Two weeks after being swept by Bladensburg in a regular season match, the Parkdale High School volleyball team got payback on Friday evening, sweeping visiting Bladensburg in a 4A South Region first-round contest, 25-8, 25-22, 25-20.
Parkdale (6-10) earned the right to face third-seeded Charles H. Flowers High in a 4A South Region quarterfinal on Monday.
The Panthers started Friday's match quickly and then overcame slow starts in both the second and third games.
"We played really well," said Parkdale coach Madeline Sease. "Our serving was really good. The last time we played them, they beat us in three games. We made some adjustments and the girls were talking to each other. We'll see how we do on Monday."
Bladensburg swept Parkdale with a full complement of players when the two teams met in the last week of the regular season. But Bladensburg coach Ashley Horn, a Potomac High graduate who won two state titles in the shot put, said her team was missing two starters on Friday for personal reasons, and she replaced them with two junior varsity players. The Mustangs ended their season at 6-8.
"It happens," Horn said. "Those two girls had other commitments and they couldn't be here. One of them had a college visit. We played well the last two games, but it was a disappointing way to end."
Kimberly Galloway and India Perkins helped Bladensburg gain the early lead in the second game, and then Ogadinma Ahaiwe had a brief serving run to give Bladensburg an 18-10 lead.
But the Panthers closed out that game on a 15-4 run behind solid serves from Channae Manning, Sophia Lepzem and Candace Washington and good play up front from Manning, La Pria Saunders and Nicolle Griggs. Parkdale's Toshi Ukwe closed the second game with four consecutive winners, including two aces.
With Ahaiwe and Galloway serving early in the third game, Bladensburg took a 10-5 lead. But Dominique Livingston gave Parkdale a 16-12 lead. Ahaiwe brought the Mustangs back on her second rotation and then Perkins gave the visitors a 19-16 lead. But Parkdale again finished the game strongly, with Washington and Ukwe leading the Panthers on a 9-1 run to seal the verdict.