Spirits High as Lady Flyers Embark on New Volleyball Campaign
How excited was Sandhills Community College Coach Alicia Riggan about Wednesday's first official volleyball practice for the 2018 season?
"I was just telling my husband Ryan that this is like Christmas morning and last night was Christmas Eve because of all of the excitement and anticipation," she said before the first drills got underway at the Hangar at about 9 a.m. "I didn't get a lot of sleep last night.
"With the off-season work the sophomores have put in and the open gyms this summer we've seen them in spurts, but it's nice to have everybody here now. "
The morning began with picture-taking outside the Dempsey Student Center and baseline concussion testing at a computer lab.
Beginning her 10th season as coach of the Lady Flyers, Riggan, assistant coaches Kristin Hylton, Ashleigh McKenzie, Jacob Marley and Wendy McCormick, and athletic trainer Stefanie Turner, greeted seven returnees and four newcomers.
The sophomores that were a part of last year's 27-6 Region X championship squad that did not lose a single set in conference play, include Kiana Brown, Chelsea Green, Tee' Ashia Lilly, Kaitlyn Lisenby, Rachael Mashburn, Abby Wallace and Jordan Ward.
The first-year players are middle hitter Maya Bellamy (Fairmont High School), libero Shaedyn Housh (Jimmy C. Draughn) and outside hitters Ivy Futrell (West Montgomery) and Lilli Inman (Whiteville).
Like her coach, Mashburn, a product of Union Pines High School, had trouble settling down the night before. A right-side hitter, she was among the team leaders in kills, digs, assists and service aces.
"Last season was a new experience and this year I know what to expect going into it," she said. "That's making it fun for me.
"The new people aren't from around here, but I feel like we've gotten close to them since they've been here. I think they are going to be a really good fit."
Housh travelled the farthest, 150 miles, to come to Sandhills . Home for Inman is about 90 miles away.
All of the freshmen earned all-conference honors with their respective high school teams. Among the spots on the court they will look to contribute include the middle hitter position where the graduated Paige Garner was the Region X Player of the Year and an NJCAA All-American, and libero where Erica Groff was a second team all-region selection.
"I'm nervous, but it's more that I'm excited," Inman said. "It's been a long time waiting. I'm really excited to meet everybody. I just want to play."
Practices will continue daily from 8-11 a.m. in preparation for the season opener at Guilford Tech on August 23. The pre-season includes a weekend trip to the beach coupled with a Saturday practice at the Coastal Carolina University gym in Conway S.C., an SCC alumni match on August 18 and home scrimmages against St. Andrews and Cape Fear CC on August 15.
"We're coming off a big season last year so expectations are high and we want to continue to get better," Riggan said. "Luckily, returning such a large group of sophomores we didn't have a lot of holes to fill. You can see their excitement from just being together."
Wallace, a Pinecrest High School grad, is one of the seven sophomores that haven't forgotten the district tournament loss in a tie-breaker set to Northampton CC in Bethlehem, Pa. last November. It denied the Flyers a trip to the national championships in Rochester, Minn.
"It stings and just makes me and the others on the team want it more this year," the Flyer setter and first team all-region selection said. "It's going to be fun and being a sophomore I already know what to expect. We are going to try our best to go to Minnesota."
C.Bergmann