Here is an article published in the VARSITY NOW Blog on www.wilmingtonstar.com (the Wilmington Star newspaper website). Published by Dan Spears, August 11, 2007 8:12:46 PM.
Summer Slam
While the high school football season was welcomed by thousands on Friday night at Legion Stadium at the BB&T Jamboree, local volleyball teams have started their scrimmage season as well.
The Summer Slam, a 12-team event held Saturday at Ashley High School and Murray Middle School, was the first live action for teams after their first week of practice.
Here's a quick look at the six local teams that were in the field:
South Brunswick
Last season's breakthrough 18-5 campaign has the Cougars' spirits soaring. One of the more experienced teams at the event, coach Lee Shelton's 10-player squad knows it has given itself a reputation - one it welcomes with a smile. "I can tell when we play hard," Shelton said. "And we've got to do that against everybody." "We set a standard last year," setter Meghan Goldstein said. Goldstein, as well as seniors Erica Sauls and Jackie Zeron, were all smiles after a competitive, fan-friendly matchup with Hoggard to open the afternoon session. The three talked about how volleyball has become a big thing at the school now and that a state championship goal has been set. "Everybody started coming to our games," last year, Zeron said. A crowd of nearly 300 saw the team's playoff ender vs. First Flight. Before that, "it was just our parents," Goldstein said. "If that."
Hoggard
Coach Ron Strickland's formula for scrimmaging isn't much different than for matchups in the regular season - try to get as many people into the match as possible. "It's a luxury of being pretty deep," Strickland said after the South Brunswick matchup and about 15 minutes of postgame analysis with his team. "From 1 to 13 or 14, we've got a pretty wide range of players." Hoggard is again expected to win the Mideastern Conference and challenge for a state championship. Strickland said everyone would love to finally win a crown, but that the pursuit affects his senior class in different ways, citing setter Kathleen Gates and hitter Trish Varno. "Kathleen - she wants it. You know it. But she doesn't show the urgency," Strickland said, explaining that her work with the Junior Olympic program has shown her a higher class of competition and, therefore, more ups and downs that require her to keep an even keel. With Varno, "it's a different set of things," he said, adding that with her college choice still not made and an older sister that earned plenty of respect in the program. "No one works harder than Trish, except for her sister, Kathlyn," Strickland said. "And that's not a knock on Trish."
Ashley
Coach Kelly Humphrey took on double duty as tournament host and coach. And without an assistant coach on her staff, the program's network of parents made her day a lot easier. "I can trust them with anything. They run the concession stand, the hospitality room," she said. "It's been a huge help." On the court, Humphrey is also seeing that trust fall into place. The Screaming Eagles have 10 upperclassmen returning and four talented freshmen with club experience joining the mix. "The young girls have played a lot of travel ball, and that makes a big difference," Humphrey said after the team's finale with Topsail. "I saw some young ones step up today and the seniors taking on the leadership role. We still have to things to work on, but it's the beginning of the season." With that many faces coming into and off of the court, Humphrey said the team had a good day. She just couldn't remember any specifics of it. "I'm looking for the chemistry that works on the court," Humphrey said. "Now it's sit down and look at the tapes, because you know how this day is, everything goes by so fast."
Trask
Front row is not a problem for the Titans, but filling out the back row is currently a work in progress after losing all but one defender to graduation. Coach Karen Byrd has brought up a pair of sophomores and a freshman to fill the void. "We're gonna be scrappy for a while - until we get that experience under our belt," she said after the team's fifth match of the day against Dixon. "I think this is great as a coach. I get to see things I can't see in practice. We're talking about movement, and things we want to work on in coverage, and 'Do I have someone in the right spot?' For me it's a benefit to see the girls in action." The Titans were eliminated in the third round of the 1A playoffs by state finalist Pender last year, and they had several matches against bigger schools Saturday, including Chapel Hill, Jack Britt and Ashley. Still, Byrd said her girls things are getting better. "Our motto is play hard, play smart and play together. And we're doing that," she said. "Everything falls where it should be if you do that."
Topsail
The Pirates could have easily hung their heads. They lost five seniors from last season's surprise Coastal Plains Conference title team. They were the shortest team in the field by far. And their schedule had them playing five 4A schools - including Hoggard, 2003 state champion Chapel Hill and a Lee County squad that towered over them at the net. "They know we're playing the 4A schools," coach Hill Pearsall said. "And even if we're playing a 1A that big, we have to beat them defensively." The Pirates have brought up two freshmen and two sophomores, so learning tendencies will be the most important thing early in the season heading into conference play. "How's the setter going to react? What am I going to do in these situations? That's gonna be the biggest obstacle," Pearsall said. "Chemistry, that's the word. It doesn't happen overnight, and we have to do it in one season." Dixon Seniors Erin Gray and Chelsea Dzurilla are already showing they were named captains for a reason. Coach Faye Hall said the two did their jobs well as the team tries find the right complementary parts. "It was a learning day, to see where they can play," Hall said after the team's final scrimmage with Chapel Hill. "We've got a lot of possibilities." The Bulldogs are looking to return to the top of the Coastal Plains heap again this year and improve on an opening-round loss in the 1A state tournament. "We're just like anybody else - go for that conference title," Hall said. "We've just got to take each match one by one to be able to compete."
Coming up: Next Saturday, Dixon holds its East Coast Dig Fest, starting at 9 a.m. Local teams Ashley, New Hanover, Pender, South Brunswick and Trask join the home-standing Bulldogs in the eight-team field. A full schedule will run here and in the 'Star-News' later this week. -- Dan Spears, Assistant Sports Editor
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