From the Foothills to the Sandhills

Volleyball Coach Alicia Riggan took a big step toward filling an open spot in the Sandhills Community College lineup with last week's signing of Shaedyn Housh of Jimmy C. Draughn High School in Valdese.

An all-conference player for the school located in the foothills of Western North Carolina, the 5-foot-4 Housh is projected to fill the libero position occupied by the graduating Erica Groff who received All Region X honors in both of her seasons and is the Lady Flyers career leader in digs.

Playing in several positions for the Wildcats this past season, the three-sport standout led her team in service aces (39) and was second in kills (178), digs (377) and service receptions (321).

"We've been in search of a libero and we actually found Shaedyn down at Myrtle Beach in the Winter Bump," Riggan said, referring to the January tournament in an article for The News Herald of Morganton.  "We liked the way she ran the backline and the way she interacted with her teammates. She's very coachable, loud, energetic and has a great sense of the court, where the ball's going and hustling."

Riggan got to see Housh play several more games in Charlotte in February and was even more impressed. She also met her family. That led to a visit to the Sandhills campus a few weeks later. The Flyers' coach thought she fit right in with the players and the team's style of play.

"Coach Riggan played a huge role in my decision," Housh said. "Her enthusiasm for both the game and her players was something I truly admired and wanted in a coach."

Also a standout in basketball and softball, she was an honorable mention selection on the All-Burke County basketball team for the recently completed season. She was also named all-conference and voted team MVP as a junior.

Among those attending the signing at the high school were her parents Aaron and Stephanie Housh, a brother Christian, and Draughn volleyball coach Chris Treadway.

Treadway talked to the News Herald about his senior's impact on the volleyball program at Draughn.

"To the program, Shaedyn has brought a level of competitiveness that is hard to find," he said. "She is just a true competitor. Her work ethic at every practice transfers to game day. To be able to have that caliber of player in your program brings everybody else up, and increases their work ethic, and makes everybody prepare for each and every match and play at a high level.

"Her attitude is fantastic. She's a very coachable athlete. The intensity she brings to the court is a coach's dream."

At Draughn  Housh made the Principal's List and the A/B Honor Roll. Some of her other activities include National Honor Society, Hospice volunteer, Spanish Club, and Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA). She plans to enroll in a pre-veterinarian program at Sandhills.

C. Bergmann