Lady Flyers Represent Sandhills Community College "Perfectly"
Less then 24 hours after returning from a week in Rochester, MN, members of the Sandhills Community College volleyball team were back to doing what they've done on almost every Monday morning of the fall semester.
The Lady Flyers lost their opening match at the NJCAA Division III national championship on Thursday and then won both consolation bracket matches to finish in ninth place in the field of 12 teams.
On Saturday they watched DuPage CC (IL) defeat three-time defending champion Owens CC (OH) 3-1 for the national title.
Monday's 9 a.m. PE Weight Training I class is conducted by Associate Athletic Director Ryan Riggan who traveled with the team throughout a challenging schedule that included 38 matches in 85 days.
"The ladies did an incredible job of preparing all season," he said as team members were loosening up on the court at The Hangar. "This sophomore group started working out, lifting and jumping, and getting ready for it last May. They set their goal of getting to the national tournament and accomplished it.
"They played well there for the most part and represented Sandhills Community College perfectly."
Resilient Lady Flyers Shake off First Round Loss
Head Coach Alicia Riggan put together a difficult schedule to prepare the team for moments such as when they defeated No. 1 ranked Butler County CC 3-1 in the district tournament to qualify for nationals. But in last Thursday's national tournament opener against Finger Lakes CC, the Lady Flyers fell behind 10-1 and went on to drop the first set 25-12. They also lost the next two 25-23 and 25-23, relegating the team to the consolation bracket.
"I remember calling a timeout and saying,' Take a deep breath and calm down,'" Riggan said on Monday. "We just seemed so jittery. In the second set and third sets you saw we played more like us.
"If you don't win that first match the best you can do is ninth place. Yes, we're not chasing that anymore (national title), but we're having to regroup for the chance to go 2-1. That was hard for our girls, never having experienced something like that."
In the two consolation matches, the first one later on Thursday, they faced two nationally ranked teams from Pennsylvania that came into the tournament with identical records of 19-1.
Two-time Region 10 Player of the Year, and 2021 All-American middle hitter Keke Lawrence, tied a career-high with 18 kills, and freshman Lannah Huneycutt was credited with a season-high 38 assists, as the Flyers defeated No. 6 ranked Harrisburg Area CC in five sets. Sophomore L'Asia Jackson and freshman Alyssa Maragelis each accounted for six of the team's season-high 17 service aces.
Then after dropping the first set to Northampton in the ninth place match on Friday, the Lady Flyers prevailed 16-25, 25-22, 25-16 and 25-23 with the final point coming off a strike by Lawrence that landed just inside the back line. On Saturday, she learned that she had been named to the all-tournament team.
"In my mind, I was just hoping as a team we could come together and pick it up," she said, thinking back to the first round disappointment. "I'm just glad we did what we had to in the next two games and finished ninth in the nation. That was the good part of it even though we didn't get a ring."
Several Flyers played through nagging injuries late in the season. Sophomore Alexis Hinson did not see action in the last eight matches after contracting an illness. Abby Quick, one of five sophomores in a addition to Lawrence, Jackson, JaLasia Ray and Mackenzie Swett, arrived late in Minnesota because of illness.
"I think the girls came together and knew what was on the line in each one of those games," Riggan said. "I think they really showed unity in the last couple of weeks and that's what you hope for.
"There were a lot of obstacles that said that this might not be for us and I'm glad to see the girls fight all through that and knock those obstacles down."
Lady Flyers Look Back and Ahead
Lawrence, and Jackson who earned NJCAA Player of the Week honors back in October, are both considering opportunities to continue their playing careers at four-year colleges next year. Jackson and Quick will both graduate from Sandhills in December.
Quick plans to transfer to UNC-Pembroke and enroll in its Early Childhood Education Program.
"I think just all the accomplishments this year with this team and the friendships," she said when asked what the experience with the team has meant to her. "And making it to nationals was a big deal for me."
Jackson is proud of the way the Region 10 regular season and tournament championship team responded in tough situations throughout the season. The Lady Flyers were 5-2 in matches that went five sets, overcoming match points to win three of them, and defeated ranked teams in three of their final four matches.
"I think the team has been great about coming together this year when we've fallen behind and trying to push through for the win," she said. "I just think the chemistry was really good this year. Even if some of us we weren't friends outside of volleyball, we still came together on the court."
Jackson said that she will always remember spending her birthday in Minnesota along with about a 30-minute walk back to the hotel from a restaurant on one of the days with teammates after a van that was scheduled to pick them up was late.
Most members of the team will reconvene for practice in February for the beach volleyball season. Setter Lannah Huneycutt is one of the eight freshmen, contributing to a memorable season.
Under the tutelege of Assistant Coach Holly Mandeville she not only improved in the play-making department, but in attacks, finishing with eight kills in the final match and 107 for the season. Many of the kills came on clever dumps into space.
"I've been working on them for awhile now, but Coach Mandeville definitely helped me become more proficient at them," she said.
Jason and Brandi Huneycutt were among the parents of players, traveling to Minnesota.
"It was special to have them there watching me," she said. "I hope we go back next year."
C. Bergmann
National Tournament
