Frink commits to Lynchburg
Thomas Dale girls volleyball standout Sydney Frink, a senior, has committed to play at Lynchburg College. Frink has led the program for the past three seasons not only statistically, but in a leadership role as well. The Lady Knights have won four contests this year and picked up two victories this past week against Dinwiddie and Petersburg. Frink recorded 16 kills against the Generals and followed up with a nine kill, ten dig performance against the Crimson Wave. For Lynchburg College, the Hornets, Frink will likely play outside hitter at the next level.
Birdsong battling through shoulder issue
After an excellent first game against Purdue (23-36 passing, 234 yards, 2 TD), and a poor performance against Ohio (16-33 passing, 106 yards, 2 INT) in the second week of the season, Michael Birdsong sat out Marshall’s week three contest against Norfolk State. At first not initially, reported, it later came out that the junior was battling a shoulder injury. Birdsong did not play this past weekend against Kent State, and could face competition to get his job back, as true freshman Chase Litton has performed well in Birdsong’s absence.
L.C. Bird libero chooses Bridgewater College
Though short for volleyball standards at 5’3 and a half, you won’t find too many players in any sport in the Central Region who hustle as much as Taylor McNeely. Proving that size doesn’t matter, she committed to play volleyball at Bridgewater College. A senior, NcNeely posts excellent stats by way of the dig, and is an excellent passer and defensive player. L.C. Bird has played to a 7-3 overall record and is currently 6-0 in Conference 12. With a recent upswing in play for the program, McNeely, a senior hopes to lead her team to their first Conference 12 title since 2013.
Carver Academy girls volleyball makes debut
Formerly Chesterfield Community high, Carver Academy’s girls volleyball team plated it’s first game on September 17 against Middlesex. This week, they played a close match with Charles City, and fell to West Point. A group of students approached principal Ken Butta at the end of last year with interest and volleyball was born at the school. This marks the first time the school has fielded a girls sports team. The roster includes freshman Carrie Wyatt, sophomores Zyaisa Archer, Messasiah Bailey, Paige Gallagher and Alexis Robinson, juniors Katie Borkey, Leann Flowers and Kim Grindle, and one senior, Samantha Gallagher.
Area athletes excel in Norfolk State’s win
Four local athletes and a fifth from Chesterfield County’s stars shined during Norfolk State’s 24-14 win over Hampton on Saturday. Meadowbrook alum and running back Gerard Johnson ran for 118 yards and a touchdown in the victory. James River graduate Quintreil Chung scored his first collegiate touchdown. Defensively, L.C. Bird alum Jay Anderson had a standout game with seven tackles and a sack. Meadowbrook’s Cornelius “Too Tall” Tyler registered three tackles and Brandon Walker, a former Skyhawk collected two tackles.
Johnson commits to Canisius
Sunday afternoon, former L.C. Bird point guard and current Blue Ridge basketball player Malik Johnson announced that he verbally committed to Canisius College in Buffalo, New York. The Golden Griffins are a Division-I program that compete in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC). The conference is home to teams that have excelled in the NCAA Tournament, such as Iona and Manhattan. Johnson is the younger brother of Robert Johnson, who plays basketball for Indiana, and Yahkee Johnson who is expected to play college football somewhere next season. Johnson also had offers from Chattanooga and the University of Louisiana-Monroe.
