By Brian Pitts - Davie County Enterprise-Record 
Davie varsity volleyball coach Becky Miller can't wait for the Aug. 18 season opener. She thinks this could be the year Davie has waited for since Miller assumed the helm in 2005.

Miller's first year was a rebuilding chore (8-15 overall, 5-7 for fourth place out of seven in the Central Piedmont Conference). The War Eagles got a little better in '06, going 14-11 and 8-4 for third behind Mount Tabor and West Forsyth. They took it up a notch in '07, going 14-10 and 7-3 for a second-place tie with West Forsyth.

The War Eagles appear destined for greater things in '08. They're experienced, they're talented and they're deep.
"This is the group I started with as freshmen, and these girls are (certified) volleyball players," Miller said. "I think the sky's the limit for these girls. Our theme is 'Go Beyond.' Because our goal is to go beyond everyone's expectations and go beyond what any team has ever done at this school."

The roster consists of seniors Alex Folk, Sarah Martin, Amber Parrish, Carly Pratapas and Katelin Wensley; juniors Rebecca Bobo, Miranda Edwards, Ashley Green, Moriah MacDonell, Costner Merrifield, Chelsea Reynolds and Elyssa Tucker; and sophomores Taylor Anderson, Brittani Stewart and Chelsea Young.

The Boston Celtics' famous Big Three (Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen) carried the Celtics to the greatest one-year turnaround in NBA history, a rise capped by an NBA championship. The cornerstone of Davie is another Big Three - Parrish, Pratapas and Wensley. All three are drawing interest from colleges.

Parrish looks like the real deal at setter. She brings splendid court leadership.  "I could sit on the bench and never have to say a word to her during a match," Miller said. "She can run her offense, and defensively she has come leaps and bounds from last year."

But you can't think of Parrish without thinking of Wensley and Pratapas. Parrish and Wensley are fourth-year varsity players, and Pratapas is in her third varsity campaign.

"It's going to be exciting to watch these girls play volleyball this year," she said. "Wensley and Pratapas are strong as outside hitters and very versatile as hitters. And we've seen amazing improvement defensively."

In terms of a supporting cast, Miller can take her pick among Martin, Green, Merrifield, Reynolds and Edwards. "Martin has come on as a leader, and she's a strong middle hitter," she said. "Green has a huge block and nice hit. She's a setter. She is going to be a force."