SOUTHSIDE – It’s no secret it’s beyond hot with temperatures reportedly as high as 111 this week.
With school out, teams are taking advantage of the warm weather to get ready for the upcoming 2018 fall season.
However, contrary to thought, the boys are not the only ones out in the heat and getting ready.
While we see football teams on social media working out at school in the weight room, or on the field with 7-on-7 tourneys they are not the only ones battling the heat.
Several area volleyball teams are battling the intense humidity and heat as well.
Some teams like Fletcher are using the off season to run stairs and around the stadium for conditioning to prepare for the upcoming season.
Other teams are using the time to play practice games against other schools to see what they need to work on before practice begins in late July.
Every Monday, local varsity and junior varsity volleyball teams travel to the Southside to the Jacksonville Juniors Volleyball Association facility off Baymeadows for weekly scrimmages.
Twenty teams (19 locally) rotate weeks off and on in the multi purpose facility playing as many as five games every Monday.
Among the teams competing in the JJVA Summer Volleyball League are Episcopal, Nease, Stanton, Ponte Vedra, Providence, Ridgeview, Creekside, Atlantic Coast, Mandarin, Pedro Menendez, Paxon, Trinity Christian, Westside, St. Augustine, Yulee, Bartram Trail, Bishop Kenny, Fleming Island and Keystone Heights.
Trinity Christian wins the point in their match with St. Augustine at Summer League at JJVA today. @DuvalSports pic.twitter.com/pFYcjW1ARA
— Corey Davis (@ByCoreyDavis) June 25, 2018
The two year indoor facility run by former FCCJ volleyball coach Mary Andrews accommodates 12 courts and host numerous club, youth and high school tournaments.
During the high school summer league on Mondays, teams rotate courts playing 20 minute games against other schools, playing as many as 4-5 games on the night.
The league takes off this coming Monday due to July 4, but returns for the next three weeks (July 9, 16 and 23).
Over the coming weeks in July, Duval Sports will be doing previews on several of the high school volleyball teams playing in the summer league, stay tuned for area previews.
