It was the third set, and the JV volleyball team was fighting for the win. Playing against Windermere Prep on August 25, the score was 16-15, which put the Saints in the lead for the tie-break. One of the team captains, freshman Sarah Currie, served for the match point and Windermere missed the ball long. The JV players erupted in cheers, and Hannah Young secured her first win as the new JV head coach.
Previously a club assistant coach, Young is now joining the Trinity volleyball program for the first time in the head coach position.
“It’s very exciting to be in the position of having my own team and especially with the girls,” Young said. “I can tell that they’re having fun so far, and it’s just encouraging to see where the season goes.”
Young had connections with the current varsity coaches and the middle school coach. Young attended Lake Howell High School, where varsity head coach Terry Kruzcek was a coach and teacher there. She also knew varsity assistant coach Henry Shehu who played volleyball with Young. They encouraged Young to apply for the coaching position at Trinity, as well as her connection with Jeffrey Wilson, the middle school volleyball head coach. Young coached alongside Wilson at his club team and after one season, he was sure she would be a great asset to the JV team.
“She is knowledgeable, she is smart,” Wilson said. “She sees things on the court that I don’t. She is complimentary as a coach. She is really good at keeping track of rotations, and she has a lot of experience as a player, and that translates well to being able to give advice and coaching to new and younger players.”
Young has been playing volleyball 13 years herself and has three years of coaching experience, starting her last year of high school.
“My high school coach, my senior year, was coaching club, and he asked me to start coaching,” Young said. “I’ve always just loved the informational side of the game, from when I started playing. I was very quick to learn everything about it. I realized that I really wanted to coach and then started coaching at the school.”
Many of the players on JV, especially Currie, believe that Young is the perfect coach for the JV team and has met all of their expectations.
“She brings a breath of fresh air,” Currie said. “Growth and development is our number one priority on JV, and I think bringing in Coach Young was such an excellent decision on the athletic department’s part.”
Young said her main focus this year is growth and development. She plans on working on consistency with the players. However, Young mentions that this would be a successful season if the JV players just had fun.
“Yes, it’s cool for me to have a good winning streak, but knowing that the girls had a good time and enjoyed playing during the season, and also knowing that they feel growth is definitely going to be the best thing for me to feel,” Young said.
The JV team now has three wins and five losses. This only makes them more excited and ready to compete for the next games to come. Young is personally looking forward to some of the upcoming matches this month.
“One of the most exciting games that I’m most excited about would be the Winter Springs game that we have at home on September 14, mainly just because when I was in high school, that was our biggest rival,” Young said. “So even though I’m at Trinity Prep, it’s not the biggest rival per se, it’s still kind of encouraging for me to be coaching against one of my biggest rivals.”
Overall the JV team is excited for this season and to face the challenges that it brings, and they are very thrilled that Young is leading them through this season.
“We couldn’t be happier that Coach Young is our coach,” Currie said. “We know that she will bring us to the next level, and make us better players and overall better people.”
