PSHS girls’ volleyball team racks up milestones, preps for playoffs
The Philip Simmons High School volleyball team had plenty to celebrate as the Iron Horses transitioned from regular season to postseason play.
The Iron Horses posted a 33-5 record in the regular season, winning the Region 6-AA championship with a 10-0 record.
Three players reached milestones. McRae Stephenson, the Region 6-AA player of the year, and Mary Wells Mazur both reached 500 kills, while Sophia Pheney tallied her 1,000th career assist.
“This has been another great year for our volleyball program, from our JV team winning a record 24 matches to our varsity team competing at a high level and positioning ourselves for a playoff run,” coach Jay Watterworth said. “We have placed an emphasis this year on our attention to detail. We constantly talk about competing at a high level and playing our game.”
Talent abounds on the PSHS campus, as six players earned all-region honors: Stephenson, Pheney, Dani Gehringer, Catherine Futch, Gabby Kakalev, Arden Brooks, and Maddy Meloney.
Stephenson, a junior, was named the region player of the year, while Pheney and Meloney were selected to play in the North-South Volleyball All-Star Games, which are slated for Nov. 22 at BrooklandCayce High School. Stephenson recorded 201 kills this fall with a .501 hitting percentage. She tallied 59 aces and 54 blocks. Pheney had 21 aces, 90 digs, and 330 assists, while Meloney collected 114 kills, a .224 hitting percentage, and 31 blocks.
Watterworth, a fourth-generation educator, also reached a milestone, gaining his 400th career victory on Oct. 16 against Berkeley.
“I never had a goal of winning 400 matches,” Watterworth said. “My goal each year is to help athletes realize their potential and, hopefully, to make a positive impact on their lives. Winning is definitely fun, but the relationship with the athletes means more to me.
“I only told my mom about the milestone because I wanted my family to know. We celebrate life milestones together. She took it upon herself to seek out my team parents because I wasn’t going to tell them. I will have to have a chat with my mom.”
The Iron Horses began postseason play with an Oct. 22 game against Whale Branch High School with second-round play slated for Oct. 27. The playoffs culminate with the state championship match, scheduled for Nov. 8 at Dreher High School in Columbia.
“We did what we needed to in the regular season to set ourselves up for a playoff run,” Watterworth said. “All playoff matches for us will be at home. Our approach doesn’t change much heading into the playoffs. We know who we are as a team, and the next phase of the season will be to work on being consistent. Our practices are designed to work on individual skills and then to work on team chemistry and compete for every point.”