Allison Woolbright isn’t sure when New Hope and Caledonia might find time to squeeze in a volleyball match Tuesday night.
A lengthy list of gift certificates, T-shirts and other rewards stands in the way.
“I’m not sure when we’re going to play volleyball because we’ve got so many prizes to give,” the New Hope coach said.
That’s because the Trojans are hosting the Cavaliers in the sixth annual Dig Pink Game, a regular-season contest that means a lot more than one win or loss on each team’s final record.
Proceeds from the game go toward the research and treatment of Stage IV breast cancer. The money will go to the Side-Out Foundation.
“It’s for a great cause, and so we’re really excited about that,” Woolbright said.
New Hope and Caledonia have played Dig Pink matches dating back to 2017. The Cavaliers won the first three matches; the Trojans claimed the next two.
Caledonia coach Samantha Brooks knows a New Hope team that has just two losses outside of tournament play has a strong chance of evening the series.
“It’s going to be good competition, for sure,” Brooks said. “It’s always exciting to play in it.”
The Trojans and Cavaliers might be rivals, but players from what Brooks called “sister schools” are close. They play club volleyball together; they’re competitors in other sports.
“When we’re off the court, we’re friends and we love each other, but when we’re on the court, both sides want to win,” Woolbright said.
“It really makes me happy to be playing the sport I love against teammates on both sides of the net,” her daughter, junior setter Annie Woolbright, said. “I really love it.”
The charity aspect of the game is perhaps just as fun as the on-court matchup. At New Hope’s home match against Oxford on Thursday, a list outside the Trojans’ gymnasium detailed dozens of donated items for Tuesday’s event.
Pound cakes from Elliru’s Baking, a handmade quilt from Judy Stokes, a six-month YMCA family membership and apparel for both teams numbered among them. More than $1,000 worth of gift cards were pledged for the event.
The grand prize? An Apple Watch Series 8, donated by the Columbus Orthopaedic Clinic.
“The amount of community support this year has just been phenomenal,” Allison Woolbright said.
The event has personal stakes for both coaches. Woolbright said her grandmother was diagnosed with breast cancer, and she has several family members and friends currently battling the disease.
“For us to be able to do something to try to help bring awareness and also bring possibly a cure, I think that’s important,” she said. “I think it’s important for the girls and the kids to get involved in that, too, because so many people have been impacted by it.”
Brooks makes an annual donation in remembrance of her grandmother, who suffered from breast cancer and underwent a double mastectomy.
The mother of one of Caledonia’s players is a nurse practitioner, and Brooks hopes to have her or a young breast cancer patient speak to the Cavs this season to help hammer home the message that no one is safe from the condition.
“It hits home a little bit more when it’s somebody closer to your age or somebody you know,” Brooks said. “I say this every year, but eventually, everybody is going to be affected by it, whether it’s a mom or a grandmother or an aunt or a best friend or even yourself. It’s going to affect everybody in some way if it hasn’t already.”
Caledonia and New Hope will tip off at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday in a Trojans gym sure to be full of pink, from armbands and T-shirts to posters and decor.
The energy inside the gym will match the vibrant color.
“It’s always an exciting atmosphere,” Brooks said. “It looks a little different because there’s so much pink out there. My girls always look forward to it. I know New Hope does as well.”
Monday’s volleyball scores
Caledonia 3, Mooreville 0
CALEDONIA — Caledonia won its tune-up for the Dig Pink Game, sweeping Mooreville at home Monday.
Set scores were 25-8, 25-19 and 25-16.
New Hope 3, Heritage Academy 0
NEW HOPE — New Hope swept Heritage Academy at home Monday.
Set scores were 25-14, 25-13 and 25-6.
Ethel def. West Lowndes
Theo DeRosa reports on Mississippi State sports for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter at @Theo_DeRosa.
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