Lady Flyers Celebrate Season Three of Beach Volleyball

When the Sandhills Community College beach volleyball season ended early last month with a loss to Bryant and Stratton at the Region 10 Championship, Coach Alicia Riggan was a little surprised by the reaction of her players.

The majority of the members of the team had competed in a team record 38 matches during the fall indoor season and another 19 outdoors this spring in addition to the almost daily practices throughout that period.

"The players told me they weren't ready for the season to be over," she said following Tuesday's end of the season hot dogs and burgers cook out held at the team's outdoor courts. "Usually you are ready for a break and the next thing to come, but they were not and I'm excited about that."

Later, a light rain began to fall and the team's players, coaches, family members and other supporters moved to the lobby of the Dempsey Student Center to continue the celebration and hand out some awards.

Ten of the 13 members of the team, contributed to a successful fall indoor season that produced Region 10 regular season and conference tournament titles, and a trip to the national tournament in Rochester, MN where they won two of their three matches. They compiled an overall record of 23-15 with more than half of the matches coming against upper division and four-year college teams.

In the third year of beach volleyball at Sandhills, the Lady Flyers were challenged again this spring as one of only two teams out of the 18 junior colleges that compete in the sport that competed in Division III during the indoor season.  Both of their wins on sand came against Wake Tech.

Twelve teams qualified for the inaugural NJCAA Beach Volleyball Championship won by Palm Beach State in Tavares, FL two weeks ago.

"We're super-proud of you for trusting us and embracing this sport," Riggan said. "We talked all season about how it wasn't necessarily about the wins and losses, but about laying a brick and building a foundation for our program.

"When you come to Sandhills, winning is a reputation we have here so to ask them to do something outside their comfort zone and try something new and not necessarily be successful at it is tough. It takes being resilient to go out there against a Division I player who has a full scholarship and figure out a way to get some points."

The rain on Tuesday was a reminder that they played in all kinds of weather during the spring.  Another challenge was provided by injuries and illnesses that contributed to frequent changes in partners.

Riggan thanked the large support group, including assistant coaches Holly Mandeville and Ryan Riggan, family members and friends of the players, student scorers Joey McMullin and Jamal Williams, bus driver Ricky Hill and photographer Donna Ford.

Sophomores Mackenzie Swett, Keke Lawrence and JaLasia Ray were presented with red stoles to wear with their caps and gowns when they graduate on May 13. They also received multiple photos and had their teammates sign the frames.

Freshmen Emma Brown, Olivia Barlowe, Britta Martin, Alyssa Maragelis, Ny'asia McKinnon, Dajsha Fields, Rachel Burley, Anna Ty Ivey, Alexis Hinson and Lannah Huneycutt each received an action photo.

Awards, voted on by the players, were presented to Hinson, Most Improved, and Brown, The Flyers Award for the best teammate.

A setter during the indoor season, Riggan described Hinson as a hard worker and very coachable.  Beyond the bonding that occurs between team members, both players were struck by the strong bond that occurs between partners during an outdoor match.

"I never played beach before I got here," Hinson, a graduate of Fairmonf High School said. "You get out of it what you put in."

Brown, a graduate of Next Generation Academy in Sanford, did not play indoors last fall, but plans to for the coming season which gets underway with official practices at the end of July.  Riggan describes her as super-quick and a consistent player who leads by example.

"I'm really honored to have gotten that award," Brown said. "I think I'll take away the bond I have with these girls.  Even though we didn't always win we grew a lot as people and players."

In addition to the building of the program at Sandhills, the players and coaches have contributed to the growth of beach volleyball in the surrounding communities through the youth camps they continue to hold. The quality of the home courts received compliments from opponents and officials throughout the season. 

"I'm just proud of the girls," Riggan said. "And I hope this is something they're proud of and that in a couple years from now they'll come back and see how this program has continued to grow."

C. Bergmann