Gaston College beach volleyball coach excited as 2026 season begins on Friday

Gaston College coach Annelle Grealis can't wait to officially restart the school's beach volleyball program.

Grealis says the excitement overwhelms her as the Rhinos prepare for Friday's 1 p.m. regular season opener against Sandhills Community College on the school's on-campus court.

"We're getting there," said Grealis, who guided Gaston College's club team a year ago and has slowly rebuilt the team into one that will compete for the National Junior College Athletic Association Region 10 title this season.
"I'm very excited about the opportunity. The team has been working really, really hard since August."

Grealis' youthful team has only one player with previous college beach volleyball experience but she says the nine newcomers to the sport have shown resilience and ability to improve every time they practice and play.

"It's truly an enjoyment to see the fruits of their labor," Grealis said. "I coach the team but they are the ones doing all of the work. And I'm looking forward to seeing all of their work in action."

Raelyn Miller-Lawrence, a sophomore from West Charlotte, is the lone returnee from last year's club team.

Newcomers are Addison Abernethy, Tayshawn Brown, Angelina Diaz, Madison Herms, Addie Key, Brianna Krent, Valeria Rodriguez, Monica Uribe and Ashley York.

"Raelyn is of course one of our leaders, She brings a positive spirit to the courts every day." Grealis said. "But a couple of the freshmen have emerged. Valeria is a leader as her older sister Valentina played for the 2024 and 2025 teams and Valeria has a lot of sand and outdoor experience. She's great at encouraging her teammates.
"And Addie Key has been very beneficial to our team. As a leader she also has some sand experience and she's done a good job helping her teammates as well."

Grealis inherited a program that had made back-to-back top 10 NJCAA national championship finishes in 2023 and 2024 before Grealis' late hiring limited her opportunity to recruit players for the 2025 season.

This school year, the Rhinos played two fall exhibition matches against Sandhills Community College, a program that has advanced to the last two NJCAA national championships. Gaston College has a 16-match schedule before playing in the Region 10 championship tournament in April.

"It's a team effort," Grealis said. "All of the players have taken on different roles in practice and throughout the season. So even though they are a new team and new to Gaston College, they have a passion for the sport.
"It's been great to have a group like this that is eager to improve every day."