Just because a book ends, doesn’t mean the story is over.
“So I was really excited going into season, but then all of a sudden our coach told us she wasn’t going to coach us anymore,” said Irish senior Lauren Zolfaghari.
A month before the volleyball season, Springfield Catholic was without a coach.
“I’ve had a different coach every year since freshman year, a different coach, so I was like ‘another coach, this is my senior year’ this is not what I was expecting,” Zolfaghari said.
Coming off a 6-win season, The Irish had little hope as August approached…
“I was very nervous, I was like, ‘oh no, is this going to be even worse than last year?'” Irish sophomore Cherie Sabini said.
But this year, Catholic shocked everyone, starting the season 17-and-1.
The difference being Stephanie Bates, who thought her head-coaching days were over last season, after 17 years at Glendale.
“I was still going to teach at Glendale and coach track,” said long-time volleyball coach Stephanie Bates.
The coaching hiatus didn’t last long.
“It was late, but it was kind of a last minute decision for all of us,” Bates said.
Under short notice, Bates agreed to take over the program, and all of the challenges that came with it.
“I’ve never seen them play, I’ve never even been to this gym, to this school,” said Bates. “I met them for about four days at the very end of the summer, and the first day I had them wear name tags, but the next day I had them memorized.”
And its all paid off, the Irish are now 27-and-5, with the most wins in program history.
“It’s unbelievable because I actually come to school the next day and I can say our team won. I’m just so excited, and I love to play volleyball again,” Sabini said.
Coach Bates and Catholic are still writing pages in this season’s story, and some Irish fans are already hoping for a sequel.
“Have you thought about your plans past this season?” Ozone reporter Taylor Kauffman asked.
“I have not, but the parents keep asking me,” Bates responded with a smile.
They’re just taking it one season at a time — From Springfield Catholic, I’m Taylor Kauffman for the Ozone.
