When the James Wood High School volleyball team played in the state title match in 2022, head coach Adrienne Patrick wore a shirt that read, “Make history.” The Colonels are on track to do that yet again. After sweeping Atlee in the Class 4 state semifinals in Donald H.
Shirley Gymnasium on Tuesday, James Wood punched its ticket to the state title match for the third consecutive year. With hopes for a three-peat, James Wood will play Courtland — which defeated Loudoun County 3-1 on Tuesday — at the Siegel Center at Virginia Commonwealth University at 10 a.m.
on Saturday. Winning with the set scores of 25-13, 25-18, 25-15, the Colonels (22-3) only trailed Atlee for two possessions in Tuesday’s match. Patrick said it felt “phenomenal” to clinch another berth to Richmond and added that she could feel the positive energy among her players and in the gymnasium.
“I don’t know, it’s one of those things where you can almost sense that something greater is happening,” Patrick said. “Couldn’t be happier for the group, for how hard they work, and we’re very excited.” While Patrick said she didn't necessarily think the Colonels would go to three straight state title games when she took over the Colonels’ program in 2020, the 2005 James Wood graduate has made sure her teams have instilled the belief that they could do so.
“There was a lot of intention with the very first state match,” Patrick said. “The shirt that I wore said ‘Make history,’ becau.