Colleton Prep volleyball hoping to earn playoff spot

By David Shelton

Senior Writer

Walterboro – With four regular season contests remaining on the schedule, the Colleton Prep volleyball team needs a strong finish to enhance their chances of qualifying for the SCISA state tournament.

As of Oct. 6, Colleton Prep had posted just three wins against 12 losses, hence the need for a strong finish.

“We have four games left so I guess there’s a chance,” veteran coach Belinda McCoy reports. “We play in a very strong region so wins are hard to come by. We’ll see what we can do.”

Certainly in a weaker region, the record may be better and the playoffs would be a shoo-in. Andrew Jackson and Thomas Heyward are setting the pace in the region.

McCoy has five seniors on the roster this fall. Those leaders include Addison Crosby, Reese Carelock, Shelby Baker, Kylie Roper and Ava Murray.

Four juniors include Sydney Stivender, Kennedy King, Kaylin Bishop and Maddie Tomashpolsky. Rounding out the roster are sophomore Millie Drew, freshmen Addie Busch and Bre Cain, and eighth-grader Brooklyn Whitney.

Colleton Prep’s girls tennis team has no worries about making the SCISA state tournament. The team was put in the state bracket and was set to play Thomas Sumter in a first-round match on Oct. 7.

Coach Ladson Fishburne had a young squad this fall with only two seniors – Anne Hatcher White and Makayla Odom. There also was just one sophomore, Jaylyn Gates, and the rest of the team were freshmen and younger.

Freshmen included Betts White, Cooper White, Ann Howell, Marie Molinari, Caroline Molinari, and Lizzie Sheffield.

Rounding out the roster are eighth-grader Maddie Howell, sixth-graders Raelynn Lyons and Kylie Spell, and fifth-grader Anna Cate Evans.

The Colleton Prep cross country teams are gearing up for the state meet in late October. Expected to be a strong contender in the boys race is Braylon Smoak, who recently posted a second-place finish in the Hampton County Hurricane Invitational meet.

Also placing among the top 25 finishers were Braeden Sheppard (16^th) and Isaac Tuten (23^rd). Andrew Wargo ran 35^th overall and Hase Blakeley finished 46^th. Bryn Campbell (67^th) and Sheldon Kearse (68) also competed in the race.

The top finishing girls runner was Emersyn Polk in 17^th-place. Sarah Branam ran in 23^rd, followed by Magnolia Halley in 37^th. Emalyn Joyner and Anna Kay Tuten ran 41^st and 42^nd, respectively.