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Photos by KYLE GREEN The Roanoke Times

Cave Spring's Morgan Shannon (10) and Corey Jacobsen (6) block a shot by Lord Botetour's, Katey Hall (left) during the Group AA quarterfinal match at Cave Spring on Tuesday night. Cave Spring advances to the state semifinals Friday in Richmond.

Cave Spring libero Jocelyn Kellinger was credited with 30 digs in the match against Lord Botetourt.

KYLE GREEN The Roanoke Times

Cave Spring's Morgan Shannon defends a shot by Lord Botetourt. Shannon had 15 kills in the match.

The last time Cave Spring's volleyball team played in VCU's Siegel Center in 2006, the Knights won the Group AA championship and head coach Tamalyn Tanis had a baby eight days later.

One of those two events will not occur this year.

No birth.

Just a berth ... in the Group AA semifinals.

Cave Spring booked passage to Richmond this weekend as the Knights dispatched visiting Lord Botetourt 25-16, 25-21, 25-20 in a state quarterfinal match Tuesday night.

The road will get tougher. Cave Spring (23-3) will face defending Group AA champion Loudoun County in a 4 p.m. semifinal Friday at VCU. The state championship match is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. Saturday.

The Knights lost to Loudoun County 25-20, 25-21, 25-12 in a regular-season match Oct. 10 in Crozet. Since then they have won 15 in a row.

"We've seen them before," said Cave Spring's Piper Hagan, the team's lone senior who played in the 2006 final four. "We know they have some strong hitters. But we've prepared ourselves well so I think we're ready."

Cave Spring was more than set Tuesday. The Knights blew out to a 7-0 lead behind the serving of Lauren Sledd and upped the advantage to 16-4 en route to an easy win in Game 1.

"We were really tight, maybe trying to make too much happen," Botetourt coach Cheryl Shockley said. "We knew Cave Spring was going to bring a quick offense. We were kind of awestruck at first. Then, we got into a rhythm later on and realized, 'Yeah, we can play with them.' "

Botetourt (21-5) trailed just 19-16 in Game 2 and led as late as 11-10 in the final game, but the Cavaliers did not have another offensive weapon to complement outside hitter Macey Tyree and they could not match the pace of Cave Spring's offense.

"I thought all along that if we could get going offensively that our tempo would keep them off balance," Tanis said. "We slowed down. We had some big lulls there."

Sophomore Morgan Shannon led Cave Spring with 15 kills, including the winner in Game 2. Sledd, who had the putaway on match point, added 10 kills, while Hagan had seven. Setter Taylor Baumann had 38 assists, but it was the 30 digs by libero Jocelyn Kellinger that caught Shockley's eye.

"She was really amazing getting to balls," Shockley said. "When you thought they were going to hit the ground, she dug them right up. Kudos to her."

Tyree -- the Region III player of the year -- had 14 kills and 12 digs for Botetourt. No other Cavalier had more than two kills.

"We were trying to guess on Macey and you can't guess on Macey," Tanis said. "She would see us go to the right and she would hit to the left. She hit smart."

No question Cave Spring's 7-0 start set the tone for the match, which was played before a large crowd from both Timesland schools.

"We didn't even look at the scoreboard," Hagan said. "We were on and we were clicking."

Botetourt setter Keegan Brads, who had 15 assists, wasn't expecting such a slow start.

"We could have played better," Brads said. "I think everyone was playing a little tight."

Cave Spring appears to be vastly improved from the team that lost 3-1 to Osbourn Park and 3-0 to E.C. Glass in a season-opening doubleheader.

"We're so committed and focused on the court in practice," Hagan said.

"We have a lot of fun. We don't get mad at each other that much, and if we do, it's all joking."

Now the Knights just hope to have the last laugh.