Go Dolphins!

The Ocracoke middle school volleyball team just wrapped up the 2013 season, with a very hard fought victory over a much-improved Hatteras team this past Wednesday.  Ocracoke won the first set 2-1, and the second 2-0, but every single game went down to the wire.  It was by far the closest and most exciting match this year.  This capped off an incredible season by a new team full of determined young ladies.    

The Lady Dolphins volleyball players this year were: Lupita Martinez, Iris Trejo, Nayely Jimenez, Taylor Fuller, Ingrid Contreras, Starr Ely, MacKenzie O'Neal, and Teresa Hadley.

The players and coaches have worked very hard this season, which is only the second year of organized volleyball at Ocracoke School.  The girls started practicing way back at the end of August.  Ali Arter and Jessica Caldwell picked up where they left last year, focusing on the basic fundamentals of serving, bumping, and returning serves.  They did a wonderful job preparing the girls in these basic and necessary skills.  

Three games into the season, Crystal Canterbury and Jason Wells took over the reigns of the team.  The new coaches took over where the others had left off, building on an already solid foundation.  They continued to work and improve on the previously mentioned basic skills, and also began to focus more on using all three hits, (bump-set-spike), and serving with power.  These additional skills become more and more necessary as the girls move on to high school and the level of competition rises exponentially.   

On many levels, this season was a complete and total success.  The players and coaches improved throughout the year, had a ton of fun,  and always maintained total professionalism and sportsmanship on and off the court. The Lady Dolphins finished the season with an amazing 12-1 record. After splitting a double header against Mattamuskeet in the first game of the season, the Dolphins went on a roll, winning the last 10 games in a row.  Only three players, none of whom started last season, returned from last year's team; and the newest additions, the seventh graders, had never played any organized volleyball.  The team has come a long way, and to accomplish what they have is nothing short of incredible.  

Words can't express enough how proud we all are of these girls, and the dedication and commitment they put forth.  Jason and Crystal plan on continuing on as the coaches next year, and will be having some "skills days" throughout the spring, after basketball season ends.  The future of volleyball looks bright on Ocracoke, if you didn't get a chance to go see a match this year; don't miss out next year.  YOU BETTER.............FEAR THE POD!

The Ocracoke Current would like to thank Coach Jason Wells for this season review.