Aiken High School is gaining a new athletics facility.
The Hornets announced Tuesday that two new sand volleyball pits would be added to the back side of the campus. Aiken High now joins Oceanside Collegiate Academy in Mount Pleasant as schools with beach volleyball facilities.
The sand pits, nets and construction cost about $15,000. The team raised funds and received donations to help cover the cost of the new courts.
“This is another opportunity for students that want to continue their athletic career into college, this is another great way to do it,” Aiken High School athletic director Phillip Blacha said. “We can also offer a lot of camps. We can have a bunch of little league teams and it’s a great set up for the future.”
“I think there is a lot of interest and there has been a lot of interest in beach volleyball,” Aiken Mayor Rick Osbon said. “I hope to see this as a start, not just the finish of it.”
“Honestly it is going to be really fun and it’s going to give us something besides just being on a regular court,” Aiken volleyball junior Lauren Dziengielewski said. “Hopefully it will make us better.”
The courts are anticipated to finish construction in time for school to start. Aiken High volleyball coach Jeremy Rinder hopes to utilize the courts during the year. The courts could also be utilized for physical education classes.
“You ask anybody who is in volleyball and they will tell you the quickest way to get better is to play in the sand. It’s a different approach,” Rinder said. “In sand volleyball you have to do everything. So you have to pass, you have to set and you have to swing and just the fact that it is in sand physically makes you stronger.”
Beach volleyball is currently not a South Carolina high school sport, however the University of South Carolina has a Division I beach volleyball team with a 23-9 record in 2021.
Read the full Aiken Standard article here.