Lady Flyers Coach Riggan Taps Familiar Source for Four New Recruits.
Four members of the Purnell Swett volleyball team have signed to play at Sandhills Community College in the fall.
Kaitlyn Locklear, McKenzie Swett, Lexiana "Paige" Sencenbaugh and Madison "Mattie" Harris made the commitment official at a signing ceremony held at United By Faith Community Ministries in Maxton.
Lady Flyers Coach Alicia Riggan and Purnell Swett Coach Corey Deese were among those present for the occasion.
"We are excited to have these girls join our program," Riggan says. "Kaitlyn is a setter with smooth hands and McKenzie is an outside hitter with a heavy hand. Paige" can set, hit, or play defense like a utility player, and Mattie is a quick rightside. I'm excited to have their chemistry on the court."
All four student/athletes are members of National Honor Society and Beta Club at the high school.
The 5-foot-4 Locklear plans to major in radiography at Sandhills. She was the team MVP as a junior at Purnell Swett, earned all-conference honors as a junior and received All-Robesonian County recognition as a junior and senior. She was also a member of the softball team.
Swett, 5-8, plans to major in pre-physical therapy and also played soccer in high school. Harris, 5-7, received all-conference recognition this year and plans to major in computer technology.
"I really like the campus and they have a really nice program," Harris said in an article that appeared in the newspaper, The Robesonian. "What I'm going to school for they're really good in it. Volleyball's just a plus."
The 5-5 Sencenbaugh, who will major in civil engineering, is a cousin of current Flyer team member Mya Sencenbaugh.
Riggan's friendship with Coach Deese goes way back to their travel basketball, high school playing days, and collegiate volleyball experiences. In 2013, two of Deese's former high school players, Erin Kenworthy (Co-Region 10 Player of the Year) and Morgan Chavis (All-Region 10) were Lady Flyer standouts.
"I know that when I get girls from Coach Deese, they're going to give us 110 per cent, they're going to have great attitudes, they're going to be hard workers on the court," Riggan said in the same article for The Robesonian. "We currently have two right now (Mya Sencenbaugh and Khalie Jones). So just the progression they've made. I'm really excited for these four coming in."
C.Bergmann