Region 10 Champion Lady Flyers Host District Tournament on Friday and Saturday

The stage is now set for Sandhills Community College to host the Mid-Atlantic A-B District Championship Volleyball Tournament on Friday and Saturday at The Hangar.

The Lady Flyers qualified for the event by sweeping both host Rockingham CC and Patrick Henry CC for the Region 10 tournament title in Wentworth on Saturday.

Following the Flyers' 25-19, 25-9 and 25-20 victory over Patrick Henry in the championship match, middle hitter Carley Modlin was named Region 10 Player of the Year. Teammates Christen Clontz, Morrigan Denman, Willow Williams, and Camryn Lowe all received All-Region 10 first team honors. Coach Alicia Riggan was named Region 10 Coach of the Year.

The six team district tournament field includes 2018 National Champion Owens CC (36-4) from Toledo, Ohio and Columbus State (23-8) of Region 12, the No. 1 and No. 3 ranked teams in last weeks NJCAA Division III national poll.

The first of six matches on Friday begin at 9 a.m.  Saturday game times are 9 a.m., 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. As a region champion and host, the Flyers (20-10) are the No. 1 seed. They see their first action at 11 a.m. on Friday against Region 20 runner-up Howard CC (9-14) of Columbia, MD.

The other teams include Region 10 runner-up Patrick Henry (9-11) and Region 20 tournament champion Butler County (17-3) from Butler, PA. Both the tournament champion and runner-up will qualify for the national tournament on November 14-16 in Rochester, MN.

A week earlier the Flyers wrapped up the Region 10 regular season title.

"This was exactly the outcome we came here for," Riggan said after Saturday's wins. "It's another box we've checked. We kind of kept it interesting at times, but from the girls on the sideline to the girls on the court, I'm just so proud of them today.

"To win and walk away with every piece of hardware we could possibly get was pretty impressive."

Modlin had four kills, three of them off assists from Lowe, as the Flyers jumped out to a 6-0 lead against Rockingham. A 16-2 lead in the third set included six Modlin kills, three by Denman and eight assists from Lowe.

Modlin finished with 16 kills on just 19 attacks. Lowe (21) and Adison Campbell (6) combined for 27 assists. The overall kill percentage of .468 was the team's best of the season.

Later, Patrick Henry challenged the Flyers late in the first and third sets. Leading 24-20 in the third, McCrimmon was credited with the kill for the final point. Modlin and Denman each had a dozen kills. Lowe (15) and Campbell (13) combined for 28 assists. Willow Williams led in digs with 14.

Modlin finished the day with 28 kills on 35 attacks. She is currently fifth in NJCAA Division III in kills (342), ninth in kill percentage (.395) and third in solo blocks (80).

Her former Pinecrest High School team is 25-1 with a second round state playoff match at home against Ronald Reagan High School on Tuesday. Not only her power, but her enthusiasm adds to a team chemistry that is very strong.

"It definitely brings energy and I love it for me and I love it for the girls," she said.

Modlin follows Abby Wallace (2018) and Paige Garner (2017) as recent Lady Flyers to receive the player of the year honor.

"She's a great representative for our program and a huge asset to it," Riggan says. "We saw her be a powerhouse today with kills and blocks. I'm proud of her."

Beginning this season with 13 new players and no returnees, the Flyers lost to both Owens and Columbus State at a Labor Day weekend tournament in Perrysburg, Ohio. They went on to lose only two sets in eight matches on the way to extending their winning streak in conference play to 28. Saturday's wins extended their current winning streak against all competition to seven.

"We've had a good season and we've come together a lot more since we were in Ohio," Williams, a product of Southern Alamance High School, said afterward. "It's going to be different than when we played those teams there. They might underestimate us. We just have get our minds right and work hard."

With two banners on order to commemorate the Region 10 regular season and tournament titles, Riggan and her players have become aware of a problem.

"We've were talking about it at practice," Williams said. "There isn't room for any more banners. That's a good problem though."

C. Bergmann