La Grange Ready to Start Volleyball Season This Week
Tuesday marks the start of a new volleyball season for La Grange as the Lady Leps host Weimar in the season opener for both teams at 5:30 p.m.
The La Grange volleyball girls have their third different coach in as many years.
Cierra McCain takes over as the new La Grange volleyball coach, inheriting the team from last year’s interim coach Ryan O’Neal, who is still the LGISD girls athletic coordinator and head girls basketball coach.
Prior to that Leslie Coltrain had coached the Lady Leps for seven seasons.
“It’s been strange but fun to meet someone new every year,” said La Grange senior Avery Griffin. “But Coach McCain has come in with a lot of energy, and she’s so fun to be around. We’re so excited.”
McCain grew up as a multi-sport star at nearby Wallis Brazos High School. She worked in the business world after graduation and only got into coaching recently.
Two years ago, she accepted a job as an assistant at Snook High School.
After only one year she was promoted to head volleyball and softball coach there. Her volleyball team saw a significant increase in wins that first year under her leadership and went to the second round of the playoffs for the first time in five years.
She was hired at La Grange this spring and has quickly fallen in love with the school.
“This has been the best move so far in my whole career,” McCain said. “I plan on being here for a long time and continuing to grow the program all the way down to the elementary.”
Her enthusiasm was evident in the way the team started fall workouts.
Volleyball teams can begin practice on Aug. 1, so McCain and the Lady Leps did so at 12:01 a.m. that first day with a Midnight Madness practice.
“They were out there midnight to 2 a.m. working, diving, running,” McCain said.
“This whole time they’ve shown grit, they’ve shown integrity, accountability. Watching them grow so much in a short amount of time has been great.”
McCain inherits a Lady Leps team that expects big things this season.
Last year’s team went 2717 overall, was 7-3 in district and went to the second round of the playoffs.
Three starters graduated from that team, but a strong core returns including six seniors (Avery Griffin, Mriyah Holmes, Haedyn Cooper, Campbell Cooper, Hannah Gross and Jace Baptiste).
They are joined by juniors Brion Williams, Ashtyn Smith, Paige Michalke and Brooklyn Barber and two sophomores, Gabby Hollek and Kyndal Brawley.
That’s the collection of athletes that will head into a busy pre-district season over the next few weeks.
Then the Lady Leps begin play in the new District 23-4A, an eight team gauntlet that includes Bellville, Giddings, Navasota, Brookshire, Sealy, Tomball West and Katy Harmony besides La Grange.
“This team shows a lot of promise. We’ve put so much effort in already,” Griffin said. “We’re ready to get to work.”
A closer look at all six of the seniors on the La Grange volleyball team.
La Grange vs. Weimar What: Season opening volleyball match for both teams When, where: Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. in La Grange.
Of note: La Grange returns seven players from last year’s varsity which went 27-17 and advanced to the second round of the playoffs.