Sand spikers
By Kirsten Ballard
Published in News on June 25, 2015 1:46 PM
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News-Argus/CASEY MOZINGO
Paige Lewandowski bumps the volleyball across the net during the Goldsboro Parks and Recreation intramural sand volleyball championships Wednesday night at Berkeley Park.
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News-Argus/CASEY MOZINGO
Eliot Lee and Danielle Roberts run to save a ball that was hit out of bounds by a teammate.
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Team Operation Link poses for a team photo after winning the Goldsboro Parks and Recreation intramural sand volleyball championship Wednesday night at Berkeley Park. The team went undefeated in the double elimination tournament thanks to practice and teamwork.
The trophy gleamed in the evening sun as 12 teams battled it out at the net for bragging rights.
The gold witch on a broom, affectionately called the Sand Witch by Tyler Ham, a recreation leader with the Goldsboro Parks and Recreation Department, was the prize.
There were more than 70 players at Berkeley Park Wednesday night for the intramural volleyball championship games.
Tyler says volleyball and kickball are the most popular intramural sports that the department offers.
The sides of the two sand courts were crowded with families and friends who joined in the fun. Fans sat in lawn chairs and played volleyball on the grass while waiting for a victor.
A nice breeze added a challenge for the players and relief for the spectators.
The bracket was double-elimination, first to 11 points.
"You don't have to serve to get the point," Tyler told the players. "You can spike the serve. You can be as aggressive as you want to."
Brenda Crouch wasn't there to be aggressive.
She was there to have fun.
"I think we need more practice," she said, laughing.
Her team, the Cherry Ballers, was a ragtag team of friends and strangers. Last Wednesday, they did not meet the required six players for a game, so Nay Newsome and her daughter Te Newsome stepped in.
"We met out here, we got in it, having fun together," Nay said. "It's not always about winning, it's about fun."
City employee Darren Goroski was having fun heckling Parks and Recreation Director Scott Barnard and the rest of the Rec-N-Balls team.
"Two out of three isn't bad," Darren called to Scott from his lawn chair, referring to the team's serve percentage.
Darren played on team Slow with City Manager Scott Stevens.
"There are quite a few city employees out here," he said.
But even Slow eventually lost to Sets on the Beach, Ellen Morgan's team.
Ellen plays volleyball at the University of Mount Olive. Her team was a group of old teammates and her former volleyball coaches. The women play Elite East volleyball.
But they were just playing on Wednesday night.
"We do open gym for extra touches. This is our fun time," Ellen said.
It was Team Operation Link that went home with the Sand Witch trophy. The group of volunteers is a science, technology, engineering and math-based mentoring program for elementary and middle school students from military families.
Group leader Lou Rose watched from the sidelines as the team went undefeated the entire evening.
At the end of the two-hour competition, the members of the team held up their index fingers to declare they were No. 1.
"I'm so proud of them," Lou said. "Give them the credit. They've been practicing. Our whole group is about teamwork and mentoring. We'll take (the trophy) to ECU and show it off there and keep it in the office."
Even though the trophy has now been awarded, the season is not over.
Because of the large interest in volleyball, Tyler is working to set up regular, more casual, games at Berkeley Park on Wednesday nights where anyone can play.
"You won't need a team, just show up," he said.