The fall sports season at St. Margaret’s is nearing an end as athletes prepare for league tournaments in early November.

Volleyball: Head Coach Sue Ball is pleased with the varsity volleyball team’s progress. “They’re really coming together. They’re caring more about what they can do for the team, instead of focusing on individual achievements,” she said.

Despite 3-0 home game losses to Charlottesville’s Covenant on October 20 and to Richmond’s Collegiate on October 18, the Scotties’ recent record reflects both talent and determination.

St. Margaret’s defeated neighboring Christchurch School, 3-0, in front of a large home team crowd in an October 15 Fall Family Weekend matchup. Senior Jackie Brunk of Sandy Point scored the winning point in the first game. In the second game, the Scotties worked like a well-oiled machine, with seniors Brooke Shafer of Fredericksburg and Allison Ryan of Tappahannock each scoring 7 points for St. Margaret’s. Shafer scored the winning points in both the second and third games.

In what proved to be the most exciting contest of the season so far, the Scotties trounced Richmond’s Steward School, 3-0, in an October 12 home match. Ryan served an outstanding run of 22 consecutive points in the second game. Shafer also impressed, serving 8 consecutive points, including the winning point in the first game.

SMS began its volleyball winning streak at an October 11 home match against Richmond’s Trinity Episcopal, which ended in decisive 3-0 victory for the Scotties.

In earlier action, the Scotties lost, 3-0, in an October 7 game at Collegiate in Richmond; won, 3-1, in a September 29 home match against St. Gertrude’s of Richmond; and lost, 3-0, despite a valiant effort and several brilliant saves, to St. Anne’s-Belfield of Charlottesville on September 27.

Cross-Country: At an October 19 multi-school meet at Essex High School, the St. Margaret’s cross-country team placed second in a field of four teams that included Essex, Lancaster, and Washington and Lee. Junior Taylor Miller of Warrenton placed second overall in 22:40, with Scotty junior Aubrey Sozer of Fairfax Station following close behind to finish sixth in 23:26.

The entire team joined local runners, other students and parents for the SMS Alumnae Association’s annual River Run on October 15. Miller was the first female in the 3-mile race to cross the finish line, clocking a time of 21:09.

At a regional meet at The College of William & Mary on October 1, five SMS runners competed in a field of 160. Miller placed 38th overall with a time of 22 minutes flat.

Scotty runners placed second overall at a September 27 meet at the Steward School in Richmond. Miller came in second (22:00), followed by freshman Caroline Casey of Richmond, who placed fifth (22:44), and Sozer, who placed sixth (23:49).

Field Hockey: The Scotty hockey team is coming back strong after a challenging start. In an October 18 home game against St. Catherine’s School of Richmond, the team fought hard to tie, 1-1. Freshman powerhouse Crystal Thomas of Maryland scored the SMS goal.

In an October 12 home game against Steward, the Scotties played their best game of the season thus far. Thomas scored within the first two minutes, assisted by senior Rebecca Dickinson of Loretto. Thomas also scored in the middle of the first half, assisted again by Dickinson. Each point was countered by Steward’s offense, which scored an additional goal in the second half. The Scotties were defeated, 3-2, but not for lack of spirit or effort. Goalie Hannah McKee, a junior from North Carolina, blocked 11 of 13 shots on goal.

In earlier action on October 5, the Scotties lost to Northumberland High School, 3-0.