November 29, 2004 - Sports - Wilson builds dynasty

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Wilson builds dynasty
Lady Tigers win 7th consecutive volleyball crown
(Published November 29, 2004)

By DAVID STEINBACHER
Special to The Common Denominator

Wilson Senior High’s Lady Tigers are building a volleyball dynasty in the nation’s capital.

Wilson defeated Bell Multicultural’s Lady Griffins in four games (25-10, 25-7, 16-25 and 25-15) to win the 2004 D.C. Interscholastic Athletic Association volleyball championship. The match was played Nov. 18 at Dunbar Senior High, before approximately 100 fans.

It was the seventh consecutive DCIAA volleyball title for the Lady Tigers, the fifth under the leadership of Head Coach Perette Arrington (elder sister of assistant coach Patrice).

"Coming into this match today, we wanted to serve tough, pass well, communicate and have some fun," said Arrington, who played at Seton Hall less than a decade ago.

The Lady Tigers, winners of all but one DCIAA regular season match this year, swept to a 2-0 lead in machine-like fashion early in the title match. In the third game however, Bell, under the leadership of Coach Louis Carias, turned the tables on Wilson (25-16) with all of the Lady Griffins [seniors Sylvia Ramos and Andrea Urena, juniors Karla Rivera, Jessica Campos and Margarita Juarez - as well as freshman Sonia Ramos] stepping up to make significant plays.

"We really believed that we could win this game. We talked well throughout the course of this game," said Bell first server Andrea Urena.

"We have practiced so much this season. We knew that we could take this game," said sixth server Sylvia Ramos, sister of freshman Sonia.

After the game, Arrington said she had "told the girls to get their heads back into the game and to focus."

In the fourth and decisive game, each team initially went back and forth, vying to seize control of the game.

"It was very close in game four early on," said Wilson junior setter Elizabeth Kastanaki.

With the score tied 10-10 in the final game of the match, Kastanaki served the ball and it was returned successfully by Bell. With the ball on the Lady Tigers’ side of the court, senior outside hitter Elsa Mendez passed the ball to Kastanaki, who successfully set the ball.

Senior middle hitter Amarachi Umez-Eronini, one of the Wilson captains (along with Mendez), recorded one of the biggest kills of her career. Umez-Eronini put the ball over the net with force and the Lady Griffins
were not able to return the ball. That dramatic play by Mendez, Kastanaki and Umez-Eronini gave Wilson an 11-10 lead and the Lady Tigers were in the driver’s seat from that point forward.

Wilson made enough plays down the stretch to send the senior class of Umez-Eronini, Mendez, Vergie Arundid, India James, Desinja Marjani, Leah McCray and Gabby Spotwell out with yet another banner to hang in the
Wilson gym.

"As the fourth game developed, we got a little bit down, but I feel good that we came as far as we came this season with only six girls on the entire team," said Bell second server Karla Rivera.

The match point was recorded when Kastanaki set the ball and Umez-Eronini recorded the final kill of her high school career. Umez-Eronini leads the Tigers in blocks, digs, kills and in hitting percentage this season.

Umez-Eronini, also a basketball standout for the Lady Tigers, said that winning the title "means a whole lot to the seniors, to the entire team and to the coaches. Both Coach Perette and Patrice Arrington have made us all better players."

"Amarachi had a number of key kills down the stretch," said Coach Arrington.

"Our girls have worked hard all season. In summing up this match, our teamwork and our communication was good. Our substitutions proved key and the girls made good decisions at the net. Bell is a very good team – they came here to win. Next season, we here at Wilson will have some more tradition to uphold," Arrington said.

Bell first-year Head Coach Carias drew rave reviews from all of his players as to his professionalism and coaching skills.

"Mr. Carias is an excellent coach," said Lady Griffin freshman Sonia Ramos. "He is constantly encouraging us. Without him, we never would have gotten this far."