.jpg)
New Coach Optimistic About Wildcats’ Next Chapter
Under the direction of a new head coach, the Rockbridge County High School volleyball team will start a new chapter after graduating five all-district players from last year’s district and regional championship teams.
Despite only having one senior, Gabe Wagner, the program’s first male head coach, is optimistic about what the young Wildcats can accomplish this year. The Wildcats have seven returning players and seven first-year varsity players, with six juniors and seven sophomores to learn from and help their senior, setter Rebekah Allen.
Wagner, a former Southern Virginia University men’s volleyball player and a current assistant coach for the SVU team, replaces Kassidy Beagan, who stepped down after coaching the Wildcats for the last two years to spend more time with her family.
The new coach inherits a team that went 27-2 overall and 12-0 in the Valley District last fall, ending the season with a 3-2 loss to Christiansburg in the Class 3 state quarterfinals. The loss followed 23 consecutive wins, the Valley District tournament title and the Wildcats’ third Region 3C title in program history. The Wildcats also won their seventh consecutive Valley District regularseason title last year.
From last year’s team, the Wildcats graduated five alldistrict players: McKenzie Burch, Maddie Dahl, Sophia Perlozzo, Nala Shearer and Sophie Vaught. Dahl was the Region 3C player of the year, and she, Burch and Vaught were all-state selections. Dahl and Shearer will both play Division III volleyball, Dahl at Berry College in Georgia and Shearer at Gettysburg College in Pennsylvania.
Although this can be called a rebuilding season, Wagner is impressed by his team so far. In their Aug. 10 jamboree at Liberty (Bedford), the Wildcats placed third of 10 teams, only losing to a tough Amherst County team. “It’s very promising,” said Wagner, noting that, due to inclement weather, the Wildcats had only had two days of actual practice that week. “I think if we go back and play that scrimmage two weeks from now, we’d probably go undefeated.”
With the help of two assistant coaches who are current men’s volleyball players at SVU, Wagner hopes to implement some of what he learned in the men’s game. From the Aug. 10 jamboree, Wagner said, “I was really impressed with the team’s serve. That carried us through a lot of the games and got us in crucial points.”
“All of them are very aggressive at the service line, which is huge, which is something I plan to bring,” added Wagner. “In the men’s game, you see a lot of really aggressive serves, so I was happy to see that.”
For leadership among his players, Wagner looks to Allen, whom he asked to switch positions. “I asked her if she would learn to set for me, even though she played a lot of libero, and she has been great so far,” said Wagner.
Also returning from last fall’s team are five juniors: Ava Crocker, Jada Hamilton, Hayley Higgins, Mackenzie McCormick and Maisen McKemy.
Hamilton, an outside hitter who contributed kills and blocks throughout the season, “has been a multi-position athlete, so there’s a lot of movement that can be done,” said Wagner. Last year, Hamilton was a right-side and middle hitter.
Higgins is a libero, specializing in defense, and can be relied upon to collect digs. Wagner expects Crocker to spend some time at the libero position also. McCormick is a middle hitter, while McKemy plays at the setter and outside hitter positions.
The Wildcats have one returning sophomore, outside hitter Geneva Snyder, who is strong at putting away balls at the net.
Joining the returning players are seven new players. Junior Claire Taylor joins the team as an outside hitter, and six sophomores are new to the varsity level. Moving up from last year’s junior varsity squad are outside hitter Tadara Cooper, middle and outside hitter Emerson Duff, setter and opposite hitter Anna Nye, and liberos Adrianna Grue and Savannah Whitmer. The Wildcats also welcome sophomore Charlotte Taylor as an opposite hitter.
Wagner said the Wildcats will typically run a 6-2 offense, a rotational system that uses two setters and six hitters, but he’s open to switching it up.
Returning as an assistant coach is Jaden Harrison, a 2019 RC graduate who earned all-region honors in high school. Wagner said Harrison has been “a tremendous help getting me going, getting a lot of logistical stuff. She knows volleyball super well, and she knows the girls and has a good rapport.”
To help out, Wagner has brought in two of his former SVU teammates, who are both senior volleyball players for the men’s team. Justin Madsen, a first-team All-American libero, will be the head JV coach and a varsity assistant. Jeremy Brown, an outside hitter for the Knights, will be an assistant coach for varsity and JV.
Looking at Valley District action, which will start the second week of September, Wagner expects perennial district rival Spotswood and East Rockingham to be the Wildcats’ toughest foes.
In his brief time working with the Wildcats, Wagner likes what he has experienced. “They were awesome at doing exactly what I asked, exactly how I asked, no questions asked, which is great,” he said. “I know I haven’t been here long, but it feels to me like there’s a semblance of trust already built there, which is super helpful for me.”
As for some people telling him coaching young ladies would be harder and have more drama than coaching young men, Wagner said, “That hasn’t been my experience thus far. I’m sure I’m lucky with how great the girls we have are. They’re super receptive to everything I have to say, and that’s just been great so far.”
The Wildcats will open the season in Buena Vista on Tuesday when they take on local rival Parry McCluer, and they’ll play at Alleghany on Thursday, Aug. 29. RC’s home opener will be the following Wednesday, Sept. 4 against Alleghany. All three nights will start with JV action at 5:30 p.m.
