Tournaments break in new Prep athletic facility
Soccer, volleyball teams play host, perform well
Augusta Prep's newest building on campus got its first true test this past weekend when both the boy's soccer and volleyball programs played host to full tournaments.
Boardman Athletic Center saw 12 volleyball teams, including public and private schools from Georgia and South Carolina, come together for the annual Augusta Prep Volleyball Fall Classic.
The home team reached the Gold Bracket after a 5-1 record in Friday's pool play. On Saturday, the Lady Cavaliers took third place overall with a final win over North Augusta High School.
Laura Kopald, who led the team in kills for the tournament, and Nicole Abbott, who led in digs and aces, made the All-Tournament team in the Gold Division.
"It's the largest tournament we've ever had," Augusta Prep coach Rich Bland said. "We played the best competition we could have played and we did it in our home gym. That's the best thing about it."
At the same time, the annual Blue and Gold Cup took place on Augusta Prep's soccer field. The Cavaliers won the boy's soccer tournament with a three-game sweep including wins over Alleluia, Providence Christian and Heritage Academy.
Augusta Prep's Chris Prescott, Alex Leevey, Chris Burch and Harold Rivner were all named to the All-Tournament Team. Burch, a starter on defense, and Rivner, the Cavaliers' goalkeeper, led the charge during a scoreless weekend for Augusta Prep's opponents.
"In the last five games we've only allowed three goals," Augusta Prep soccer coach Forrest Wimberly said. "When you go a whole weekend without giving up a goal it shows you that our defense played exceptionally well."
One final member of the Augusta Prep athletic program did its job over the weekend. Boardman Athletic Center passed its first test with flying colors.
"We were very pleased," athletic director Tom Holodak said. "It was a great atmosphere. The best part was the 'oohs' and 'aahs' from the visiting teams."
Bland said the weekend festivities, especially the volleyball tournament, served a purpose beyond a simple show and tell.
"It was a good dry run because we're hosting the state tournament in October," he said. "That will be more teams, but this was a good test."
The GISA Class AAA volleyball state tourney will begin Oct. 27 at Augusta Prep.