MUMC hosts ‘Jack & Jill’ Volleyball tourney

Local junior volleyball players team up with local ‘talent’

ralphhardin@gmail.com Volleyball is blowing up in Crittenden County. In addition to already-established programs at the high school and junior high level in Marion and West Memphis, the J.W.

Rich Girls Club’s spring and fall volleyball leagues continue to have strong numbers. The Crittenden County Boys & Girls Club also has introduced girls’ volleyball, and competitive teams like Mid-South Volleyball and Memphis Metro-West have popped up over the past couple of years.

Well, anyone who drives down Highway 77 in Marion has no doubt seen the sand volleyball court between the Marion Police Department and the Marion United Methodist Church parking lot.

MUMC hosts volleyball there during summer months, including this past weekend when local players had a chance to take part in a unique event.

It was the “Jack & Jill” 2-on-2 sand volleyball tournament. And like the name suggests, it was made up of one guy and one girl. The twist got even twistier, with the Jills all having to be 13 or younger, and the Jacks all having to be 18 or older.

The result was a lot of talented young ladies dragging their dad, their coach or a family friend out onto the sand for some fun in the sun.

“You know, it’s all about the girls,” said FUMC recreation director Gary Wehrum, who played in the tourney with his daughter Anna. “We want them to work on their game, get better and represent their schools as they get older.”

The sand got hotter as the day went on, but the girls and their partners gave it their best effort, with plenty of close games and exciting shots in the nine-team round-robin tourney. There were plenty of hard-breathing dads and some long sighs from the girls when the “old man” couldn’t quite get to a hard shot down the line, but it was all for fun.

Ultimately, it came down to who had the better record, and that honor went to the tandem of Maggie Miller, a soon-to-be seventh grader who plays for Mid-South Volleyball and will be playing for the Junior Patriots in the fall, and her partner Craig Rogers, who many may know as the son of local umpiring legend Ronnie Rogers. The pair went 7-1 on the day to take home a couple of cool trophies.