it to states, but we just couldn’t go all the way,” she said. “I really feel like this team has a shot if we continue to work hard and play together.”
Anderson’s service game was also top notch. She finished with a combined 21 service points, but she was not alone.
Teammates Audrey Buck and Grace DeVall combined for 59 assists. DeVall also added 30 digs.
It was Anderson’s final kill that secured the regional title, and the celebration ensued.
“For Kaitlyn, I think the sky is the limit for her,” Manor said. “She’s got the potential to play at the next level. I believe she can go as far as she desires.”
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