Andrew Jackson volleyball is fighting for region title. So are these Rock Hill-area teams

The Andrew Jackson Volunteers are enjoying a very good volleyball season thus far. They are 12-5 overall and 9-1 in Region 4-2A play as they head to the final week of the regular season.

The Volunteers’ only loss in the region this year has been to region front-runner North Central. They play the second match against them later this week.

“We still have a chance to win the region title,” said head coach Hannah Kirkley. “We are very capable of doing that. We just need to stay focused and go out and do it.”

Even if they fall short of that goal, they will end up finishing second in the region and earn a first round playoff match at home.

That is what happened last year: The Volunteers were second in the region with a mark of 10-2, but they rallied in the postseason. They made it all the way to the state title match, where they lost to Chesnee. They finished 14-4 overall, and that tremendous playoff run sparked this year’s team.

“We lost five seniors from last year’s team,” Kirksey added. “The returning players saw what we could do, and that really motivated them for this year. It gave them confidence from the very start of the season. We started this year with a lot of energy.”

The Volunteers have 10 players on this year’s roster and six are seniors.

“Their leadership from day one has been outstanding,” she added. “They have set the bar high, and the other players have followed.”

Olivia Gandy, Grace Catoe, Chloe West, Caroline Hammond, Erin Adams and Alexis Roberson are the senior members of this year’s team.

Roberson has been the top player on offense. She recently passed the 1,000 mark in kills. Gandy is the leader on defense. She recently topped the 1,000 milestone in career digs. West is the No. 1 setter. Hammond has contributed greatly on offense and defense, while Catoe and Adams have been outstanding on defense.

Juniors Mary Vecchio, Ava Stephens, and Torrie Soweil, and freshman Emily McCall complete the roster, and all of them have made significant contributions. All four are either part of the starting lineup or included in the rotations in every match.

“One thing that has really helped us this year is that all of our players are versatile,” she said. “They can play more than one position. That has been a key for our success.”

The Volunteers have gotten much better on both offense and defense as the year has moved along, their coach said.

“Great improvement on offense all year,” she added. “One thing that is a key is having more than one setter on the floor all the time. We have several players who see the whole floor and can play as a setter. This gives us more ways to attack, because we have setters all over the floor.”

The Volunteers have two games this week and both are on the road.

They travel to Pageland Central on Tuesday and then battle North Central on Thursday.

“We need to realize our full potential in this final week as we work to win the region,” she said. “We need to continue our tremendous work ethic. We need to continue believing in each other. That will carry us into the playoffs.”

A QUICK LOOK AT THE AREA REGIONS

The region schedule is culminating in the final week of the regular season. Several regions have crowned a champion thus far, and this week will complete that process. Also the playoff spots are getting close to being finalized.

Here’s a look at all the region standings in York, Chester and Lancaster counties.

Region 3-5A

Nation Ford is first with a 6-1 region mark and an overall record of 19-8. Clover is second at 4-2 (10-4), while Fort Mill is third at 3-3 (15-7). Boiling Springs is 3-4 (14-10), and Gaffney is fifth at 0-6 (2-10).

Region 4-5A

Rock Hill and Blythewood are tied for first. Rock Hill is 5-1 (19-9), while Blythewood is 5-1 (13-6). Northwestern and Spring Valley are tied for third. Northwestern is 3-4 (6-9) with Spring Valley checking in at 3-4 (6-9). Ridge View is last at 0-6 (0-9).

Region 3-4A

Catawba Ridge has wrapped up the region title. They finished at 8-0 in region play and are currently 20-8 in all matches. South Pointe finished second at 6-2 and is currently 7-6 in all matches. Indian Land finished third in the region at 4-4, and they are now 7-8 overall. York is fourth at 1-6 (5-10), while Lancaster is 0-7 (0-9).

Region 4-3A

Mid-Carolina is first at 6-0 in the region and 8-6 overall. Fairfield Central is second at 5-2 (5-6). Keenan is 3-2 (5-7), while Chester is fourth at 2-6 (4-9). Lower Richland is 0-6 (0-10).

Region 4-2A

North Central is first at 10-0 in the region and 20-2 in all matches. Andrew Jackson is second at 9-1 (12-5) with Buford third at 6-4 (9-4). Chesterfield is fourth at 4-5 (7-6) with York Prep 4-6 (7-9), Cheraw 2-8 (2-9), and Central 0-11 (2-13) completing the region.

Region 2-1A

Lewisville is first at 6-0 in the region and 10-1 in all matches. McBee is second at 3-1 (5-5), and Governor’s School is next at 1-2 (1-5). Great Falls is 2-4 (4-8), while CA Johnson is 0-5 (0-10).

This story was originally published October 12, 2021 at 6:00 AM.