Scrimmage Between Lady Flyers and St. Andrews Provides Beach Volleyball Preview

On a picture perfect Friday afternoon, the Lady Flyers and and the St. Andrews Knights provided a glimpse of why beach volleyball is such a rapidly growing sport.

In the first season of the sport at Sandhills Community College, the scrimmage between the two teams was the first at home for Coach Alicia Riggan's squad that made its debut with one at Spartanburg Methodist the week before.

The Flyer coaches and players will now turn their attention back to indoor volleyball and a COVID Pandemic delayed season that will get underway in January. The beach volleyball regular season follows in April.

A small gathering of people watched from the sidelines and from automobiles in the parking lot in front of the Dempsey Student center, as two matches of two-on-two went on simultaneously on the two sand courts.

Plans have been made to have two additional courts and other amenities ready by April 1.

"It's nice to see the girls playing on our home court and envisioning what the new facility is going to look like," the coach said as the two teams competed in doubles. "It's going to be a great addition to the college, something fun, learning a new game.

"Beach volleyball is an up and coming sport and it's going to be exciting for our community - a place for people to come out and support the Flyers."

The challenges for the Flyer coaches include figuring out which players on the roster of 12 complement each other and play the best together. They must rank the teams doubles. In a match each team's No. 1 plays the other teams No. 1, No. 2 vs. No.2 etc. There are five doubles combinations in all and the team that wins three of the three-set competitions between the pairs wins the overall match.

A challenge for the players is to become skilled in all facets of the game because they have only their partner to rely on.

"You've got players who don't normally serve or receive or play defense and now you're asked to do it all," Riggan said as she observed the action on the two courts. "That is only going to help them be better all-around players and that makes us better as a team.

"I think its pushing some of them out of their comfort zones and maybe it's pushing the coaches out of theirs too where we limit a player based on what we observed in the past and this opens up our eyes to new possibilities."

On one court, sophomore Alexus McCrimmon was paired with Rachel Patton, an O'Neal School grad who recently joined the team. As a middle hitter, McCrimmon was second on the team in total blocks last season and fourth in kills.

Called upon to "do it all" against the Knight's pair, she was more than holding her own.

"Most of us are playing it for the first time and I actually like it," the product of North Moore High School said. "I think we're getting the hang of it pretty well. I just like it all. I'm just doing what I love."

On the adjacent court, the Flyers' No. 2 team on this day of sophomore Morrigan Denman and freshman Mariah Daffron took on the Knight's No. 2.

An outside hitter, Denman was second on the team in kills and third in digs last season. The 5-foot-2 Daffron was a libero at Voyager Academy and played some beach volleyball for her club team.

With clearly complementary skills, the pair moved smoothly in support of each other.

"Mo has amazing hits and digs, and with me I can dig the ball," Daffron said. "I wish I could hit like her, but I can't. I'm too short for that."

In beach volleyball, the coach may not talk to the players from the sideline or make substitutions.

"I like that in doubles if they dig themselves a hole they have to decide when to call a timeout," Riggan said as she observed the action. "No one is coming into sub for them or tell them what to do on every single point like indoor so hopefully that teaches a lot of leadership. I'm excited about the learning opportunity."

For the scrimmage, each team's doubles got to play two sets. As darkness moved in each team had won four times with two to go.

"I think last week at Spartanburg was an opportunity to kind of get the jitters out," Riggan said. "They seem more confident today and having more fun. Some of the rules are different and they're starting to figure things out the court, but I think that indoors or outdoors they're realizing that volleyball is volleyball. It's exciting to watch and what a great day."

One of the big differences of course is the sand playing surface outdoors.

"It's a lot more fun to dive in the sand than on the hardwood that's for sure," Riggan said.

Unless … . . as Daffron experienced: "When we went to Spartanburg I dove for a ball and had my mouth open. I had so much sand in my mouth and got some in my eyes. We played a point and I still had sand in my mouth and had to call a time out, get water and spit it out. On the bus ride home I still had sand in my mouth. I definitely think closing your mouth is the best bet."

Beach volleyball activities will not be resumed until the indoor season that officially begins in January is completed. St. Andrews is expected to be one of the participants at The Flyer Invitational on April 23 that opens the beach volleyball season.

This is also the first year of beach volleyball at St. Andrews. Unlike the Flyers' program that encourages its players to play both indoors and outdoors, the Knights team is made up of players specifically recruited to play beach volleyball.

C. Bergmann