By Josh Hall (Josh.hall@ky3.com)
It’s been 12 years since Stephanie Pritchett was the head coach of the Rolla High School volleyball team.
Now, she’s back.
“When this (job) presented itself, I said, ‘I was ready,’” Pritchett said in a July phone interview. “I’m ready to get back in.”
Pritchett began her career as the head coach at Rolla in 1998 and continued until 2005, taking one year off in between. She left teaching and coaching at the high-school level and later became a nurse.
Pritchett worked in the health-care field for the next five years, but returned to the Rolla school district three years ago, where she has worked at the technical center.
During the past 12 years, Pritchett has never been far from the coaching scene, leading teams in the AAU and USSA-volleyball circuits while her daughters played.
It was not Pritchett’s first time getting to know this year’s team, either. She’s coached the majority of the team, on and off, over the years during the offseason.
“We’ve seen quite a bit of each other in the last few years,” she said.
CLICK HERE TO SEE ALL OF THE FALL SPORTS PREVIEWS
Pritchett takes over a team that went 15-14-2 last season after falling to Camdenton in the first round of the Class 4 District 5 tournament.
The Lady Bulldogs lose two players from that team in outside hitter Michell Jeennakorn, now at Jefferson County Community College, and starting libero Morgan Gabriele, now at Maryville University.
“They were big players, but we have people, which is good, to be able to fill those positions,” Pritchett said.
Rolla regularly gets comments on the height of this year’s team.
All-Ozark Conference honorable mention selections as sophomores, Megan Brown and Shelby Pry make up part of that group. At 6-foot-3, Brown returns as an outside hitter, while the 5-foot-11 Ply will play in the middle again this season.
Also back is 6-foot-2 sophomore middle Rebecca Janke and 5-foot-11 sophomore setter/outside hitter Loran Pritchett.
“We have a talented crew of upperclassmen coming back, as well,” Pritchett said. “Our conference and district will see a much improved Rolla team.”
Pritchett has tried to reinforce that with her team this summer.
“I really feel like we are district contenders this year,” she said. “I don’t think we have to settle for being .500. I feel like we’re going to work and make a mark. They’re all excited about that, and they agree with that.
“They have to take ownership of it. I just have to coach. They have to do it. They have to believe that they can do it.”
DOWNLOAD THE NEW O-ZONE APP NOW!
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD FOR APPLE
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD FOR ANDROID
