Twenty-eight years ago, Ronald Regan was President, gas was approximately 65 cents per gallon and Michael Jackson was not even looking for Billie Jean.
That was also the last year that the SCISA State Volleyball Playoffs began without Pee Dee Academy.
Eight state titles and hundreds of kids later, head coach Lori Ann Rogers has her squad ready to make another run at the AA title game. That is where the Golden Eagles ended up last year before finishing as state runner-ups.
“We lost six seniors off of that team and five starters,” Rogers said.
“We lost some height and senior leadership, so this year we will need to be quicker and stronger on defense,” she said.
So, how do you replace 5 starters?
“The girls who have been here will need to help the new ones learn the system,” Rogers answered. “We are not a young team, we just have to gain experience.”
Three of the players, however, are very experienced, having been on the roster for four years on the varsity squad.
Katelyn Browne, the team's lone senior will provide leadership on the floor. Standing over six feet tall, Browne will fill the middle as both a hitter and a blocker.
The other two four-year players include Anna Shelley, who will be in one setter spot while fellow junior, Jeffre Rogers will start at the outside hitter.
Taylor Williams, also a junior, will be another outside hitter. In her first year of varsity play this season, Rogers is already looking for big things from Williams.
Another junior, Jessi Black is back in the blue and gold this year and will be another setter.
Renee Richardson is going to be at right hitter in her first year coming up from the junior varsity squad.
Rounding out the junior class are Kali Jacobs and Taylor Webster, the team's defensive specialists.
The squad also adds two sophomores; both are rising up from the junior varsity ranks and will be at the hitter positions. Lee Pittman will be at a right hitter while Heather Gibson will be in the middle.
“This is going to be a fun challenge,” Rogers said of her team. “A lot of kids will be in new positions and for the new ones coming up, it is a while new offensive system.”
“I want sportsmanship to be our objective,” Spivey said of her team's goals for the season. “But, of course we also want to maintain a program that is always competitive and represents itself well across the state,” she added.
So far this season, the Golden Eagles have represented themselves very well. They finished 6-1 in the SCISA Preseason Tournament in Sumter, defeating the likes of King's Academy, Calhoun and Wilson Hall.
They have also garnered regular season wins over region foe, King's Academy and Class 3A Florence Christian.
With such a rich tradition, if the young players gain experience quick, there is no reason Pee Dee faithful should not be hopeful of another deep October run in volleyball.
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