There is a wanted poster on the wall of the Reservoir gymnasium. It reads, "Reservoir. State champions. 20-0." And every team that comes into that gym wants a cut of the reward.

The latest to collect was Wilde Lake, which beat the defending Class 3A state champions, 25-22, 25-17, 18-25, 25-23, Sept. 15.

"We came in with anger," said Megan Kelly, who led the Wildecats with 11 kills and seven aces.

It seems the Wildecats, as well as most teams, are still feeling the sting of Reservoir's 2007 unbeaten season. The Gators won 60 games, lost only six and won the prestigious Bulldog Classic tournament.

Kelly and her teammates beat the Gators this year with aggressive serves (14 aces), a strong presence at the net (Jan Duncan had three point blocks), and a varied offensive attack (newcomer Camille Freeman had nine kills).

Throw in sophomore Jessica Turner anchoring the passing game as libero, Jackie Li stepping in as the sure-handed setter and Megan Reisz as a steady source of kills (six in the match), and the Wildecats have the look of a team that could finally get over the hump in the playoffs after falling to Reservoir in the regional semifinals last season. The Wildecats' 12 wins in 2007 were a program best.

"We're going to surprise a lot of people. We're really advancing Wilde Lake volleyball. It's been a long time coming," said first-year coach Caitlin Geoghan, whose team fought back from an 0-2 deficit to defeat defending regional champion River Hill last week. "The biggest thing we had to overcome was chemistry, we have all the weapons in our arsenal that we needed."

The Gators also fell to Atholton and Thomas Johnson in three-game sweeps last week. But it's too early to declare Reservoir a lost cause for this season. Coach Carole Ferrante knew the unreasonable expectations and pressure to win would be there. The Gators were ranked third in the area in some preseason polls, even after graduating six of the eight players who saw time in the state championship win.

"That's a really big shadow to sit under," said Ferrante, looking up to the bright championship banner after Monday's loss. At times Reservoir looked out of sorts against Wilde Lake -- allowing four aces in a row, making two rotation errors in the span of three points, or as on the last point of the match, watching a perfect set by Tiffany Jacobson drop at the feet of several players, untouched.

There were also times when the Gators showed glimpses of 2007. When Jacobson made a point block (six in the match), or Julie Poston had one of her booming kills (a match-high 17), or when Jasmyne Cummings saved a rally with a spectacular diving dig.

The Gators will have to deal with a line of teams looking for revenge this season, but they'll always have that reminder in the corner of the gym to show them the gunslingers they once were and plan to be again.

"We're going to be much stronger than we are now," Ferrante said.

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