Gaston College beach volleyball heads to Region 10 championships

Gaston College Annelle Grealis knew there would be challenges this season as she re-started the Rhinos' beach volleyball with a youthful, inexperienced roster.

And while the record may not indicate it, Grealis is confident her Gaston College will enter Friday's Region 10 with confidence and high expectations to continue showing improvement.

"Our record does not show the level at where the team has played," Grealis said. "Throughout the season, we have progressed."

That was on display last week when the team lost to regular season season champion in a tightly-contested home match, then the No. 1 playing pair of Valeria Rodriguez and Addie Key won both of their sets in the team's losses to Sandhills Community College on "Sophomore Day" in the Rhinos' regular season finale at the Gaston College beach volleyball courts.

"Our season-long goal has been to get better - and we certainly have," Grealis said. "The way we played Richard Bland, I left that match feeling positive and confident that we were moving in the right direction."

In that match, despite being swept, the No. 1 pair of Rodriguez and Key became the only junior college pairing to force Richard Bland's No. 1 pairing to a third set and the No. 2 pairing of Addison Abernethy and Angelina Diaz played two three-set matches.

"So going into this tournament, our team has continuously gotten better every time they've stepped on the court," Grealis said.