MRH Volleyball to Build on Last Year's Season

Standout Brandi Allen has graduated, but coach Cheryl Carmon still expects Maplewood Richmond Heights to compete for a district title.

The Maplewood Richmond Heights volleyball team went 22-11 last year, a vast improvement from its 12-14 mark in 2009 and 4-21 in the 2008 season. Hitter Brandi Allen had a lot to do with that turnaround, and the Blue Devils are facing this season without Allen. “Brandi was great at both offense and defense, and we will feel her absence in both areas,” head coach Cheryl Carmon said. Carmon added that they won’t be using a libero—a type of defensive specialist—this season. (Several photos from an August 16 practice are available on our Facebook page devoted to Blue Devils sports: www.facebook.com/MRHBlueDevils) She is looking for sophomore Mariah Russell to be the team’s biggest hitter and leader. Russell played varsity as a freshman last …

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Sports Notebook

Notebook: MRH Taking Aim at Third Straight Track Title

The two-time defending state champion MRH boys track team is in position to make it three in a row.

As the high school spring sports season begins to wind down and we enter postseason competition in each of the spring sports, we’d like to give fans and supporters of area teams an update. Here is a recap of what went down last week and a brief look at what is coming up for area teams: MAPLEWOOD-RICHMOND HEIGHTS The two-time defending state champion MRH boys track team put itself in position to make it three in a row by easily winning the Class 2 sectional championships at Principia High last Saturday. The Blue Devils won nine of the meet’s 18 events, and took second place in five others, to score a whopping 146 team points, which easily outdistanced second-place finisher Scott City, which scored 89 points. The big winners of the day for …

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MRH Track Targeting Another State Title

A core of seniors with plenty of talent and experience plan to follow coach Brandon Gregory back to Columbia.

Maplewood Richmond Heights head track coach Brandon Gregory is hopeful that if his team stays injury-free, they can win the Class 2 state championship for the third consecutive year. Gregory graduated only two seniors after last season, and the core of his team has experience in the state meet from both their sophomore and junior years. He said the kids love being champions, so track has become the most popular spring sport at MRH. Gregory said these numbers will help at the state championship meet in May. “With the amount of kids we got out, it helps relieve the amount of stuff they have to do. So instead of doing four events, they might only have to do two.” The Blue Devils broke four relay records at the 2010 state meet, including the …

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Brentwood Beats MRH for District Championship

Brentwood plays Hermann on Saturday to begin Class 2 State Tournament play.

ST. LOUIS — Cheryl Carmon's best season as the Maplewood Richmond Heights volleyball coach ended in tears Tuesday night, as the Brentwood Eagles (19-7-3) swept past the Blue Devils (13-5) in the Class 2, District 5 finals at Vashon High School. Brentwood, the No. 1 seed, had a first-round bye in the tournament while the rest of the teams played. MRH, the No. 3 seed, beat Carnahan and Metro in the first and second rounds to reach the finals. Brentwood routed Cardinal Ritter in the third round, pitting the rival high schools against each other in the finals. Brentwood was undefeated (4-0) against MRH this season—one of those occurring at the Brentwood Volleyball Invitational on Oct. 16—but in the district finals, with Carmon's best team in …

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Brentwood and MRH Meet For a Thriller

With Districts just around the corner, Brentwood and MRH volleyball go three in their closest game of the year.

Brentwood and Maplewood Richmond Heights faced off in the Brentwood Volleyball Invitational Tournament semifinals today, pitting the two rivals against each other in a highly-anticipated match. The match offered three close games, and the toughest was the last. Brentwood won by the score of 18-25, 25-13, 25-22. The Eagles are 4-0 against MRH this season. The game of rival neighbors was set up when MRH beat Clayton while Brentwood lost to Lutheran North in pool play. Brentwood coach Rick Czuppon was fairly confident of the outcome of the MRH game.  He commented that they've had a good season. He thought that  it would be a rebuilding year, but his underclassmen have really stepped up. "We've won our conference; we went undefeated," he said…

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