First, it was Clover Hill. Now, it’s Atlee. Clover Hill’s boys volleyball team won the top division in the Virginia Volleyball Showcase and was ranked No.1 in the first RVC/Times-Dispatch poll. The Cavaliers lost their first match as No.1 to Dominion District rival Cosby, the team they defeated in the Showcase final. Atlee ascended to No.1 in the Top 10 that appeared in yesterday’s Times-Dispatch. Unfortunately for the Raiders, they lost to Capital District foe Lee-Davis in five games Tuesday night.

A quiet changing of the guard has occurred in the St. Christopher’s football program. Paul Padalino has passed the varsity football coaching reins to Michael Turner. Padalino, a former St. Christopher’s assistant coach, became the Saints’ head coach in 2000 when longtime head coach Dick Kemper gave up football to concentrate on his athletics director duties. Padalino added AD chores to his plate three years ago when Kemper retired.

Her first season of high school tennis completed, Emily Hahn is headed to France. She is certain to pick up some French culture, but it is tennis culture that is drawing her abroad.

Year: Freshman
  The skinny: Stepped right into the No.1 spot for the Trojans and didn’t lose (15-0) to a Dominion District foe in singles this year. Her only losses in the region were to Emily Hahn and Yasmin Fotovat. She was the district tournament singles winner and player of the year and advanced to the region semifinals.

FAIRFAX—All four Central Region players advanced to the singles semifinals of the state Group AAA boys and girls tennis tournaments. Competition was forced indoors at the Fairfax Racquet Club because of wet weather. Central Region girls champion Emily Hahn of Douglas Freeman didn’t have to play when opponent Kathleen Dawson of Ocean Lakes defaulted because of illness. Central runner-up Yasmin Fotovat swept Alex Ritter of First Colonial 6-2, 6-0.

Freshman Emily Hahn of Douglas Freeman High School defeated Atlee junior Yasmin Fotovat 6-4, 6-1 to capture the Central Region girls tennis singles title at Mills Godwin. There were seven service breaks in the first set before Hahn made it eight to tie the match 4-4. She held serve to make it 5-4 then broke Fotovat’s serve to win the set.

Two-time girls All-Metro basketball first-teamer Ka’lia Johnson of Thomas Dale has committed to Duke University. Johnson, a 5-9 sophomore guard, was the Central District and Central Region player of the year after averaging 17 points for the Knights, who finished 24-2 and were ranked No. 2 in The Times-Dispatch Top 10 this season. Johnson missed the Knights’ quarterfinal loss in the region tournament because of illness.

The search is on for the best girls tennis player in the Central Region. This decade, the top individual has been a known quantity when the season began. All you had to do was look at who was playing No. 1 for Mills Godwin. The Eagles’ Kate Harrington, Lindsey Howard (four years) and Katie Blow (the past two years) dominated the Colonial District and region tournaments.