YORKTOWN — After 18 years of disheartening defeats, eight in state championship games, Grafton finally had Loudoun County “where we wanted them” in the Class 4 volleyball state semifinals on Tuesday at Grafton.

But the Clippers were unable to close the deal as the Captains from Northern Virginia rallied to win 19-25, 25-15, 27-25, 23-25, 15-13.

Loudoun County (16-5) moves on to the state final on Saturday, when it will vie for its 15th state title — the first of which came in 2007 in an epic five-set final against Grafton. The Clippers (24-1), who have not won a state title in 11 championship-game appearances since that first in ’07, had played in a state final eight consecutive seasons (six in Class 4 two in Class 3).

“They got a little more aggressive in the end and, when we needed a

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