River Cities Volleyball Club putting West Virginia on map

By Robert C. Withers Staff The Herald Dispatch

HUNTINGTON - There is progress and then there is the kind of rapid progression made by the River Cities Volleyball Club.

The third-year girls club fields five teams in age categories from 14-Under to 17-Under for a season that runs January through May. The organization grew from 17 girls to start in 2003 to 78 this year.

Success is being measured now by more than just the amount of players. The club's performance is attracting the attention of college coaches, club director Mike Strickland said.

"The main incentive to do this is to help kids get to the next level," Strickland said. "Several girls got noticed by colleges this year, and several are being recruited by colleges from (NCAA) Division 1 to Division 111.

"West Virginia has never really been on the map in volleyball. It's not considered to have strong volleyball, but we're getting there."

River Cities Volleyball Club teams are improving on each level, but the 17-Under River Cities Thunder team in particular stands out. The 17-Under squad of Tri-State players finished the season with a third-place finish out of 128 teams in the regional tournament held in Columbus.

"Not to sound conceited, but we did kind of expect it because we had the same girls as last year," said 17-Under player Kristin Stamper from Wayne High School. "It's probably because we've played together, and we know how each other plays."

Stamper said the team has come a long way since its inception. "This year was way different than our first year," she said. "Our first year we weren't very good, and I'll be the first to say that. But I think we all cared and wanted to win. That pushed us."

Strickland, who also coaches, said the a high retention rate of players has developed a chemistry within each team that's added to the quick rise of a regional power. Strickland said the Marshall University volleyball program has provided a boost with some coaching assistance.

Marshall head coach Mitch Jacobs has watched the orgranization and the 17-Under team's progress. He said it's not hard to understand why it's been quick.

"It's a combination, but they're very dedicated," Jacobs said. "The whole group, and they're have been a couple of pretty talented additions, but the whole group has developed together. They've made big strides because they have eight kids who are committed and seven at every practice. This group puts it first."

Jacobs said dedication means players are at practice, play in high school, attend camps and are always trying to get better. He also believes that's a strong example for the younger teams.

Still, the rapid improvement is beyond what Strickland anticipated. "I'll never forget the first tournament we went to," Strickland said. "We were watching some other teams warm up, and we had that deer-in-the-headlights-look. I thought `what have we gotten into.' The first game we played I think the other team scored 11 or 12 straight points before they hit one out to give us our first point.

"We pretty much got hammered every tournament that year. But we were 15 and 16 year-olds playing as an 18U team." Thunder player Jessica Bailey from Spring Valley High School, also remembers those early tournaments when being one of the region's premier teams was just a dream.

"We have so much more confidence now," Bailey said. "The first year we were really scared, but now we know what to expect."

River Cities Thunder turned natural athletic ability into highly effective volleyball skills. Those skills have been on display against teams from all over the country.

Bailey said she couldn't imagine that the team would improve so quickly. "Dedication," she said. "It's a lot of hard work. We all get along really well. We know that we have to work really hard, and we play well together."

Taylor Strickland, a club member since its inception, said the girls have always had high expectations. She said the biggest factors behind the improvement are hard work, the ability to get along and good instruction.

"We got tired of losing and wanted to improve and do the best we could," she said. "Last year we did great, but this year was better." River Cities Volleyball Club How teams fared in regional competitions:

Note: Any players interested in joining the River Cities Volleyball Club can contact Mike Strickland by e-mail at Imherdfan@aol.com or Mitch Jacobs by phone at 696-3980.