For a number of Polk County high school and middle school volleyball players, the end of the 2013 season didn’t mean a months-long break from the sport.
It merely meant a few weeks off before returning to the court for a busy six months of competition.
. Featuring many of the top coaches in Western North Carolina, including Polk County High School’s Kelly Risley, Xcel offers players a chance to hone their skills while competing in regional and national tournaments. Entering its fourth season of competition, the program has also seen 15 of its participants sign college scholarships.
All six starters from Polk County Middle School’s undefeated 2013 squad train at Xcel, and Polk County High sophomore Lily Owens, an all-conference selection this season, was part of Risley’s squad that placed fifth last summer in the USA Volleyball Nationals in Dallas. For 2014, 11 Polk County players were chosen following a two-day tryout process for one of Xcel’s Select squads, which will travel throughout the Southeast playing in regional and national tournaments. A handful of other local players were chosen for Xcel squads that will compete regionally.
“You talk about how good the middle school team was this year, I think playing together and learning how to play together was a big benefit for them,” said Risley. “They can see players from other teams and realize the best teams around are not just from Hendersonville and Polk. We’ve got players from Black Mountain, Mitchell and Brevard and so on. It takes all of them to make an elite travel team.
“There’s a benefit in getting exposed to different coaching styles. But they benefit by getting consistent coaching. All of the coaches teach the same message to everybody, which helps the girls improve their skills.”
Players chosen for the Select teams at Xcel practice three times per week beginning in December plus travel to up to 10 tournaments throughout the Southeast in a season that runs into June. Other Xcel squads typically practice twice a week and play six or seven regional tournaments. The first tournaments for Select squads are set for Saturday in the Greenville area.
Risley oversees the Xcel 15-year-old program as well as coaches the 15 Select squad. Though she earlier this year added duties as the head coach at Polk County to her resume, she feels it important to remain involved with Xcel, especially given the time and financial commitment made by each player.
“In order for the kids to be involved, I feel like I need to be involved,” she said. “It shows their dedication and how important it is to them. It’s unbelievable what volleyball has become the last five years.”
As interest is growing in Xcel, so has the strength of the teams in the program.
“I think we’re getting a lot better,” Risley said. “You have ages that are more competitive than others, but we’re starting to see more strength everywhere. We’ve added a couple of players at each level who are really going to help us.”
Xcel recently joined the new Southeast Alliance Volleyball League, which includes clubs from Hendersonville to Savannah, Ga. The club also competes in events with USA Volleyball, Junior Volleyball Association, Amateur Athletic Union and the Carolina Region Volleyball Association. With six months of action coming so soon after the end of the scholastic season, Risley said the club does keep an eye on players for fatigue and/or burnout.
“Right now, the kids love it,” she said. “We do take a week off here and there to give them a break.”
Local players competing with Xcel include:
17X Select: Kara Overholt
16X Select: Lily Owens
15C Select: Addie Lynch
15C Mizuno: Georgia Garrett
14X Select: Cameron Capozzi, Kendall Hall, Lauren Ketwitz, Reagan Waddell
14C Select: Madison Blackwell, Sara McCown
13X Mizuno: Alea Morgan
12X Select: Kristen Hall, Sydney Metcalf
12X Mizuno: Grace Bayse, Sydney Waldman
