October 2023 - Riverdale’s Lady Raiders varsity volleyball had an amazing season this fall. They had several huge tournament wins throughout the season. Most notably, in the Briarcrest Tournament they took down West Collierville, Northpoint, St. Mary’s, and the Saints themselves. These dedicated athletes went on to continue their success at Regionals and Sectionals.
During the Regionals tournament, the Raiders defeated West Collierville in straight sets, 25-20 and 25-13. This was the first ever Varsity volleyball regionals win. This same team was previously named Regional Champions in the JV league two years ago with a perfect 19-0 season. This was the first Regional Championship win in 24 years for the Varsity Raiders, and Riverdale could not have been more proud.
At Sectionals, the Lady Raiders were the Class AA TMSAA 2023 Section 4 Volleyball Champions, another first for Riverdale! After their win over Colonial Middle School, they next faced Brighton Middle School. These two huge victories were in two sets, winning 25-7 and 25-9 over the Colonial Patriots and 25-14, 25-11 over Brighton.
Principal Bond gave the team a recognition, and the crowd support they received this year was phenomenal. It was of course a team effort that led them to such a fantastic season, but several of the Lady Raiders were recognized for their own individual achievements as well. For the Class AA Section 4 All-Tournament Team, Riverdale had four team members: Scarlett Dykes, Maddy Nadicksbernd, Anna Wiadacz, and Ellie Coulter. Ellie was also named as the tournament MVP, and in her 23-24 season, she had over 1,000 kills.
The Lady Raiders finished their season fifth in the state. Congratulations to these hard working athletes, and we can’t wait to see what comes next season.