2025 Pulaski County High School Youth Volleyball Camp

Pulaski County — Pulaski County Parks and Recreation is proud to announce the continued growth and success of its youth volleyball program, a key part of the county’s long-term strategy to support athlete development and strengthen the pipeline to high school sports. Since launching recreation youth volleyball in 2021, the department has seen a remarkable 165% increase in registrations, with continued expansion and innovation planned as the county looks toward the opening of the Pulaski County Sportsplex in 2026.

In just four years, the program has grown from 101 annual youth registrations in 2021 to 268 in 2024, as Pulaski County Parks and Recreation worked intentionally to expand access and create year-round opportunities for athletes to play and develop.

“We recognize the critical role we play in the early stages of athlete development,” said Jenna Kinder, Assistant Director of Pulaski County Parks and Recreation. “Our department is not only introducing youth to the sport of volleyball, but we’re actively building pathways for skill development, competitive growth, and long-term participation on Pulaski County’s VHSL

teams.”

The department’s most recent spring league in 2024 saw a record-setting 121 participants, a direct result of strategic planning to offer multiple seasonal touchpoints for youth engagement.

“Adding a spring season allowed us to double the number of playing opportunities each year, giving kids more time on the court to improve their fundamentals and love for the game,” said CJ Burgis, Sports Coordinator for Pulaski County Parks and Recreation. “It’s a simple change with a big impact—it opens the door for consistent growth and deeper athlete development.”

The department’s newest collaboration with Pulaski County High School also led to the first Youth Summer Volleyball Camp, where 28 young athletes trained under the guidance of PCHS coaches and players during an intensive two-day experience. “This partnership is more than just about growing numbers—it’s about building a culture of excellence from the ground up,” said Duane Minnick, Junior Varsity Head Coach of Pulaski County High School Volleyball. “When we invest in athletes early, we create momentum and confidence that carries through middle and high school competition.”

The growth strategy doesn’t stop here. With the anticipated opening of the Pulaski County Sportsplex in 2026, the county will add eight indoor volleyball courts, dramatically increasing capacity for off-season training, tournaments, and year-round access for local athletes.

“The Sportsplex will be a game-changer,” said Shay Dunnigan, Director at Pulaski County Parks and Recreation. “Not only will it provide more opportunities for our younger athletes to hone their skills throughout the year, but it will also elevate the overall performance of our high school teams. We’re grateful for the commitment the Pulaski County Board of Supervisors has made to this long-term vision.”

Pulaski County Parks and Recreation remains committed to providing high-quality recreational opportunities that inspire youth participation and support the broader goals of school athletic programs. As volleyball continues to surge in popularity across the region, Pulaski County is proud to be setting the standard for how local governments and school systems can collaborate to build something lasting—for both athletes and the community.

For more information on volleyball programs or the Pulaski County Sportsplex project, contact Pulaski County Parks and Recreation at (540) 994-2621.

July 10. Two rising stars from Lake Norman are making waves on the sand this summer. Carmen Markel of Mooresville and Harper Willis of Davidson have officially qualified for the 2025 USA Volleyball Beach National Championship and will compete in the 12U Open Division in Virginia Beach, Virginia, from July 16–21.

The tournament, hosted by USA Volleyball, draws the top junior beach volleyball athletes from across the country. More details can be found on the event’s official site: usavolleyball.org.

Carmen, the daughter of Chad and Krista Markel, and Harper, the daughter of Chris and Leslie Willis, are both part of athletic families with deep volleyball roots. Chris Willis serves as the head coach for Davidson College Volleyball, and both Krista and Leslie are former collegiate volleyball players.

Mooresville and Davidson duo heading to Virginia Beach for USAV Beach National Championship

The pair first met while playing for 704 Volleyball Club in Davidson under the direction of Coach Kim Vinson and Leslie. This summer marked their first foray into beach volleyball—and it didn’t take long for them to shine. Carmen and Harper quickly found their footing, earning several tournament wins and capturing the attention of regional beach volleyball circles.

Their consistent performance secured them a spot at the USAV Carolina Region Championship, where they competed last month. In addition to qualifying for the USAV Beach Nationals, the duo has also earned bids to the AVP Junior National Championships—a rare feat for first-year beach players.

Their success story is one of hard work, team chemistry, and the strong foundation built in the Lake Norman volleyball community.

Keep an eye on this dynamic duo as they represent North Carolina on the national stage later this month.

The Elgin Lady Cats varsity volleyball team is preparing for the upcoming 2025-26 season, and their full schedule has officially been released.

Elgin will open the season at home against Bastrop on Aug. 12 before diving into tournament play at the Wimberley Tex-Fest Aug. 14–16 at Wimberley High School. The Lady Cats will return home to face Austin Northeast Early College on Aug. 19, followed by an appearance in the Bastrop Classic at Bastrop High School from Aug. 21–23.

