Wallace State volleyball, propelled by Lexie Riggins, begins play this morning at NJCAA Division I National Tournament
HANCEVILLE, ALA. — Nothing was guaranteed for Wallace State volleyball middle hitter Lexie Riggins when she first set foot on Wallace State’s campus.
“I’ll never forget fighting for that scholarship. I fought for that scholarship and for everything we’ve achieved. I’m happy to say I play volleyball for Wallace State and that I’ve got to play under coach Randy Daniel. He’s the best coach in this state,” said Riggins, a 5-foot-11 Chelsea High graduate. “When I first visited, coach
Daniel wasn’t too convinced I deserved a scholarship. I told him I was worthy of it and would work as hard as possible to prove him right.”
Riggins has exceeded all of those promises. She’s among the sophomore leaders for Wallace State, which begins play today at 9 a.m., in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division I National Championship in Hutchinson, Kan.
Wallace State’s first-round match is against Polk State (Fla.) as the 14th-seeded Lions (33-7) make their 10th consecutive appearance at the national event. Polk State is the third seed, carrying a 21-6 record into this morning’s match.
Wallace State punched its ticket to the national tournament on Oct. 28 after securing a 10th consecutive Alabama Community College Conference (ACCC) tournament championship and the District L/M title.
Riggins was named ACCC Tournament MVP after registering 34 kills and 10 digs over three matches. She became the first Wallace State player to earn MVP honors in consecutive seasons during the 10-year championship march. She was also named an All-ACCC 1st-team member for her regular season work.
Over her two-year career at Wallace State, Riggins has amassed 796 career kills and 245 blocks. She has a .416 hitting percentage this season, the same mark she finished with as a freshman.
Daniel’s first impression of Riggins didn’t conjure up eventual Tournament MVP thoughts.
“When I first watched Lexie and evaluated her on the court, I saw a good player, but not the dominant player she’s developed into. I didn’t see the size we needed at the net. I was honest with Lexie and told her I might not have a scholarship available for her. She looked me in the eye and said I needed her in the program. That was impressive to me and we found a way to get her on the team. Obviously, it turned out to be a great decision,” said Daniel, the all-time winningest coach in Wallace State volleyball history with 437 career wins in his 12th season.
Along with Riggins, Wallace State presents a balanced attack to the national tournament. The Lions have four players with at least 174 kills: Riggins (403), sophomore Maya Jones (329), freshman Karlee Hale (322), Kaitlyn Doyle (204) and Alex Wiggins (174).
McKenzie Boland, an All-ACCC 2nd-team selection, leads the Lions with 1,318 assists.
Freshman Alexis Snow has compiled a team-high 463 digs, while Karmahn Hall has added 229. Courtlyn Barber has contributed 204 digs and 132 kills.
Riggins and Jones were 1st-team All-ACCC selections for their regular-season work.
All national championship matches can be viewed at www.njcaatv.com.
For more information about Wallace State athletics, visit www.athletics.wallacestate.edu or the athletics Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/Wallace-State-Community-College-Athletics-238544719506181/
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Wallace State sophomore middle hitter Lexie Riggins was named the ACCC Tournament MVP last month, leading the Lions to a 10th straight conference tournament title.
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