Former Huskies star brought in to build Hiland volleyball program
By Kevin Lynch
June 8, 2010
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Hiland is bringing in a new, young coach to take over a young Lady Hawks volleyball program. It is the hope of the administration the coach and team take flight together.
Becky Williams graduated from Northwestern High School. She played volleyball and basketball for the Huskies, where she achieved many awards for athletics.
Williams earned a scholarship to Virginia Intermont College in Bristol, Va. After three years attending Virginia Intermont, she decided to move closer to home to finish her volleyball career at Hiram College.
At Hiram, Williams played both volleyball and golf while graduating with a Bachelors degree in Integrated Social Studies. She has had coaching experience in Junior Olympic Volleyball with Cobra Volleyball club and Portage Volleyball club. She also officiates for the OVR (Ohio Valley Region) of USA Volleyball.
We are excited to have Becky on board here at Hiland, said Hiland Athletic Director Erik Beun. We were very impressed with her background in volleyball at Northwestern and collegiately at Virginia Intermont and Hiram.
Her college coaches gave great recommendations on her knowledge of volleyball and passion for the game and teaching the game, the AD continued. Becky comes from a small community similar to ours where she will easily relate with our kids. She displayed and shows a definite passion for working with kids.
Hilands volleyball program has enjoyed great success over the last several years, but the team was hit hard by graduation and the new coach will basically be starting from scratch.
Every coachs expectation is to win, but I cant expect much with such a young team, Williams said. Ive met with the girls a couple of times. Weve got 11 sophomores and three freshmen; a very, very young team. Im excited because Ill have them for at least three more years. What were working for this season is to make us better the next couple years.
The rookie coach will start from scratch and build the program from the ground up.
My biggest thing is, I want to be able to break it down for the girls and work on their skills level to get them playing at the level I think they should be at, Williams said. Since they are so young, they are still able to build on their strengths. Whether I have a setter, a hitter or a defensive player, I can work with them, and help them get to the skill level I know they can be at.
I like the fact that they are hard-working girls, she continued. Ive seen so many of them at the open gyms, its exciting.
Williams says she is a defensive-minded coach.
I love having a defensive game. I really think defense starts the offense in the first place, Williams said. Since we dont have very much height, I really have to drill defense into their minds.
A good offense also stems from a strong serving team.
Serving is my number one priority, Williams said. I think serving is mostly mental, but it can be the best weapon for you during games.
