‘No easy wins’: Previewing 2021 volleyball teams in York, Chester, Lancaster counties

The 2021 volleyball regular season begins on Tuesday for most South Carolina high schools, and if last year is any indication, the area’s regions are shaping up to be very competitive.

Rock Hill-area teams in six regions have been practicing, scrimmaging and playing preseason tournaments as they get ready for the fall campaign.

Here are the teams to know ahead of 2021.

Nation Ford volleyball

The Nation Ford Falcons have been the dominant team in the area the past few seasons. They claimed back-to-back state titles in 2018 and 2019 before losing in the second round last year.

Longtime head coach Carrie Christian left Nation Ford, and her assistant coach Craig Brown was promoted to the head coaching spot. Having been part of the past success, he knows what it will take to continue having a top-caliber program.

“We need to keep the same focus and drive that we have had in the past,” said Brown. “The players know me and I know them.”

In 2020, the Falcons went through Region 3-5A last year without a loss and finished 23-3 overall, but Brown knows that each year brings a new challenge.

“We have a great group of seniors back to lead our team this fall,” he added. “They were part of both state championships. They know the hard work that needs to be put in if we are to continue to be successful. ... Volleyball in this area gets better every year. This is a tough region, and I look for it to be better this year. There are no easy wins in this region.”

Northwestern Trojans

The Northwestern Trojans showed tremendous improvement last year and were rewarded with a region title and a playoff spot.

The Trojans split with Bythewood during the regular season, and when the two teams finished tied for the top spot in Region 4-5A, they won it on the tiebreaker.

Northwestern was eliminated in the opening round of the postseason, but the team’s improvement from the previous year was there for all to see. Head coach Hunter Moxley is back for his second year at the helm, and he hopes his team can continue to make the program better with more hard work.

“We worked hard last year to improve our culture,” he said. “The returning players know how hard we worked last year, and they are ready to go.”

The Trojans lost six players from last year’s team, but Moxley feels the lessons learned will pay off this time around.

“We have a lot of juniors on this team,” he added. “They are very talented, they were part of last year’s improvement, and they have totally embraced the culture we have put into the program.”

Moxley also knows that he is in a balanced region, and his team will have to be ready.

“This is a very tough region,” he said. “We have to be prepared every time we play. We are working to be an elite program. We will have to work hard again to stay up at the top where we want to be.”

Indian Land Warriors

The Indian Land Warriors won Region 3-4A last year with a perfect 8-0 mark. They have a new head coach in Emily Jackson, who takes over after coaching club volleyball for four years.

“We have set our expectations high again this year,” said Jackson. “The players have worked hard thus far. They have taken ownership in their team.”

There is one big key for the Warriors, who were eliminated in the third round of the postseason in 2020.

“This program has been through quite a few coaching changes in recent years,” she said. “The players need some consistency right now.”

Catawba Ridge Copperheads

Catawba Ridge has come a long way in just two years, and this year the team hopes to challenge for the top spot in Region 3-4A.

The Copperheads were the region runner-up a year ago, and lost in the first round of the playoffs.

“We need to continue to get good leadership,” said head coach Alisha Lisee. “We have high expectations again this year.”

She knows that the region is also extremely tough.

“Our only two region losses were to Indian Land.’‘ she added. “We know how tough this region is, but we are ready to face the challenge.”

Andrew Jackson Volunteers

The Andrew Jackson Volunteers, who were second in Region 4-2A, marched through the playoffs a year ago until they lost to Chesnee in the state title match. With things getting back to normal four teams from each region will make the playoffs instead of two. That does not change the Lancaster County team’s approach as it prepares for contests in its region.

“Regardless of how many teams make the playoffs, we always strive to finish first in the region,” said head coach Hannah Kirkley, “We work a lot on game situations so we will be ready because this is a tough region.”

Kirkley has high expectations for her team again this season.

“We have a lot of seniors who were part of what we did last year,” she added. “The players are very excited about getting back to normal and so am I.”

A quick look at each region

Region 3-5A

Nation Ford will still be the front runner until somebody takes that spot away from them. Gaffney was second last year, with Fort Mill, Clover, and Boiling Springs completing the region standings. Fort Mill and Clover should be much improved from a year ago, and that will make for some great competition in the region.

Region 4-5A

Northwestern and Blythewood are out to prove that they are the top two teams in the region. Ridge View was third last time, and they could cause some problems. Rock Hill, a perennial playoff team, finished fourth last year after its season ended early because of COVID-19 issues. The Bearcats will be battling for the top spot in the region once again this fall. Spring Valley struggled last year and finished without a region victory.

Region 3-4A

Indian Land and Catawba Ridge look to be the top two teams this fall, but York, which was third a year ago, is expected to be improved. South Pointe and Lancaster, which were fourth and fifth respectively a year ago, both struggled last season. They both should be better in 2021.

Region 4-3A

The Chester Cyclones only played five matches last year before COVID-19 ended their season. Mid-Carolina and Fairfield Central finished first and second respectively last year. Keenan was third and Lower Richland fourth. The Cyclones will have their work cut out for them as they try to get things back together and make the playoffs.

Region 4-2A

North Central went undefeated in the region a year ago, and their consistent program should be good again this fall. Andrew Jackson proved their worth last year in their run through the playoffs and into the 2A state championship game, and the Vols cannot be counted out as a possible region champion this time around. All of the other teams finished with losing records in the region last year.

Region 2-1A

McBee won the region title a year ago, with Lewisville finishing second. Lewisville, which lost in the opening round of the playoffs last year, looks to be improved this season and could pose a challenge for the top spot this fall. CA Johnson, Great Falls and Governor’s School complete the region. Those three will battle for the remaining playoff spots.

This story was originally published August 23, 2021 at 9:00 AM.