Celebrating Individual and Team Accomplishments of the 2024 Lady Flyers

Sandhills Community College freshman Kristin Dodds and sophomore Caroline Bradford have been named to the NJCAA Division III All-American team, and Coach Alicia Riggan has been honored as the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Northeast/Southeast Region Coach of the Year.

All helped contribute to a Lady Flyers squad that won a team record 37 matches on the way to region and district titles, and a sixth place finish at the national championship tournament held last month in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Ranked No. 6 in the final regular season DIII poll, the Lady Flyers entered the national tournament as the No. 4 seed. They defeated Rochester Tech in their opener before a loss to Century College sent them into the consolation bracket.

They defeated Owens CC before dropping a five-set match to Dallas College North Lake, finishing with a record of 37-7. Sophomore middle hitter Cassidy Jewett's performance in the tournament, earned her a spot on the All-Tournament team. No. 1 seeded Dallas Eastfield went on to repeat as the national champion.

Dodds, a rightside, and a product of West Johnston High School, was an All-American first team selection. She finished the season third in the nation in DIII with 409 kills and fifth in block solos with 60. Bradford, a Pinecrest grad and an honorable mention selection, was fourth nationally with 380 kills. She was also third on the team in digs and second in service aces.

"It's her bounce'" Riggan said of Dodd's athleticism that not only led to kills, but also blocks. "When Kristin gets on top of the ball with that power, nobody is bringing it back. We really leaned on her in a lot of games."

Operating mainly as an outside hitter, Bradford possessed an all-around game that made her a major contributor wherever she was on the court.

"Caroline came in as a captain this year." the coach said. "One of her freshman teammates told me that she never had a captain like Caroline Bradford. She is a leader."

Among the other sophomores on the team, libero Lainey Mullins received All-Region 10 honors for the second time and finished her Sandhills career with a team record 1,239 digs. Other Region 10 honorees were Dodds and Bradford, first team and Jewett and freshman Katelyn Bunting, second team. Other sophomores, contributing to the team's two-year record of 57-16 include Jenna Luquer, Nikki Lambert, Sydney Garner and Zoey Hall.

Disappointing End to 2023 Season Provides Motivation

The Flyers coaches and returning players were determined to avoid a repeat of the previous season that ended with a loss at the Region 10 tournament.

Riggan and assistant coaches Holly Mandeville and Jacob Marley prepared the team for a rigorous regular season schedule that had the team competing in 37 matches in a period of 61 days. In a combined 22 matches against Division I and II opponents, the Lady Flyers compiled a record of 22-3.

"It's important for the girls to know what it feels like to play really tough competition like nationally ranked teams," Riggan said. "We were trying to put our girls in situations where the endurance was there and we would be peaking at the end of the season.

"To have 17 players and to be able to rotate the lineups the way we did this season was pretty spectacular and that is a tribute to the girls and the type of athletes they are. The sophomores laid a great foundation, they were hungry, they wanted to be in the gym. They leaned on us in the off season to work hard. Most of these girls played beach and we really saw the growth.

"These girls had a grit about them. Going into the tournament, we were ready to play. That first game helped give them confidence. When you lose the second game, you know you're not playing for a national title, but these girls showed their determination."

Lady Flyers Volleyball – More Than a Game

At the end of the tournament, that was attended by Sandhills President Sandy Stewart, the Lady Flyers were presented with the tournament's Sportsmanship Award.

"That to me was almost as good as winning the national championship," Riggan said. "Dr. Stewart was there and he was beaming from ear to ear."

For Mullins, the two years, including her first time in an airplane has been a great experience.

"I've learned a lot," the one of four Pinecrest grads on the team said. "Coach definitely helped me come out of my shell. I was really shy when I got here, very nervous. Coach Riggan really helped me open up and become a leader which I never thought I could be.

"We worked really hard this year and our team deserved to get there and we showed that when we got there. Everybody was supportive of each other. Those who didn't play a lot stepped up in practice. We got to nationals by being competitive with each other every day."

Coaching, Also a Team Effort

Riggan finished the season with a record of 332-140 in 16 seasons at Sandhills.

"When Holly came here three years ago after 10 years as a head coach at St. Andrews, it was one of the best things to happen for this program. She knows what it takes and works with all of the positions.  Jacob was a huge asset for us at home events and helping with stats. Due to his work schedule he got to practice when he could and the girls loved having him around."

"I feel our staff does a great job of challenging each other, we make each other better and make the team better. Without them I wouldn't be able to do what I do."

"I think these girls had an awesome season. They saw a lot of growth and made friendships. We had some really big wins and some heartbreaking losses, but at the end of the day they really liked each other and everybody that was around the team said that about them."

C. Bergmann