Name: Savannah Lampley
Year: Junior
Fall Sport: Volleyball
Position: Outside Hitter
Years on Varsity: 3
Playing Experience: 5 years (began as a 7th grader at Rockingham Middle School)
Height & Weight: 5’8”/160 lbs.
Favorite Subjects: AP Government (Mrs. Hudson) and Weight Training (Coach Wimpey)
RSHS Sports: Softball: Lampley will be entering her third season on varsity at Richmond this spring (shortstop); Swimming: She’ll also join the Lady Raiders’ inaugural swim team this winter.
RSHS Extracurricular Activities: A three-sport athlete, Lampley doesn’t have a lot of extra time, but manages to be an active member in the RSHS National Beta Club, and will be inducted into the National Honors Society later this schoolyear.
Hobbies: If you hadn’t gotten the gist yet, Lampley is extremely talented athletically. She dedicates her free time to bettering herself in softball, which she identifies as her No. 1 sport. Her father, Danny Lampley, works with her on hitting and fielding ground balls.
Lampley also plays travel softball for SEC Elite, based in Rockingham. She wants to give a “shout out” to her dad, Danny, and coaches Mike Way and Justin Womack for working with her. She also enjoys being a typical high school student, kicking back on the beaches in Wilmington, N.C., and hitting the weight room. During the summer, Lampley can be found volunteering with local youth at Browder Park in Rockingham.
College Aspirations: During the spring of her sophomore year, Lampley was recruited by the University of North Carolina at Wilmington for softball. She committed to the UNCW program, and will be a college freshman during the fall 2019 semester. She plans to major in pre-law, with aspirations of attending law school and eventually becoming a lawyer. Lampley is currently ranked second in her graduating class (2019).
But the interest in the power-hitting left hander doesn’t stop there. Before committing to UNCW, Lampley also received interest from the softball programs at Duke University and the University of South Carolina Upstate, which is a top 25-ranked program.
Interesting Fact: Grinning, Lampley said she’s been thinking about what is “most interesting” about herself. She’d like the folks of Richmond County to know that up until eighth grade, she was strictly a right-handed hitter. Being a shorter player, she decided that switching to the left-handed batter’s box would be more beneficial to her because of her height and speed.
Following a six-inch growth spurt, Lampley developed into a hard-hitting power threat, and now bats exclusively as a lefty. It’s a skill that she notes college programs look at when recruiting.
Player of the Week Stats:
Switching back to volleyball, Lampley has had one of her best stretches of the season over the last week. Though she is an outside hitter, Lampley is just as much of an asset defensively.
During the two matches Richmond played last week (Seventy-First and Scotland high schools), Lampley tallied 8 kills, two aces, nine points won, one block, and 23 digs. On the road against Scotland, she had her best line of the year with five kills, one ace, one block, and a team-high 14 digs.
Discuss your role on the Lady Raiders volleyball team. What has allowed you to be successful so far this season?
“As an outside hitter, it’s my job to play the back right part of the court,” Lampley said. “I’ve accepted the role of digging balls off the attack to help set up our offense. When I do that successfully, I am able to help out team.”
“My goal is to be as aggressive as I can,” added Lampley. “As the only starting junior, I have to play consistently to help our team win.”
What has the 13-0 start meant to you? And how is it preparing you to take over as a senior next season?
“Next year, I’ll definitely need to step up and be a leader,” Lampley said. “I’ll have the most experience next season, so I think this year is helping me learn the ropes.
“The 13-0 start has been awesome,” Lampley noted. “I really think that we can finish the season undefeated, which would a great accomplishment.”
Coach’s Corner
Head coach Shellie Wimpey nominated Lampley as the Richmond Observer’s Female Student Athlete of the Week because of her defensive performances, but also because she’s such a joy to have on the team.
“One of the biggest reasons why I chose Savannah as the Female Student Athlete of the Week is because of her solid digging against Seventy-First and Scotland,” Wimpey said. “She’s really gotten better throughout the season working out of the back row. By digging the ball so effectively, she gives Mackenzie (Webb, senior setter) a chance to set the ball and attack.”
When asked what made Lampley a unique asset to the team, Wimpey discussed her “coachable” attitude.
“If there’s ever a player that a coach would want to have on her team, it’s Savannah,” Wimpey added. “She’s such a coachable player; and she’s willing to do everything necessary to get better to help us succeed as a team. Her desire to improve is admirable.”
Look for Lampley on the Richmond Observer’s flagship news program Live at 5, as she’ll be in studio for Wednesday’s edition.
