ESPNHS Volleyball

By Walter Villa

POSTSEASON AWARDS: ESPNHS All-America Team | Gatorade State Players of the Year

Mile Mondays weren’t very popular … until they led to Winning Weekdays and Winning Weekends.

When Julie Green took over last March as coach of Coppell (Texas), one of the rules she implemented was that her players had to run a mile as fast as they could. The next week’s mile had to be even faster -- or they would have to do extra running. This was in addition to weight-room work.

“We cried some, and we threw up some,” said Green the 2011 ESPNHS Volleyball Coach of the Year. “But we began to see the effects when we battled and outlasted teams and played matches to five sets and were still in good shape at the end.”

Case in point was the regional quarterfinals against defending state champion Hebron (Carrollton, Texas), which had eliminated Coppell in the first round of the 2010 playoffs. This year’s match went five sets, with the well-conditioned Coppell athletes prevailing.

It happened again in the state semifinals, when Johnson (San Antonio) won two out of the first three sets before Coppell rallied.

And when Coppell defeated Boyd (McKinney, Texas) in a four-set final, the Cowgirls had their first-ever state title.

“I’m not sure if we could have won without (Green),” said 6-foot-4 senior middle blocker Kierra Holst, the MVP of the Class 5A state finals and an Oklahoma recruit. “We needed a coach like her.

“At the beginning of the season, we were a bunch of good individuals. She worked on us becoming a great team.”

Green, who led Lake Travis (Austin, Texas) to its first-ever state title in 2010, said she was a bit surprised the Coppell team came together as quickly as it did.

“It was obvious that the kids were talented, but they had to buy in,” Green said. “I knew there was potential, but I would not have predicted the finish we had.”

Perhaps the Coppell players emulated their new coach’s hunger to win. Green said she is so competitive that it even affects her driving -- she doesn’t like cars passing her on the street.

Cassidy Pickrell, a 6-0 junior outside hitter, has been in a car with Green and can vouch for her coach hating to lose at anything.

“Our team motto this year was the word ‘compete’ in Greek,” Pickrell said. “(Green) is a very positive coach, but she doesn’t let us get away with anything. She is intense, and we have the utmost respect for her.”

Pickrell and her talented little sister, 5-10 setter Kylie Pickrell, figure to be two of Coppell’s leaders next season. Cassidy recently committed to UC Irvine, and Kylie is just the second freshman ever to play varsity for Green.

Two other players to watch are 6-0 junior middle blocker Chiaka Ogbogu, who has committed to Cal; and 5-11 junior middle blocker/right-side hitter Erica Bohannon, who has offers from Tennessee and Wake Forest.

Green said she is not interested in coaching college teams or moving elsewhere for another challenge.

“I’m more than happy to stay here and try to win another state title next year,” Green said. “I love high school kids. They are young and passionate about what they do, and that’s great.”

Walter Villa


Alexa Strange is multi-talented.

The 6-foot senior setter/hitter at San Clemente (Calif.) has earned a scholarship to play for Nebraska and is interested in studying medicine. But she can make you laugh, too.

Asked if she has a nickname, Strange chuckled.

“With a name like mine, it’s not really necessary,” said Strange, who has an American-born father and a mother born in India. “They call me ‘Stranger Danger.’ But I’m going to be a doctor. Can you imagine? Dr. Strange?

“Hopefully, I get married before I start my profession. But I have to be careful because my last name will become my middle name. If I marry a guy with a last name ‘Hair,’ I’d be Alexa Strange-Hair.

“Most girls are interested in a guy’s looks. I look at his name.”

For now, though, Alexa is making the Strange name proud. She is part of the U.S. Youth National Team’s beach volleyball program, playing mostly with Southern Cal recruit Cinnamon Sary of Newport Harbor (Newport Beach, Calif.).

Strange said she prefers the beach game but is thrilled to get the chance to play indoors at Nebraska, where coach John Cook seems to already have an appreciation for her versatility.

“She is left-handed, and we are counting on her to contribute as a freshman,” Cook said on Huskers.com. “Alexa is what we’re going to call a utility player. She can play outside hitter, left or right side. She is strong in the back row, has a wicked arm and a high volleyball IQ.

“But her greatest strength may be her competitive fire.”

And there is nothing strange about that.

Green makes Texas history

Is there any team Julie Green can’t take to a championship?

After coaching Lake Travis (Austin, Texas) to a 2010 Class 4A state title, Green led Coppell (Coppell, Texas) to the 5A crown earlier this month.

Green became the first volleyball coach in Texas history to win two straight state titles with two different schools.

In an added twist, neither school had won state before Green arrived.

“Each championship is different, and each group of girls is different,” Green said. “But this one is very special.”

In order to win a third straight state title, Green – assuming she stays at Coppell – will have to replace four seniors.

