GREENSBORO COLLEGE  Sports Release

Story Courtesy BRETT KNIGHT
Eden Daily News Staff Writer
http://www.edendailynews.com
Sunday, June 26, 2005

Morehead High School will have its third head volleyball coach in three years when the 2005 season begins in August The team will have one of its own at the helm. Recently named head coach and former Lady Panther Andi Hancock (nee Finney) will look to continue the recent dominance of the Morehead program.

“I’ve always wanted to coach whether it was middle school or high school and one of the players told me about this opening,” Hancock said. “This has been a good program ever since I could remember and always has been successful. I just wanted to do something with volleyball and get back into the swing of things.”

Although this will be Hancock’s first stint as a head coach, she has some coaching experience under her belt.

She was an assistant volleyball coach at Greensboro College in the 2002-03 season and assisted with Junior Olympic volleyball in 2001 and 2002.

“I was impressed with her work ethic when she played here (1998-2001) and she was a hard working player,” said MHS athletic director John Harder. “She had a great career in high school and in college and has coached a little in the past few years. For a young person, she brings a lot of volleyball experience to us. We feel fortunate to have her.”

Hancock, 24, will take over the reigns left by Meredith Jones, who stepped down from the position earlier in the school year. Jones helped the Lady Panthers to their best season in school history, leading the team to an overall record of 25-2 (school record for wins in a season), including 19-0 in the Piedmont Triad 3-A Conference. The Lady Panthers, who extended their conference winning streak to 64, won the regular season championship, conference tournament championship and the district championship.

MHS will sorely miss the services of the all-conference trio of Becca Jones (two-time conference player of the year), Alicia Artis and Kendra Elliott, who graduated earlier this month. Hancock will have six lettermen back for the 2005 season including all-conference selection Kelsey Scott. Other returners include Brandi Chilton, Heather Jones, Beth Prillaman, Callie Tucker and Cortney Luegers.

“I’ve got some big shoes to fill from what I hear,” she said. “But I am anxious, excited and have high expectations. With the girls coming back and the ones coming from junior varsity, we should have a pretty good solid core of experience to have a good year.”

Morehead, which has not lost a conference game in the last four years, will be one of seven schools that will make up the new Triad Conference. Joining Morehead, Rockingham County, Northeast Guilford and Greensboro Dudley will be newcomers Western Guilford, Western Alamance and Bartlett Yancey.

“Several of these teams have had strong programs so it will be a challenge for us and especially being my first year,” she said. “But Morehead has been very competitive for several years so I hope we can challenge for the conference title and take it from there.”

Hancock and Company will have open gym every Thursday (after July 4) and two-a-day practices will begin Aug. 8.

Hancock piled up plenty of credentials in her playing career both at Morehead as well as at Greensboro College.

A four-year varsity player, Hancock was an all-conference selection, named team MVP and was co-conference player of the year during her prep career.

During her college career (1998-2001), Hancock helped the Lady Pride to an overall record of 95-44 (68.3 winning percentage), including 40-10 in the Dixie Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.

She finished her career as the school’s all-time leader in total digs (1,521), digs per game (3.1) and double digit dig matches (84).

The former Pride player knows what she is inheriting, which is a young team, but knows her intentions are to keep the Lady Panther tradition alive for yet another year.

“I’m nervous, but yet excited,” she said. “I am hoping I can step up. My expectations are probably high because of what the program has accomplished especially in the last four years. I know we are losing three dominant players, but the other girls will have to step up and realize that they can win without them. It’s a whole new ballgame.”