LYNCHBURG — Western Albemarle’s Blythe Sturman trailed 2-0 to start her No. 1 singles match, but her spirits were unhindered.
The freshman took the next three games, and eventually won her first set.
“I just feel like something turned on,” Sturman said.
After Maggie Walker’s Martina Ribera responded with her own set victory, Sturman dominated the tiebreaker to take the match.
“Blythe — she raised her game up, especially when she needed to in that tiebreaker,” Western Albemarle head coach Gretchen Rush said. “It was quite a match.”
It was a tightly-contested competition in which one swing of momentum could decide it.
Western Albemarle’s Blythe Sturman hits a forehand against Maggie Walker during the VHSL Class 3 state championship match at Liberty University in Lynchburg on June 6, 2024.
“Every point is really important,” Sturman said. “I knew that, and I thought that to myself, and I was just focused for every point, and did the best I could every point.”
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The individual win also earned the Warriors their first point in the VHSL Class 3 state championship match.
Following Sturman’s triumph, all eyes were on the No. 3 singles match, where Amanda Bilchick was in her own extended battle.
After dropping the first set, she forced a tiebreaker. Although she did not end up victorious, her drive to win was infectious to her teammates and coaches.
“Amanda — I would never bet against her no matter how far down she was,” Rush said. “I mean, she was down, 6-1, in the tiebreaker, and I still thought she could win it. She’s just an amazing competitor.”
The overall intensity the Warriors brought to the state title match also made an impression.
“I can’t be more proud of the effort,” Rush said. “The effort today was extraordinary, and they played their hearts out.”
Despite Western Albemarle’s relentlessness, Maggie Walker took the 5-1 victory for its fourth consecutive state championship.
Although the Warriors did not achieve the desired result on Thursday, the group advanced the program further in the 2024 season, having reached the state final after losing in the state quarterfinals last year.
Western Albemarle teammates embrace Amanda Bilchick during the VHSL Class 3 state championship match against Maggie Walker at Liberty University in Lynchburg on June 6, 2024.
“Even though we lost, this team has come so far, and just done so much,” Sturman said. “I’m really proud of everyone, and I can’t wait for next season.”
With only one senior departing, Western Albemarle has a lot to build off of for 2025.
“I just really believe in this team,” Rush said. “They’re wonderful young women, and the sky’s the limit for them.”
Chris Gionta
cgionta@dailyprogress.com
@Chris_Gionta on X
