Dixon DigFest - Aug. 18 in Jacksonville, NC

Ashley's Varsity went to Dixon HS in Onslow County on Saturday, Aug 18 to scrimmage 4 teams in the Dixon DigFest.

Here is the schedule of teams played:

Pender - 9:35 am
LeJeune - 10:10 am
Swansboro - 12:10 am
South Brunswick - 1:30 pm

Volleyball update
Rachel George, Star News

Sorry for the delay on this, but technical problems have kept me from logging onto the blog this weekend. Nevertheless, I made my way up to Holly Ridge on Saturday to catch up with some of our area volleyball teams in their final scrimmage before games start this week.

Here's a roundup of where they are heading into the first week of the season.

Ashley:
The Screaming Eagles don't appear to have much height, but coach Kelly Humphrey says this is the tallest team she's ever had. Kelsey Hopper is the tallest player, at just a shade under 6-foot, but Humphrey thinks her team will be able to handle the height of other teams. She said the answer lies in communication, with her players working together to go around other teams' front lines. "I feel like I'm living in a land of giants," she said. "You've got to be tricky and just put it where they're not. ... You've got to hit around the block."

Dixon:
Height will also be a challenge for the Bulldogs, with 5-foot-11 middle hitter Leslie Thompson as their tallest player. Coach Fay Hall hopes her team's experience will be enough to make up for it, with seniors Erin Gray and Chelsea Dzurilla returning for their third year on varsity. The Bulldogs are shooting for the Coastal Plains Conference title; with three returning starters, they could be in good shape to get that. "One of the keys for us is how consistent we are with serving," Hall said.

Pender:
The Patriots are a shorter, quicker bunch this season. Last year, led by 6-foot-3 Britney Roper (who is now playing at East Carolina), the Patriots advanced to the state championship game, where they lost to powerhouse Hendersonville. The expectations are to get back this year, even with the loss of Roper and five other seniors. "(Height is) kind of hard to compensate for, but the team is quicker, which will help," coach Ray Horton said. "Last year was the most experienced I've ever started out with." Horton returns three starters - Lauren Lanier, Melissa Mott and Jannetta Robinson - who he said need to been consistent for Pender to accomplish its goals this season.

South Brunswick:
The Cougars might be the best prepared to challenge Pender for the Waccamaw Conference title, but coach Lee Shelton concedes that the Patriots are the conference's best team until someone beats them. "It's tough to break into their ryhthm," he said. "If there's a time to do it, it might as well be this year." The Cougars finished 18-5 last season and return three players taller than 5-foot-9. Shelton said the key to the team's success is dependant on finding the right combination of players on the court. "I've got seven or eight good volleyball players," he said, "but I've got to find that one good team we can put on the floor."

Trask:
Coach Karen Byrd lost five seniors, all of whom started at some point last year. Four seniors will start this season, but Byrd plans to fill the other two spots with a freshman and sophomore. She said her team will be successful if the players can improve on how they receive serves, something she said she's still trying to find a good formation for. "We usually maybe are slow getting out of the game, but we always finish strong," she said.

Posted August 20, 2007 11:46:02 AM
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