Tigers fall in 3rd round of volleyball playoffs

RANDLEMAN — An impressive milestone for any high school volleyball player is recording 1,000 assists in her career. When this occurs, the match is usually stopped, the player is recognized with a sign or banner and then play continues.

When a player records 2,000 assists in her varsity career, it’s a rare feat that could very well lead to a wing of the school being named in her honor. 

OK, maybe that’s a little much, but what Randleman High School senior Camryn Vickery accomplished is certainly something that will forever be etched into the volleyball lore at RHS.

After recording 43 assists in a first-round state playoff win over RS-Central, Vickery followed with a 44-assist effort against Forbush to pass the 2,000-assist barrier. 

“I am proud of my team,” Vickery said after the second-round sweep of Forbush. “My hitters are the ones who get me all those assists. Thanks to them and for all they have done. Travel ball has always been my favorite, but since it’s my senior year, I was really hitting it hard. I love my teammates and my libero (Kadie Green) for getting me the ball.”

Vickery has taken advantage of a strong lineup on the floor for the past few seasons. As a sophomore and RHS running a 6-2 offense, she shared set-up duties with Kenzie Roach. The two combined for 780 assists, with Vickery recording 274. When the Tigers switched to a 5-1 offense her junior season, Vickery took over as she recorded 859 assists. She’s bested that number this year, setting up Camden Scott, Haley Hinshaw, Ava Jones, Molly Hall and Kaylee Phillips. She finished her senior season with 908 assists for a three-year varsity assist total of 2,041.

“That was my main goal for the season,” Vickery said of breaking the 2,000-assist mark. “This year, I was really wanting to hit that goal. We all worked very hard this season.”

RHS Coach Kerry Mitchell said the milestone occurred sooner than expected.

“We knew we would have to make a little run in the playoffs for her to get it, so we were guessing maybe the third or fourth round, but it happened earlier,” Mitchell said. “I am super proud of her.”

Vickery said she felt pretty good prior to the Forbush match.

“When I was warming up, I felt like it would be a good day,” Vickery said. “My sets were clean and my hands felt good. We were all clicking. We trusted each other with the ball.”

Although the Tigers fell in the third round of the playoffs as North Stanly recorded a 25-20, 25-19, 25-18 win on Saturday, Vickery and RHS enjoyed another stellar season. Not only did the Tigers finish 20-5 overall in winning their first regular-season conference championship since 2010, but the 20 wins tied the mark for the most since that 2010 season when RHS captured 26 wins.

Team accomplishments. Individual accomplishments. It was another strong campaign for the Tigers.