Bennettsville – For a coach whose team has managed just one win this season, Marlboro County’s Ashley Pate is quite upbeat about her 2023 team.
Pate is in her first season as the head coach but her third year involved in the volleyball program. Bennettsville, South Carolina is hardly a hotbed for volleyball so it can be difficult to get high school girls interested in a sport they know little about.
However, Pate is getting some positive response from her 2023 team. This fall is about building a culture of success and the road is not easy.
“We don’t have a feeder program so a lot of these girls come out as freshmen and have to start from scratch,” said Pate, who was named head coach in August. “We didn’t get any work in the summer. We started in August and that made it hard from the start. But we are showing progress and I feel like we are more competitive each time we play. All of the experience we are getting now will definitely help us next year.”
The roster lost five seniors, including four starters, from last year’s team. Only a few of the players on this year’s roster have significant experience.
One of the strengths of this year’s team, says Pate, is the willingness to learn and compete.
“They don’t like losing. They have a competitive attitude,” she said. “They have a positive attitude and that helps in terms of improvement. We realize we have a lot of work to do but if they keep the right attitude and put in the work, we will see success in the future.”
Marlboro County has only one senior starter, Leah Benjamin, who can play several positions. Juniors Terilynn Holmes and Abby Quick also start, along with sophomores Anarie Lloyd and Amir Bridges, and freshman Shyanna Wyatt. Holmes is an outside hitter while Quick works in the back. Lloyd in a middle hitter and Bridges is an outside hitter. Wyatt plays opposite.
Two other seniors, Sydney McGill and Kendall Miles, rotate in as defensive specialists. Junior Amanda Sulatan and sophomore Sarah Locklear work in the back row and freshman Jordan Zimmerman shows great potential as a middle hitter.
Pate says an early issue was serving but the team has improved its percentage as the season progresses.
Pate also is encouraged by the level of talent in the junior varsity program and sees the potential for several of those players to make an impact in the future.
All Rights Reserved | The High School Sports Report 1986-2021