Congratulations to the Bishop O'Connell volleyball team, crowned the 2021 Washington Catholic Athletic Conference (WCAC) champions on Saturday, Nov. 4. The Knights defeated Holy Cross, 3-0, in the title game after sweeping Archbishop Carroll in the quarterfinals and St. John's in the semifinals earlier in the week.
"This year has been all about the team," said head coach Mehdi El Alaoui, who was also named WCAC Coach of the Year. "Everyone has had a role on the team to help us achieve this goal."
The Knights finished their regular season with a 12-1 league record, and a 30-3 overall record. In September, they added to their wins, bringing home gold from the Endless Summer High School Volleyball Tournament in Virginia Beach.
"This year we have had a strong core of talented players who made the coaching job that much easier," added El Aaloui. "Our girls built chemistry, trusted each other, and did a good job following the game plan. Additionally, our bench gave us a lot of energy and they were the reason why we came back in many games to win."
Congratulations to the O'Connell players named to the 2021 All-WCAC team:
Anna Drahozal '22 - Co-Player of the Year
Riley Debiec '22 - 1st Team
Erin Debiec '24 - 1st Team
Grace Maria '23 - 2nd Team
Madison Bowser '24 - Honorable Mention
Claire Harris '22 - Honorable Mention
The Knights are currently in the middle of the Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association (VISAA) playoffs. On Tuesday, they defeated Catholic High School (Virginia Beach) in quarterfinal play. O'Connell is headed to Richmond this Friday to take on Norfolk Academy in the VISAA semifinal game.
Go Knights!
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