Lady Blue Flame seniors on the 2021 squad are, front row from left, Anna Beth Duncan, Calie Covey, Bailee Earnhardt and Ali Pace. On the back row, from left, are Emma Van Daele, Alaina Craigo, Caroline Lucas and Maggie Sizemore.
Photo by Lyndsay Earnhardt
PICKENS — The Pickens High School Lady Blue Flame volleyball team, which features eight seniors, downed 5A powerhouse T.L. Hanna of Anderson last week in the friendly confines of Coach Peggy Harden Anthony Gymnasium on the Pickens High School campus. It was the season opener for the Pickens squad.
The Aug. 13 scrimmage pitted two teams who played in their respective state championships last season. The Lady Blue Flame dominated the contest, winning all four games with scores of 25-17, 25-14, 25-17 and 25-20.
“The girls were very excited to put on their Pickens Blue Flame jerseys for their first scrimmage against T.L. Hanna,” said Lady Blue Flame Head Coach Rikki Owens. “They have been preparing all summer for this season. This group of seniors is a very special group. They are determined to make this season the best they have ever had. Our goal for this season is to be intentional, grow as one, and find our purpose together. The past three years have been a rollercoaster of emotions and events, but these girls have worked, trained, and sacrificed and they are ready to bring home the state title.”
The eight seniors on this year’s Lady Blue Flame team are Calie Covey, Alaina Craigo, Emma Van Daele, Anna Beth Duncan, Bailee Earnhardt, Caroline Lucas, Ali Pace and Maggie Sizemore. Many of these players have been together for more than a decade of volleyball at recreation, club and school levels.
During the T.L. Hanna scrimmage, Earnhardt led all Lady Blue Flame players with 20 successful serves, two of them aces. Pace successfully served 15 times, with two aces. Van Daele and Covey tied for top hitters on the night with nine kills each, while junior Lauren Dow added seven kills. Sophomore setter Hannah Campbell notched 18 assists, and Dow had 15. Earnhardt was tops in digs against T.L. Hanna with 15.
The Lady Blue Flame were scheduled to play a scrimmage against Dorman High School in Spartanburg on Tuesday night, but they were unable to participate due to the School District of Pickens County’s decision to go to Temporary Virtual Learning Aug. 16-20. All extracurricular activities, including sports, were canceled during that time period. The Lady Blue Flame were also scheduled to take part in the Nation Ford Invitational tournament at Nation Ford High School in Fort Mill on Saturday morning but will not be participating.
If students return to face-to-face instruction Monday, Aug. 23 as scheduled, the next Lady Blue Flame volleyball contest will be Tuesday, Aug. 24. A Quad-Match featuring Blue Ridge, Byrnes and Greenville high schools is scheduled that day at Pickens High beginning at 5:30 p.m.