Pictured are the participants in the 2025 Banzai Volleyball Camp held at Pulaski County Middle School. Front (L-R) Axton Davis, Kiylee Taylor, Emma Thompson, Chelsea Smith, Oakley Bird, Quinn Austin, Ava Thompson, Raegan Dean; middle (L-R), Maria Sanchez, Addie Phillips, Riley Shepardson, Kara Tabor, Madelyn Moles, Chloe Thompson, Olivia Ingle, Madison Hoback, Lacie Lytton; back (L-R), Jovi Perdue, Lainie Cobbs, Abby Bishop, Aubrey Huff, Zaley Manns, Comley Meyer, McKenzie Robinson, Sophia Exconde, Ella Hughett, and Nevaeh Cooper. Not pictured: Vivian Hash and Schylar Gonzales. Camp instructors were Kim Nelson, Jan Harris, Allie Phillips, and Tasha Phillips. They were assisted by Ainsley Vaughan.
The annual Banzai Volleyball Camp was recently held at Pulaski County Middle School with 30 girls participating. The campers received instruction on the basic skills of the game, had weeklong and daily competitions and awards, and each one received a participation certificate and camp t-shirt.
On Monday, Ava Thompson was named Camper of the Day, while Hustler of the Day went to Comley Meyer. The Play of the Day went to Lainie Cobbs and Ella Hughett. Tuesday's Camper of the Day was Maddy Hoback and Raegan Dean and Vivian Hash tied for Hustler of the Day. Tuesday's Play of the Day went to Chloe Thompson, Axton Davis, and Addie Phillips.
Riley Shepardson and Kiylee Taylor tied for Camper of the Day on Wednesday, while Kara Tabor claimed Hustler of the Day. Jovi Perdue, Tabor and Ava Thompson were selected as having one of the Plays of Day, Abby Bishop, Bird, and Nevaeh Cooper also captured a Play of the Day award.
Bishop and Chloe Thompson tied for Camper of the Day on Thursday, and Addie Phillips and Emma Thompson tied for Hustler of the Day. Plays of the Day went to Dean, Phillips and Shepardson and the threesome of Maria Sanchez, Cobbs and Davis.
On Friday, Hughett claimed Camper of the Day, along with Sanchez. Hustler of the Day went to Chelsea Smith and Lacie Lytton. Shepardson, Tabor and Dean took one Play of the Day award and McKenzie Robinson, Bird and Bishop claimed the other one.
Choe Thompson won the hoop serving competition and there was a three-way tie for the hoop hitting competition between Hoback, Phillips and Perdue. The serving competition was won by Bishop. Meyer claimed the Spirit Award and Perdue the Sportsmanship Award. The Top Hitter Award went to Hoback and the Top Passer award went to Dean. Most Improved younger participant was a tie between Quinn Austin and Emma Thompson. Nevaeh Cooper and Aubrey Huff tied for Most Improved older participant.
The 2-on-2 winning team was Kiylee Taylor and Zaley Manns, while the 3-on-3 winning team was comprised of Bird, Meyer and Ava Thompson. The 6-on-6 winning team was the Fortniters. Team members included Hash, Huff, Hoback, Meyer, Chloe Thompson, Smith, and Lytton.
The Hustler of the Week was awarded to Bird and the Camper of the Week was Perdue.