GREENEVILLE, TENN. — Looking to fine-tune its skillset ahead of the quickly approaching season, the Richmond Senior High School volleyball program saw immediate results last week.
Making a trip west, the Lady Raiders and head coach Ashleigh Larsen attended a three-day team development camp at Tusculum University between July 7-9.
Attending the camp for the Lady Raiders were rising seniors Carleigh Gibson, J’Nasia Neal and Ka’mora Watkins, along with rising juniors Lillian Hill, Madisen Jackson, Kalynn McCormick, Riley McDonald, Kaylan Parsons and Kenley Smith.
All the players were members of Richmond’s varsity or junior varsity teams last season.
The camp was the first development venture for the Lady Raider program in several years. Tusculum was scheduled to do a satellite camp last summer at Richmond, but inclement weather canceled the event.
Larsen explained that the camp primarily focused on position drills and team play. As a team with many returning varsity contributors from last season, Richmond had its own objectives in mind, too.
“We were the only school from North Carolina,” Larsen explained. “Tennessee schools hold tryouts before the school year lets out so every other program there had their teams already situated and used it to grow.
“For us, team bonding, communication and growth in particular positions were the main goals. We also got a little insight into what (Tusculum’s) training looks like, which was helpful.”
Each day of camp was broken into multiple sessions, starting with a three-hour position training in the mornings. Pins and littles were often paired together, while middle hitters and setters made up another work group.
A two-hour afternoon session mixed in team components and allowed the different programs to compete against one another in a variety of drills and skill games.
Each day of camp ended with two hours of competitive team play, allowing teams to live scrimmage against each other. Tuesday’s team matches were used to determine seeding for Wednesday’s camp tournament.
A highlight for Richmond during the week was going undefeated during both pool and bracket play and winning the whole championship tournament as a No. 1 seed, Larsen shared.
“I was so impressed at the girls’ willingness to absorb everything,” Larsen commented. “Many had never been to anything like this and there was a lot to take in. The other programs there had girls who play year round and had more knowledge of certain aspects of the game. The girls came together and stepped up to play to whatever was presented to them.
“They worked together and learned so much about one another. Walking out I felt so confident knowing the season was around the corner. Our girls grew so much in those few days and looked like a cohesive unit. Collectively, every girl learned a lot and camp definitely helped us as a program.”
Larsen noted that Watkins “had a good bounce back” at camp after missing the majority of her junior season due to injury. She added that Jackson showed toughness after getting hurt the first day of camp, but that it “did not let that stop her from making sure her team was doing all they could to get better.”
Neal, a rising senior outside hitter, shared that the camp was beneficial to the Lady Raiders both in the team’s development as well as its confidence.
“The one-on-one coaching from the college players themselves was the best part of the camp,” Neal said. “I feel like hearing opinions and being instructed by someone other than our coaches helped us a lot.
“Winning the bracket championship felt great,” she added. “It was a really big confidence booster. It really helped us realize our potential as a team and hopefully we can carry that into the upcoming season.”
A three-year starter and Richmond’s rising junior libero, Smith echoed Neal’s sentiments about the camp. She added that while individual drills improved players’ skill sets, the most beneficial aspect was the team’s ability to spend time together.
“One of the biggest takeaways was learning how to communicate better and trust each other more,” Smith said. “As a libero, I really had to stay loud and focused on defense. My favorite drill was the fast-paced defensive one where we had to cover a lot of ground. It was challenging but fun.
“Camp helped us bond a lot,” she continued. “We spent so much time together, not just playing but also hanging out after. It made us more comfortable with each other, which helped our teamwork.
“That’s important because when we’re close, we play better and support each other more. Our relationship off the court is just as important as one on the court.”
With the start of the 2025 season just a few weeks away, Larsen is feeling that the Lady Raiders are trending in the right direction. Richmond will move to the 7A classification and compete in the newly-formed Mid-South Conference.
“Reflecting back, the most proud I was with the team was its ability to come together and not give up,” Larsen closed.
“We had times where we were not playing our best. We were down, but despite that they stepped up, all nine of them and they dug deep. They found that grit. That ‘you can’t outwork us’ mentality is really what led them to win the tournament for the camp.”
The first official day of fall sports is July 30. Richmond will begin its season at home Aug. 12 against non-conference Lee County High School.
The Lady Raiders will also be hosting a two-day volleyball camp for elementary-aged players in early August.