The Lady Cats will remain on the road to take on Cedar Creek on Aug. 26, then compete in the Rio Vista Tournament at Rio Vista High School on Aug. 28. Elgin will wrap up the month with a non-district road matchup at Thorndale on Aug. 29.

After a short break, Elgin will hit the road again in September with matches at Bellville (Sept. 6), Pflugerville Hendrickson (Sept. 9), and Pflugerville Weiss (Sept. 12).

District play begins Sept. 16 on the road against Georgetown. The Lady Cats will then host Pflugerville on Sept. 19, travel to Pflugerville Connally on Sept. 23, and return home for a stretch of matches against Georgetown East View (Sept. 26), Hendrickson (Oct. 3), Weiss (Oct. 7), and Georgetown (Oct. 10).

The final stretch of the season includes a road matchup at Pflugerville on Oct. 14, a home contest against Connally on Oct. 17, and the regular-season finale at East View.

The Lady Cats are aiming for a strong rebound after finishing 0–12 in district play last season.

SINGAPORE – Singapore have been regional water polo kingpins, winning 27 consecutive titles at the SEA Games since 1965 – the streak was broken in 2019 but they recaptured their crown in Phnom Penh in 2023.

But, in the next few weeks, the men’s national team will be the minnows when the world’s best come to town for the World Aquatics Championships.

At world No. 38, the debutants are the lowest ranked among the 16 teams competing at the OCBC Aquatic Centre from July 11 to 24.

The women’s tournament kicks off on July 11, followed by the men a day later. The Singapore men are in Group C with world No. 6 and 2024 Olympic bronze medallists United States, as well as Brazil (10th) and Canada (13th).

Their preparations included friendly matches against Australian state teams and clubs, as well as the Australian national team in March. In June, they competed in China against Chinese provincial teams, and Japan’s national team and university sides in Yokohama.

Captain Lee Kai Yang, 30, said those matches have already shown that things are different “in every aspect of the game”.

Lee, who was in the 2015, 2017 and 2023 teams who won the SEA Games gold, added: “Every player on every team (at the world championships level) can hit top speed.

“In terms of their shooting and passing ability, there is pinpoint accuracy and their shots are faster than anyone on our team can potentially shoot. And then you couple that with the kind of physicality and size of the players.

“Some of our players were joking that the players we have faced in friendly matches look like walking vending machines.”

But, while Lee and his teammates know the size of the task at hand, competing at the championships will help them to make a bigger impact at the Asian level.

National coach Kan Aoyagi had previously set Singapore a target of winning a medal at the 2030 Asian Games in Doha, Qatar. The last time they won a medal at the Asiad was at the 1986 edition in Seoul.

At the Feb 25-March 2 Asian Water Polo Championship in Zhaoqing, China, Singapore’s men finished sixth out of nine teams.

Lee said: “If I were to be very blunt, the SEA Games… doesn’t compare. But, for the longest time, we’ve also had this ongoing conversation about what is it going to take to bring us to the next level.

“The global standard is also (higher) compared to the Asian level.

“So, if we were to break down all these lofty goals, our more immediate goal is to make a bigger impact at the Asian level and this exposure will help us.”

While the men’s team are set for a baptism of fire, the women, who made their bow at Doha 2024, will be looking to improve on their last outing.

In Doha, they lost all five matches – their heaviest defeat was a 39-2 rout by two-time world champions Hungary – and finished last out of 16 teams.

This time, they will face Paris silver medallists Australia, Italy and New Zealand in Group A.

In May and June, the team travelled to Europe to play friendly matches against the national teams of Portugal, Britain and Serbia, as well as professional clubs in Greece. They also competed in the national league of Guangdong, China, in February.

Captain Abielle Yeo, 27, believes the they are better equipped this time as they have been training and competing together for a longer period, and have since improved their teamwork, communication and chemistry.

She said: “Going into our second world championships, definitely the direct comparison would be the statistics and the benchmarks (set) from the previous one.

“We are looking at a lot of the specific steps such as conversion rates, our attack and defence. We hope that will hopefully bring us to have better end results as well.”

Dominic Soh, Singapore Aquatics’ vice-president for water polo, said Singapore’s success should be assessed beyond just scorelines, adding that the world championships are also a timely preparation for the year-end SEA Games.

Soh said: “We will look at and assess how our players are performing in terms of how they play the game, how well they cope with their defence, how well they are able to attack against a superior team and even score goals. The lessons that are learnt will be valuable to the teams.”

World AquaticsWater poloSingapore sportsWorld championshipsTeam Singapore