History was served up Monday night at Nation Ford High School as all three Fort Mill School District high schools held their first ever regular season boys’ volleyball matches in school history.
Nation Ford hosted both Catawba Ridge and Fort Mill to open the season.
Boys’ volleyball has been an unsanctioned sport by the S.C. High School League until this year, but has been played for the past couple years in the state. Local teams such as Indian Land and Clover has had teams already, but this is the first year the sport has been sanctioned in the state.
On Monday, Aug. 21, all three teams went head-to-head against each other. Catawba Ridge came out on top beating both Fort Mill and Nation Ford, while the Jackets were able to beat Nation Ford in three sets.
For Catawba Ridge head boys coach Ross Lisee, whose wife is the head girls coach at the school, getting off to this type of start and having the opportunity for boys to play the sport helps in the long run.
“It is really exciting,” Lisee said. “It is great for the sport and a great opportunity for the community.”
Catawba Ridge opened with Nation Ford beating them 25-17, 25-9 in the best of three sets and then beat Fort Mill 25-15 and 27-25 in a close second set.
Catawba Ridge has 12 matches on its schedule as well as tournaments at Byrnes and Hillcrest. Their first home match is scheduled for Aug. 28 against Northwestern.
For Fort Mill, the Jackets were able to beat Nation Ford 25-12, 21-25, 15-8 in three sets. Fort Mill head coach Tamisha Martin admitted the nerves were there in her team’s debut.
“I’m the most nervous because I knew the boys were nervous,” she said. “I am excited for them.”
Martin said in year one the goal is simple – learn the game. Fort Mill has 16 matches scheduled with trips to play in two invitational tournaments at Byrnes and Eastside. Their first home match is scheduled for Aug. 30 against Northwestern.
Nation Ford head coach Tory Tysdal echoed Martin’s sentiments.
“I had no idea what it would look like before tonight,” she said. “I am hoping for consistency in how the game is played.
Tysdal said she would like the team to be more fundamentally sound by the end of the year.
For Nation Ford, the boy’s team has 13 matches scheduled, all with local teams. A lot of their matches are tri-matches meaning they will be playing two matches in an evening like they did Monday.
Mac Banks: mac@fortmillprepsports.com, @fortprep
