PINEHURST — A revolving door of players at different positions was the name of the game for the Richmond Senior High School volleyball team on Saturday.
The Lady Raiders competed in a preseason jamboree at Sandhills Community College, just a little more than a week out from their season opener.
Richmond competed in a trio of scrimmages, each with a 45-minute running clock and no official score kept.
Opening with Fairmont High School, the Lady Raiders faced North Moore High School and ended the day with familiar non-conference opponent Uwharrie Charter Academy.
Head coach Ashleigh Larsen, who enters her sixth season at the helm, said the jamboree was a good first look at what this year’s team can do against live competition.
“I told the girls we’re ahead of where we were last year,” Larsen said. “I was able to rotate more girls into different positions, whereas last year they were kind of stuck in one spot.
“I saw a lot of great things, but also some things we need to work on. Moving forward, we have a better dynamic altogether. I’m excited to get them back in the gym for five straight days of practice.”
During each scrimmage, Larsen used several different lineups to see who fit best in each position. With eight seniors returning, the varsity team also boasts three juniors and two freshmen.
“There were groups of things that started to connect today,” Larsen explained. “Everyone made adjustments and filled in the spaces like I asked them to. Katie Way had a good day making adjustments and Riley McDonald is settling into her role.
“Makailah Jackson and Addyson Hollingsworth did well at the outside role,” she added. “Jenna Gardner and Allie Rodgers did a great job moving to defensive specialist and Kenley Smith held it down defensively.
“Being able to throw in all of those different lineups gave us a chance to see what we have and what we can fix before we start the season.”
The Lady Raiders will return to practice on Monday and open play at home against Harnett Central High School on Aug. 14.
The Richmond Observer will publish a season preview in the coming week. Below are photos of Saturday’s scrimmages taken by sports editor Kyle Pillar.
