A team’s success is often hard to determine at the beginning of the season.
That can definitely be said about the Oak Hill volleyball team which has several new components this season.
If enthusiasm is a determining factor in their success, the Red Devils have plenty, including first-year head coach, Tiffany Gray.
“This has been such a great experience. Because I am still young, I get to have a really good relationship with some of the girls,” Gray said “And it is really fun to get to serve and spike and do things I used to do when I was in high school.”
An extremely athletic player, Gray played high school volleyball at Oak Hill before graduating from Concord University.
“I played two years in high school during my junior and senior years, but I was a captain. I cheered all of my life and I played softball,” Gray said. “When volleyball started to become more popular, I kinda jumped in and tested myself. Ultimately it became one of my favorites.”
Gray’s enthusiasm for her first-ever high school coaching job has been matched, if not exceeded by her players. It is a group that Gray says is beyond committed.
“I love to do cross-fit, so probably for the last eight weeks or more, I have had over 30 girls at every conditioning. Most of those workouts are structured through cross-fit,” Gray explained. “Before we could touch a ball because of the rules and regulations, we were doing hardcore workouts. We were doing hill sprints, bear-crawls, farmer’s carries, they were doing a little bit of everything.”
While workouts like those can thin the ranks at times, that was not the case at Oak Hill.
“I just noticed repeatedly that they just kept coming back. That made me want to be equally as committed to them,” Gray said. “It was impressive, and a lot of coaches were talking about it because they don’t usually get that much commitment out of their athletic teams. The girls want to be committed and make it a great year.”
Young does not only describe the coach, but it also describes the team. Out of a group of 24 players, 16 are either sophomores or freshmen.
“It is a very young team, and it was hard to make cuts because they were all very committed. They want to work really hard,” Gray said. “Most of the team does have volleyball experience.
Returning seniors for Oak Hill are Hannah Hunter, Olivia Lopez, Alyssa Wolfe and Kiersten Hildebrand.
Senior Allison Smith and younger sister Caralyn Smith, who is a sophomore, are transfers that bring strong experience at the net along with them.
“We gained two players from Greater Beckley, and they have jumped in with all of our team building events. They have fit right in with all of the girls this year,” Gray said. “We have amazing defensive players, not that they are not great hitters, but the new one’s haves some height up front. It worked out great. They are a great addition to the team.”
Kalila Hames leads a class of juniors that includes Madison Bess and Brook Workman.
“(Kalila) will be our libero. She is very athletic and will be a force to be reckoned with on the back row this year,” Gray said.
The biggest dilemma for Gray this year will be which six players to put on the floor.
“That has really been the hardest for me,” Gray admitted. “I feel like I can play one group one game and another group the next. We have a lot of interchangeable parts.”
With a young coach and young team limited by COVID restrictions last year, the goals for the Red Devils are about more than just wins and losses.
“Of course, our goal is to win more games than the year before, but their main goal is to be bonded as a team that trusts each other,” Gray said. “Last year COVID restrictions created some social isolation, and they weren’t well bonded. If we can achieve that, I will be happy. So far, they have created a great team atmosphere. I am hoping winning comes as a part of that.”
