More Fun in the Sun at Lady Flyers' Sand Volleyball Camp
There is one thing almost everyone involved with playing volleyball in the sand can agree upon. It is so much fun.
The first Sandhills Community College Beach Volleyball Camp wrapped up its fourth and final two-hour session at the school's new courts early Thursday evening. About 25 rising fifth through 12th graders participated.
Lady Flyers Head Coach Alicia Riggan, assistant coaches and team members provided the instruction.
"For the first time we've done it, this has been great," Riggan said on Thursday. "You never know with an outdoor event how it's going to turn out, but it's just been a perfect week.
"It's just fun to watch the kids progress. None of them had played beach volleyball until Monday. You can't help, but want to do it. It's just fun."
Continuing a season of firsts for the college's first-year beach volleyball program, Sandhills will be hosting the Flyers Junior Beach Volleyball Tournament for 14U and 16U teams on Saturday, beginning at 9 a.m.
Up to 10 teams are expected to compete in the event sanctioned by the Carolina Region of USA Volleyball. Led by Associate Athletic Director Ryan Riggan as the tournament director, Sandhills will help facilitate the activities.
Abby Quick, a Scotland County High School graduate, was one of the Lady Flyers helping the campers this week. A libero, she missed the indoor season because of illness, but saw action during the beach volleyball season that wound up with matches at Spartanburg Methodist about two weeks ago.
Although she had practiced on sand on several occasions while in high school, Quick had never played in a match until this spring with the Flyers. She felt good about being told by one of the campers that she should be a teacher.
"It's actually fun getting to teach kids," she said. "I like seeing the kids having fun and getting to enjoy the game."
One of the campers was Hailey Gibbons, an eighth grader from West Pine Middle School. She enjoyed learning the tomahawk hitting technique where a player clasps her hands overhead to create power for a deep ball.
She would like to see beach volleyball incorporated as a high school sport.
"I also think I'm gaining a lot of serve and receive techniques and ways to better my touches on the ball for on court or beach," she said. "It's just fun learning new ways to play."
For the last hour on Thursday, a group of youngsters who for the most part didn't know each other before Monday, scrimmaged on the four courts.
"I think so many people weren't aware we have this facility so its been a great way to advertise it," Riggan said. "Again, it's about growing the game and getting kids excited about volleyball at an early age."
C. Bergmann