In a battle between two Montgomery County powerhouses, the Bethesda-Chevy Chase Barons stunned the Churchill Bulldogs with a commanding 3–1 win on Wednesday night. The Barons took sets one, three, and four (25–17, 26–24, 25–22), while the Bulldogs claimed set two (25–19).
From the start, B-CC showed poise and energy. In set one, Churchill’s serve-receive struggles and early hitting errors opened the door for the Barons to build momentum. Sophomore outside hitter Molly McWhorter energized her team with consecutive kills down the line, while senior right-side hitter Sasha Ingber delivered a run of strong, consistent serves to secure the 25–17 win.
Set two was a steadier showing from Churchill. The Bulldogs cleaned up their serve-receive and leaned on junior middle hitter Siyena Fitsum, who delivered several key kills to keep B-CC on its heels. Churchill controlled the tempo late in the set and pulled away for a 25–19 win to even the match.
Set three proved to be the night’s closest and most dramatic battle. B-CC built a five-point lead midway through after Churchill struggled with miscommunication, but unforced errors allowed the Bulldogs to tie things up at 20–20. The tension peaked late: a huge double block by Meera Patel and Lucy Deraleau gave Churchill a 23–22 edge, forcing a B-CC timeout. Out of the break, sophomore Clair Tepper fired a kill to tie the score at 23–23. Churchill regained the lead with a block, but a hitting error leveled the set again at 24. Senior Julie McWhorter then delivered an ace to put the Barons ahead, and another Bulldog error closed the set, 26–24.
In the fourth, Churchill continued to struggle on serve-receive, though the Deraleau sisters helped the Bulldogs cut the deficit to just two points late. Still, the Barons’ consistency held strong and they closed out the set 25–22 to win the match. Over the course of the night, freshman middle hitter Giselle Conley made her presence felt with six blocks, while senior libero Samara Negron anchored the defense with a match-high 16 digs and three aces.
The Barons’ balanced attack proved too much for Churchill. Molly McWhorter finished with 16 kills, while Clair Tepper added 14 kills, seven digs, two aces, and two blocks. Amelia Graeff, the senior setter, dished out 22 assists to keep the offense flowing.
Despite the loss, Churchill had several standouts. Senior setter Charlotte Deraleau recorded 25 assists, six kills, five digs, and two aces, while her sister Lucy tallied 11 kills and seven digs. Angela Zhang, a freshman, impressed with seven kills and an ace. Fitsum chipped in seven kills and three blocks, and Patel added five kills and two blocks.
The Barons’ victory sends a strong message across the county: they are a force to be reckoned with, capable of competing with the best. Churchill, meanwhile, will look to regroup and clean up its errors before heading into its next stretch of matches.