The graduating players are state finals MVP and 6-4 middle blocker Kierra Holst, setters Bear Bass and Sarah Arnold and defensive specialist Kristin Dickerson.

But several key members of this year’s state title team are set to return, including Megan Kennedy, Cassidy Pickrell, Kylie Pickrell, Chiaka Ogbogu, Erica Bohannon and Kate Dicken.

Like father, like daughter

Katie George, a 5-10 senior setter for Assumption (Louisville, Ky.), signed with Louisville earlier this month and figures to make a seamless transition. That’s because her high school coach, Ron Kordes, is the father of her soon-to-be college coach, Anne Kordes.

As a junior, George committed to play for Anne Kordes at Saint Louis. But when the coach got hired at Louisville, George decided to follow her and play for the Cardinals.

George said she looks forward to playing college ball in front of her hometown fans and plans to study communications.

“I want to be a field reporter for ESPN like Erin Andrews,” said George, who is a sports columnist for her high school newspaper. “I love college football.”

NCAA tournament

Of the 10 seniors who earned 2010 ESPNHS first-team All-America honors, nine of them will be competing in the NCAA tournament, which begins Thursday.

Four of those players are on seeded teams: Haley Eckerman (No. 1 Texas); Aiyana Whitney (No. 8 Penn State); Megan Moenoa (No. 9 UCLA); and Tiffany Baker (No. 14 Tennessee).

Also getting their first taste of the NCAA postseason will be Krista Vansant of Washington; Christina Higgins and Lillian Schonewise of Cal; Kori Moster of Michigan State; and Chloe Mathis of Arizona.

The only All-American who did not get to the NCAA tournament was Jeni Houser of Notre Dame. Houser, though, had a strong season as a freshman starter.

READ MORE: Lake Travis (50-0) wins 4A title

By Walter Villa

SAN MARCOS, Texas – Pushed to five sets for the first time all season and playing without one of its stars, Lovejoy (Lucas) persevered and won its fourth straight state title Saturday.

The Leopards (48-4) beat Wylie (Abilene) 25-20, 18-25, 25-14, 23-25, 15-8 at Strahan Coliseum on the campus of Texas State University.

Lovejoy’s string of Class 3A titles appears likely to come to an end next season – but only because the school’s increased enrollment indicates a move up to 4A is coming.

Lovejoy, No. 18 in the POWERADE FAB 50 national rankings, will also have to replace three key seniors for next season: Andie Malloy, Nicole Newton and Morgan Hofacker.

Malloy, a 6-2 setter and hitter who will play for Iowa State, is an especially big loss. She earned 3A MVP honors Saturday after posting a triple-double: 24 kills, 21 assists and 15 digs.

Malloy also won MVP honors in 2009.

“Winning MVP this year means so much to me,” said Malloy, her voice hoarse from yelling encouragement to her teammates. “Every year, our team has changed. It was great to be able to lead the team, no matter who else is out there.”

Malloy’s comment was a reference to 6-4 star middle hitter Ebony Nwanebu, who sat out her second straight game due to undisclosed reasons. It was termed a “coach’s decision” by Ryan Mitchell, who praised Malloy after the final.

“This kid’s been a stud since her freshman year,” Mitchell said. “But this year, she’s showed a lot of leadership.”

Lovejoy’s other seniors also showed the way for the team’s two freshmen, six sophomores and eight juniors. Newton had 12 kills and a match-high .556 kill percentage. Hofacker had 17 digs, which helped subdue Wylie (40-7).

When Malloy put down the match’s final point, Nwanebu was among the first Lovejoy players to storm the court in celebration. And Mitchell said he fully expects Nwanebu to be back on the team and in good standing next season.

Lovejoy is now tied for third for the best run in Texas history. The record is six straight titles, set by Class 1A Windthorst (Windthorst) from 1997 to 2002.

Mitchell said his deep roster made it possible Saturday.

“We have kids on our bench who could start for other programs,” Mitchell said. “We also have kids with character. When a hard decision is made, they have their coach’s back.”

In Saturday’s other Texas final involving at least one nationally ranked team, No. 34 Coppell beat No. 21 Boyd (McKinney) 25-22, 25-19, 20-25, 25-19.

With the victory, Coppell coach Julie Green completed an amazing feat, winning consecutive state titles with two different teams, including Lake Travis (Austin) in 2010.

Senior Kierra Holst, a 6-4 middle blocker, was named the 5A state finals MVP for Coppell (42-8). She had 19 kills and a .341 kill percentage in the win over Boyd (45-7).

Coppell also survived perhaps the most competitive class in the nation. At least six Class 5A teams that were nationally ranked at some point this season were beaten before the state final, including Carroll (Southlake); College Park (The Woodlands), Cypress Woods (Cypress), Westlake (Austin), Georgetown (Georgetown) and Johnson (San Antonio).