ROCK HILL – All three local varsity volleyball teams participated in the North-South Volleyball Invitational at the Rock Hill Events Center to open the 2023 season this weekend.
Fort Mill, Nation Ford and Catawba Ridge were three of 40 varsity teams to participate in the tournament. There were also 24 JV teams participating as well in that portion of the tournament.
The tournament attracted teams from both North and South Carolina to the event which was contested over Friday and Saturday on 33 converted volleyball courts at the facility. Pool play was held Friday and Saturday starting the tournament portion.
On Friday, Fort Mill went 3-0 in pool play to advance to the championship bracket. Fort Mill beat each opponent in straight sets in the best of three play. The Jackets beat Richland Northeast 25-6, 25-9; Dutch Fork 25-9, 25-17 and North Raleigh Christian Academy 25-13, 25-20.
However, on Saturday in the single elimination tournament, Fort Mill fell to Davidson Day 25-21, 25-20 in their opening match.
“Overall, I feel we did great at the tournament,” said Fort Mill head coach Makala McCrorey. “Prior to the start of the season we lost key players in our offense to Legion Collegiate, but our young players on the team Grier McNeely and Kendall Crossley really stepped up for us. Tori Boling, Nyla Snipes and Katelyn Rutledge also contributed big swings for us as well.”
Nation Ford made it to the consolation bracket in the tournament after going 3-1 in pool play Friday.
“It is great competition,” said Nation Ford head coach Craig Brown. “We play teams we don’t normally see around here. You get to see what you are about. We played some good competition. Our goal is to get better by region play.”
In pool play, Nation Ford beat Forestview of North Carolina 25-13, 25-20; Dreher 25-12, 25-12, but fell to Davidson Day 25-16, 25-23. In the consolation bracket, they beat Pinecrest of North Carolina in three sets 17-25, 25-17, 15-7, but fell to North Raleigh Christian 25-23, 21-25, 13-15.
Catawba Ridge went 1-3 in the tournament going 1-2 in pool play and then falling in the first round of the bronze bracket. The Copperheads beat JM Robinson of North Carolina 25-11, 25-13, but fell to TC Roberson, also of the Tar Heel state, 25-20, 6-25, 10-15. They finished pool play losing to Cardinal Newman in straight sets 8-25, 11-25. In the bronze bracket, the Copperheads lost to Mountain Island Charter out of North Carolina 17-25, 27-25.
“We had some good competition,” said Catawba Ridge head coach Alicia Lisee. “We have to focus on our discipline on the little things, that are 100 percent outside of skills. This weekend was a good challenge.”
Two of the local teams open the regular season this week with Nation Ford and Catawba Ridge taking on each other in the Arena Tuesday, Aug. 22 at Catawba Ridge. Fort Mill doesn’t start their regular season until Aug. 29 against Indian Land at home.
Mac Banks: mac@fortmillprepsports.com, @fortprep
