Photo by Heather Belcher
Charleston – The Greenbrier West volleyball team, which includes a number of crossover basketball players, felt like it was cheated out of an experience when the Class A volleyball state tournament was delayed and ultimately moved from the Charleston Coliseum and Convention Center to West Virginia State University.
The crossover players will get to experience the Coliseum regardless.
Greenbrier West punched its ticket to the Class A state tournament last week, earning the No. 6 seed and a date with No. 3 Tucker County on Thursday at 9:30 a.m in the Charleston Coliseum and Convention Center.
The Lady Cavaliers, coming off a Class A volleyball title in December, aren’t new to the venue. Two years ago they earned a spot in the tournament, falling to Wesbter County and have been regulars as volleyball players.
Head coach Mark Agee expects the experience to translate.
“It’s hard to beat a team four times in a year,” Agee said go the loss to Webster two years ago. “We came into that and I think one of our biggest things is coming together as a team. We’ve moved on and I think we’re a closer team than we have been in the past and I think that’s an advantage for us.”
Adding to Agee’s confidence is his team’s eagerness to get on the Coliseum floor.
“They’re excited about it and honestly I hope the crowd comes out,” Agee said. “I know it’s at 9:30 in the morning but I think that our girls feed off the crowd. That’s probably the only downside. When they seed you that early in the morning at 9:30, the question is what kind of crowd are you gonna have? But the kids are excited. They’ve talked about it in practice and want to be back out there.”
Agee also expects the experience in championship events from volleyball and softball have built a seasoned team ready for any atmosphere.
“They’re excited and they eat taking it one day at a time, especially the kids that have been there and just won the state volleyball title. Preslee Treadway definitely experienced that several of them that have been to the state tournament in softball too. So I think they’re looking forward to it. I think they realize we’re gonna take it one day at a time and we wanna get to win tomorrow. And we’ll move on from there.”
Treadway, a three-sport star, lead the Cavaliers with 24 ppg, coming off a 35-point showing in the regional round. Maddie Fields complements her with 16.6 points per game while Brilee Redden averages 8.8.
The opposition is a Tucker County program that’s a staple in Charleston and just two years removed from playing in the Class A title game.
They’re led by Raven Matthews who nets 16 ppg followed by Mayah Gross with 12 ppg. Makenna Evans rounds out their double-digit scorers with 10 ppg.
“They’ve got a couple good shooters,” Agee said of Tucker County. “They have a good post on the inside (Matthews) and she’s a good ball player and obviously there they’re well coached. They’ve been there every year now dating back to the early 2000s so you can’t take it away from the. But I got some good athletes and you know we’re preparing for that. We watch film and we’re prepared to change things up a little bit and what we’re hoping is we’re prepared for them.”
