The inaugural Volleyball MaxPreps Tour of Champions presented by the National Guard kicked off Wednesday night, December 15th in Apex, North Carolina just south of Raleigh, NC. It was extremely fitting that the first school on the first Volleyball Tour of Champions had just won the first volleyball state championship in school history. The championship capped off a perfect 27-0 season, and not only that but a three year run where the team went 72-7! Yet, in-state honors are one thing, but being ranked #13 nationally amongst 17,000 teams is another, and one of the reasons why this inaugural tour made its way to the unseasonably cold Tar Heel state.
I drove down on Wednesday and was able to arrive at
Apex (Apex, N.C.) High School during the JV girls' basketball game. Sergeant First Class Robert Cook arrived soon after with the National Guard national ranking trophy which immediately caught the eyes and cameras of everyone walking in. I was soon introduced to girls' volleyball head coach Nikki O'Connell who had a smile on her face the entire evening. She was extremely humbled by the honor and was happy her team was going to be honored for their outstanding season and all their hard work.
Before the ceremony, the Guardsmen interacted with students, cheerleaders, parents and faculty all interested in viewing the soon-to-be presented trophy – the Minuteman, a symbol of commitment, perseverance and dedication. The Guardsmen also disseminated the first-ever Volleyball Tour of Champions commemorative t-shirts to all 15 championship players.
The ceremony took place during half time of the Varsity girls' basketball game. MaxPreps representative Patrick Vohden began the presentation by explaining how the MaxPreps Freeman rankings are computed and then rattled off the team's impressive season stats to the delight of the cheering crowd. He then introduced Lieutenant Colonel Maury A. Williams of the North Carolina National Guard. LTC Williams spoke of the team's incredible accomplishments and the importance of teamwork and dedication to a mission. He then presented the coveted trophy to Coach O'Connell who was showered in applause and flash bulbs. O'Connell then took the microphone and emphatically thanked everyone for coming out and then thanked the National Guard and MaxPreps for the tremendous honor.
The team and coaches were then ushered to the end of the gym for a photo shoot worthy of a movie premiere. The team, parents, coaches and Guardsmen stayed on hand until every possible picture had been taken. Coach O'Connell continued thanking everyone involved, as did the girls and their parents.
I don't think the tour could have been kicked off in a better fashion. The rest of the honorees are going to have a lot to live up to. Congratulations again to the Cougars and Coach O'Connell!
