Flyers Finish Region 10 Runner-Up, Punch Ticket to Nationals

Sandhills Community College beach volleyball battled through a hot and highly competitive Region 10 Championship on Friday, earning a semifinal win over Wake Tech before falling to Richard Bland College in the title match. With the runner-up finish, the Flyers secured a return trip to the NJCAA Beach Volleyball National Championship.

Playing on their home courts in front of a supportive crowd and under a blazing spring sun, the Flyers opened the day strong with a 4-1 win over Wake Tech in the semifinal round. The depth of the lineup was on full display as Sandhills picked up straight-set wins at Pairs 3 (Lainey Mullins and Reagan Smith) and 4 (Zoey Hall and Katelyn Bunting), and clinched the match with decisive third set victories in pairs 2 (Caroline Bradford and Jenna Luquer) and 5 (Jacque Holden and Emery Freeman).

The lone loss came at Pair 1, where Aydan Bullard and Nikki Lambert fell in two close sets (19-21, 21-23) to a strong Wake Tech duo.

"It's awesome to be hosting and playing on your home court," said Head Coach Alicia Riggan. "I'm really proud of the girls. We've played Wake Tech tough all season, and to come out and win that first round meant a lot."

In the championship match against top-seeded Richard Bland, the Flyers ran into a well-balanced, high-powered opponent. Sandhills dropped straight-set decisions at Pairs 2, 3, and 4, with Pairs 1 and 5 still in progress when the match was decided. Notably, Sandhills was leading in the second set in both unfinished matches and appeared poised to force deciding third sets.

"The girls fought—we had two up and were probably heading into third-set battles," Riggan said. "It just didn't roll our way today. Richard Bland is a great team, but I'm super proud of the girls, especially for competing so hard against such a talented group."

Despite the loss, the Flyers celebrated a strong showing in the region and will now turn their focus to preparing for the NJCAA Beach Volleyball National Championship, held in Huntsville, Alabama May 1st through 3rd. Sandhills, the only Division III school in the Region 10 bracket, will join Richard Bland and Wake Tech as representatives from the region.

"It's not the outcome we wanted in game two, but we're excited to be heading to nationals again," Riggan said. "We'll take a couple of days to enjoy the moment and the hard work the team has put in since January, then we'll start preparing to play the best teams in the country."

The national championship bracket will be revealed Wednesday at 3:00 p.m. and fans are invited to join the Flyers for a viewing party in the Game Room at Sandhills Community College as the team learns their path in the championship.