Marta Hodge is feeling the pressure.
It's not that she is coaching boys volleyball at tradition-rich Chambersburg High School. She embraces the opportunity.
The expectations at the school are understood. Hodge played for the Trojans and later went on to a successful career at California (Pa), where she earned Division II All-American status as a libero her senior year.
Hodge is ready for this. She learned under Kirk Crouse – the only coach in Trojans boys' volleyball history – as the junior varsity coach and was the obvious choice when Crouse called it a career.
The daunting task is taking over a year after the Trojans celebrated a state championship. And considering the crew returning in 2013, thoughts of another run at gold is fresh in the minds of Franklin County fans.
“It's nice to take over a program that is so well established and just won a state title,” Hodge said. “On the flip side, you can only match last year's performance or fall short of it.
“Kirk has done an amazing job building the program in Chambersburg, and I hope to be able to continue that success.”
The good news is that the Trojans are still loaded.
Anytime you have a player like Mitch Stahl, you have a crack at a pretty good season. He is one of the top recruits in the country and will take his talents to UCLA next season.
But his contribution to this team isn't just in kills, blocks and an imposing presence on the court. He is a leader, the type of player that the rest of the guys on the roster respond to in high-pressure situations.
“It's nice as a first-year coach having a player like Mitch around,” Hodge said. “Not only does he have a great all-around presence on the court, he is our go-to guy that has experience and isn't afraid to speak up.
“Many returning players bring high expectations and goals in hopes of doing great things this year.”
The supporting cast isn't bad, either.
Austin Frazer moves from his libero position to take over the setting duties. If Stahl moves outside as projected, junior Keith Kegerreis could have a big year in the middle.
The talent is in place. It just has to be molded by Hodge, who isn't planning many changes to the system Crouse rode to success a year ago.
“Coaching under Kirk for the last couple years, I believe I have a similar coaching style and philosophy,” Hodge said.
“I don't think I am changing much of the program. I want to keep things simple for the guys, because change is never easy.”
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