Serve. Set. Dig. Spike.
For the first time ever, Ocracoke School has a volleyball team. Two, to be exact – a varsity girls team and a middle school girls team.
This afternoon the high school Lady Dolphins will host their first home volleyball match. The match begins at 4:30 and all are welcome to come out and cheer for these pioneers in sport diversity!
Eleven girls joined the varsity team this year, and are learning the game under the leadership of Coach Mary McKnight. (Mary’s also Ocracoke School’s guidance counselor.)
I interviewed Mary on Monday, the day before the team’s first match (away, at Mattamuskeet.)
“I played just about every sport but volleyball,” she admitted. “My sports were soccer, rowing and basketball, but when it comes to being an athlete, most sports have common fundamentals.”
Core strength, jumping, coordination, agility, and endurance are those fundamentals. Mary and the girls have worked on those in other sports. Now they need to learn the specific skills they need for volleyball.
“We’re learning the game,” she said.
They’ve watched videos of volleyball matches and had some help with technique from Kari Styron, mom of team member Samantha.
“Kari played Division 1 volleyball at Virginia,” Mary said. “She comes to practice when she can and she’s great.”
Ocracoke’s PE teacher, Adam “Coach B” Burleson, was practicing with the girls before their big day. He’ll see them in action for the first time this afternoon at their first home game.
“I’m super excited about it,” he said. “I can’t wait to see it.”
Athletics Director Charles Temple says he’s “crazy excited about volleyball.”
“Introducing a new sport after years of just basketball is really fun,” he said. “And it’s drawing kids into sports who didn’t necessarily want to play basketball. It’s good for the kids and it’s good for the school.”
Freshman Deana Seitz is playing a sport for the first time. She’s never had any interest in basketball, but says she’s “always liked hitting things over nets.”
Deana says that she enjoys beach volleyball, and thinks the Lady Dolphins volleyball experience has been and is going to be “really fun.”
Mary is happy to see new athletes come out for the new sport.
“A girl who hasn’t excelled in basketball might find that volleyball is her forte,” she said.
She cited Amanda Gaskins as an example. Amanda spent most of the last two basketball seasons on the bench suffering from shin splints.
“Now that she’s not constantly sprinting like she did in basketball, it gives her legs a rest,” Mary said. “She’s rocking volleyball.”
Charles mentioned that the new sport will show that the Dolphins can compete with any team in our division. Volleyball is new for us, and it’s also new for some of the other teams in our conference. Ocracoke has time to build up a good team – there’s only one senior girl, so the others have years left to improve.
“We certainly have the athletes,” he said. “We just need to learn the skills, the footwork for volleyball.”
The Lady Dolphins lost to Mattamuskeet on Tuesday, but they played well and are excited for their first home game. Volleyball matches are played in “sets” and the teams compete for best out of five sets. At Mattamuskeet, the Dolphins won the second set, and lost the first, third and fourth.
Caroline Temple is a freshman on the team. “We definitely showed we have potential,” she said about Tuesday’s game.
Today’s game is against the Columbia Lady Wildcats. It’s at 4:30. It's the place to be!
Check the Ocracoke Current’s calendar page for the season’s schedule of middle school and high school matches.
Ali Arter and Jessica Caldwell are coaching the middle school volleyball team. Their first home game is September 10th at 3:30.
Thanks to the Ocracoke Booster Club, which provided funds for the girls’ uniforms and for new volleyballs.
A spaghetti dinner fundraiser at the Pony Island Restaurant on Monday at 5p.m. will pay for team shoes and kneepads.
