Lady Flyers Make History at "The Sandbox"
The Sandhills Community College beach volleyball team defeated Spartanburg Methodist College 3-2 and Wake Tech 5-0 at "The Sandbox" on Friday afternoon for the new athletic program's first two victories.
Coach Alicia Riggan's squad was competitive for the most part while dropping its first three matches a week ago at the Flyer Invitational and two more at Catawba College on Tuesday. One of the losses was 4-1 to Spartanburg Methodist.
This time the two teams were tied at 2-2 with the Flyers' pair of Alexus McCrimmon and Mya Sencenbaugh one-point away from wrapping it up only to have the two Pioneers take the next two points and the match-point advantage.
McCrimmon did not want to lose the set and allow the match to be extended to a 15-point tie-breaker.
"Mya and I knew we had to finish it right here because this was going to determine if we won the match," she said afterward. "We just had to have the mentality to go out there, get the kill and finish it. It was very nerve-wracking, but we just had to keep going and keep fighting."
A spectacular return helped the Flyers tie it up again. With their teammates looking on they won the next two points to wrap up the signature victory, leading to a celebration.
"The girls all ran over there," Riggan said. "The excitement is what you want. All of them stepped up today and played really well.
"I think they've had an upbeat vibe the whole time. This can't help, but make them excited and confident."
The Lady Flyers wrap up their beach volleyball season with matches against the Pioneers and Catawba Valley CC in Spartanburg, SC next Friday.
Flyers' Coach Shakes Up the Lineup
McCrimmon and Sencenbaugh were paired together for the first time as were each of the other Flyer doubles.
College roommates, Mya Mallard and Mariah Daffron, and Khaile Jones and Brook Anne Fryar, also clicked well enough to win both of their matches 2-0.
"We had a loss to Catawba this week and I feel everybody learned a lot from it," Fryar said. "Khaile and I came out really strong. I feel we did a good job of communicating with each other and were really in sync with our positions on the court."
As two of the team's shorter players, Mallard, a setter indoors, and Daffron, a libero, were an unlikely combination.
"They just have such great chemistry," Riggan said. "You were concerned about not having a block, but their athleticism and the way they read the ball was just unbelievable."
The Flyers' No. 1 team of Camryn Lowe and Christen Clontz made it into the win column against Wake Tech after the only three-set match of the entire afternoon. The No. 2 team pairing of Carley Modlin, who learned earlier in the week that she had earned NJCAA All-American honors in volleyball for the second time, and freshman Abby Quick, who missed the indoor season because of illness, also defeated their Wake Tech opponents.
Having Fun While Learning the Game
Even while not winning a set at Catawba, Riggan was encouraged by seeing her players, making progress, competing in a unique sport that only 17 other NJCAA colleges are currently sanctioned to play.
"It's been more like let's compete and see what happens," she said. "Catawba has players with scholarships and they've been doing this longer than we have. It really made us step up our game. Even though we didn't win any sets there it was tight at times and we led at times.
"They just seem to be having fun. It's a different kind of game. It's been exciting to see the girls come out and not be down on themselves and take care of business today.
"It's like wow, 'this is working'. It's been perfect. You couldn't ask for a better day."
In the middle match of the afternoon, Spartanburg Methodist defeated Wake Tech. Now, also becoming ambassadors of the sport, the Lady Flyers are holding a beach volleyball camp for fifth through 12th graders in May. Twenty youth have already signed up.
SCC 3, SMC 2
1. Camryn Lowe and Christen Clontz 0-2 (15-21, 14-21)
2. Carley Modlin and Abby Quick 0-2 (7-21, 15-21)
3. Mya Mallard and Mariah Daffron 2-0 (21-14, 22-20)
4. Mya Sencenbaugh and Alexus McCrimmon 2-0 (21-17, 23-21)
5. Khaile Jones and Brook Anne Fryar 2-0 (21-17, 21-16).
SCC 5, Wake Tech 0
1. Lowe and Clontz 2-1 (21-15, 19-21, 15-8)
2. Modlin and Quick 2-0 (21-9, 21-7)
3. Mallard and Daffron 2-0 (21-3, 21-10)
4. Sencenbaugh and McCrimmon 2-0 (21-16, 23-21)
5. Jones and Fryar 2-0 (21-6, 21-13)
C. Bergmann