Roger Whitehead
Special to The Randolph Guide
CLIMAX —
A Randolph County Playday for area high school volleyball teams proved to be a big success last week at Providence Grove.
Seven teams converged on the Patriot campus to get an early start on the new prep volleyball season. The event was hosted by Providence Grove.
Action continued on two courts throughout the early afternoon as local squads played each other. No team scores were kept and coaches were not allowed to advise their teams.
“I feel like this was a huge success,” said PGHS Head Coach Tony Joyce. “All of the teams got in some needed work and everyone seemed to enjoy it.”
In addition to Providence Grove were Wheatmore, Southeast Guilford, Eastern Randolph and Southwestern Randolph. Another team was formed by former are volleyball standouts, including former Patriot star Alex Wirt. She earned a full scholarship and now plays at Guilford College.
Joining Wirt were Traci Teague, formerly of Eastern Randolph and now at Guilford College; Mary Moody and Kaci Chriscoe, formerly of Asheboro and now at Guilford; Rebecca Yow, formerly at Asheboro and now at Meredith College; and Kaci Markham, now at Pfeiffer University.
“These girls came in and helped out with all of the teams,” said Joyce. “They were a lot of help for many of the girls.”
Volleyball officials from the Triad Officials Association worked the matches.
All Randolph County high schools were invited but a scheduling conflict at Randleman kept the Tigers from taking part.
“This area has been a hotbed for high school volleyball action, especially in recent years,” Joyce said. “Asheboro High School and Southwestern Randolph High School have won state championships, and just last season we won a conference championship and advanced in the regionals.”
A Patriots scrimmage game is on tap for Aug. 10. Providence Grove hosts its first official home game on Aug. 19.
