Glitter Hitters take Spring Volleyball club championship

J.W. Rich caps junior division season with epic comeback

ralphhardin@gmail.com Volleyball’s local popularity it growing by leaps and bounds. With Memphis Metro opening a satellite program in West Memphis, Mid-South Volleyball seeing success this season, and the Crittenden County Boys & Girls Club continuing to build its league numbers.

But it all can be traced back to the J.W. Rich Girls Club, and that tradition continues, with the club still running a spring and fall league filled with young players learning the game across three age divisions.

The youngest of those divisions in the Junior League, made up of 8-10 year-olds, many of whom are playing the game for the first time. The Juniors put a cap on their spring season last Friday night with the finals of their postseason tournament.

The top seed was Triple Threat, who earned firstplace honors with their performance during the regular season, and they sat atop the winner’s bracket awaiting their opponents, the winners of the loser’s bracket to be contested between number- two seed and second place regular season finishers Sugar N Spike and the Glitter Hitters.

While lowest in the standings, the Glitter Hitters brought their A-game to the gym that night, beating Sugar N Spike in straight sets to advance to the finals. There, the girls’ luck continued, with a come-from-behind win in the first set and a commanding win in the final set to beat Triple Threat. But the challenge was not over. In the double- elimination format of the tournament, Triple Threat had only lost the one contest, meaning the Glitter Hitters had to turn around and immediately play again.

The girls met the challenge head on, playing in their third straight elimination game, winning a closely-contested first set 25-22 before finishing strong, taking the final set and the championship 25-17.

“Congratulations to all of these girls for their hard work this season,” said club volleyball director Harriet Francis at the post-game awards ceremony. “Triple Threat, you got first place for the season, and that’s something you and your coaches should be proud of. And Glitter Hitters, looking at how far you’ve come this year is just awesome.

Francis also thanked the coaches for being a part of the season and thanked parents for their support.

She also announced that she and club director Ladean Aughenbaugh were both soon to be departing the club after several years of service.

“It’s time,” said Francis.

“We’ve been at this a long time and it’s time to let someone else take the reins.”