Gaston College beach volleyball coach Rachel Noreika (middle) watches her team practice last week as it prepared for Tuesday's 2024 regular season opener.

Posted: Feb 12, 2024

Gaston College beach volleyball opens 2024 regular season on Tuesday

After setting history for the school and the program last spring, Gaston College's beach volleyball team opens its 2024 season with a 2 p.m. doubleheader at St. Andrews.

Coach Rachel Noreika's last spring became the school's first-ever National Junior College Athletic Association national championship tournament participant when its finished 10th in the inaugural beach volleyball championship tournament in Tavares, Fla.

This season, seven returning players - all with winning experience from a year ago - give the Rhinos hope for even more improvement after they went 7-24 against a challenging schedule a year ago that included matchups with NCAA Division I and Division II four-year schools.

That was capped by a 2-4 record in the national championships for Gaston College's first national championship tournament victories.

Cherryville sophomores Carli Phillips and Bianca Bowland return with the most success as they went 13-14 as a pair last season for the most victories of any Rhinos' pairing in 2023.

Sophomores Naomi Hilland and Cristina Rotola each were a part of 10 pairs victories, including eight when they played together.

Other returnees are sophomores Leilania Nolasco, Cameryn Reavis and Millea Styles.

Noreika, a former indoor volleyball standout at Liberty University, has added five newcomers to the roster this season - sophomore Ayden Main and freshmen Olivia Ceballos, Madison Dearing, Milica Gavric and Valentina Rodriguez.

After Tuesday's opener, the Rhinos' next matches open their Region 10 slate at Richard Bland on Feb. 23.

Gaston College will play in multi-team events in Lynchburg, Va., Mt. Berry, Ga and Pinehurst and also have five regular season dates and will host the Region 10 championships at their on-campus facility.

Home regular season dates are March 4, 13, 15, 16 and April 17 and the Region 10 championships are April 20.

Gaston College will again hope to qualify for the national championships that will be held May 2-4 in Huntsville, Ala., at Hunt Park.