athletic trainer, and later as a science teacher at the school, Amy
Morley had an opportunity to get to know the players on the Yellow
Jackets' volleyball and softball teams fairly well.
Now, she will get to know them even better.
Morley has been named Leesburg's volleyball and softball coach, Athletic Director Georgette Wilson announced Thursday.
As
a player, Morley was recruited for both sports out of high school. She
was recruited to play volleyball for Loch Haven (Pa.) University, but
instead played in the outfield at Slippery Rock University while
attending the school from 1992 through `97.
"I am real excited about softball," said Morley, a science
teacher.
"That was one of my true loves out of high school. Unfortunately, I am
coming into a softball program that had no junior varsity."
Morley is taking over two programs that are coming off good seasons.
Leesburg's softball team went 12-12 this year, including a victory in district play -- one of its most
successful seasons in a decade.
The
program, which has had several coaches in recent years, was coached by
David Catron this spring. Catron is taking over the freshman football
program this fall.
The softball program, however, had no junior varsity team and has lost five senior starters to graduation.
The
volleyball program is in better shape after posting a 19-8 record in
the fall and winning its first-ever district game before losing to
state-bound East Ridge in the district semifinal. The volleyball junior
varsity team posted an 18-1 record and won the district's junior varsity
championship.
"We are very fortunate to have Amy on our coaching
staff and with her outstanding background, we feel she will continue to
keep our girls programs on a successful road,'' Wilson said in the
release.
Morley said with volleyball being a fall sport that she
will have the players involved in a weightlifting and conditioning
program during the summer. She said the softball players would begin
their off-season program in the fall.
Morley takes over the volleyball team from Paula Nesbitt.
"Actually,
we have a lot of returnees,'' Morley said. "We lost only two seniors
off the team and I know they all are on summer teams. Actually, I was
officially named the volleyball coach a while back, so I have had more
of an opportunity to have contact with those girls. With volleyball
season being in the fall, I am a little more concerned about getting
volleyball started.''
The
Yellow Jackets'
volleyball team graduated Courtney Stokes and Latrisha Howell, but has
setter Sara Hoffman and hitters Alicia Hindman, Jessica Brady, Reecey
Taft and Mallory Baisden among those returning.
"I have upped
their schedule a lot,'' Morley said. "We will be going down to Orange
County and playing West Orange, which usually has a good program, we
will go up to Ocala Forest, and we will continue to play East Ridge,
even though they are moving out of our district.''
However, Morley said among her first priorities will be increasing interest in the softball program.
"I have been around
campus,
talking to different girls, pushing the sport,'' she said. "It is a
great situation to build this program. I am looking at building
something that people can say. "Wow, Leesburg softball, they are a great
team and a great program.'