Former area prep coach Henry joins Southwest Baptist staff

Sports

Discussion

July 30, 2012

Former area prep coach Henry joins Southwest Baptist staff

By Anvil Welch Globe Sports Writer The Joplin Globe Mon Jul 30, 2012, 11:57 PM CDT

Trish Henry, a high school volleyball coach for several years in southwest Missouri, has been named an assistant coach at Southwest Baptist University of Bolivar, Mo.

Henry, who coached at Monett High School last fall, said her duties at SBU under Kelly Richardson began on July 1.

Henry had been hired by Fort Scott (Kan.) Community College in December and basically worked through May for coach Lindsay Hill before the position at SBU became available with the departure of Sarah Brannock, a product of Ash Grove High School and Pittsburg State, for a high school job.

Fort Scott coach Hill indicated her philosophy was simple: “Don’t stand in the way of someone bettering themselves.”

“Obviously, I’m excited about the opportunity to join coach Richardson and I’m incredibly grateful to coach Hill. She was very gracious,” Henry said. “Fort Scott was a good opportunity.

“I’ve wanted for some time to try my hand coaching at the collegiate level,” Henry said. “It was time to do it. ... get my foot in the door.”

Monett, meanwhile, hired Crystal Shannon as head volleyball coach. This season will be Shannon’s third in the Monett system — she’s the school psychologist — and Magan McPheeters will continue as the Cubs’ assistant.

The 5-foot-11 Shannon — husband Charles works in Nixa — is a graduate of Branson High School and Union University of Jackson, Tenn. She attended Columbia (Mo.) College for two years and helped that school win an NAIA title and a second before helping Union claim a national crown.

Shannon, formerly Abel, was a right side hitter in college after earning all-area honors at Branson. She also ran track for the Pirates.

Shannon, who taught three years at McDonald County before Monett, said on Monday she was very pleased to have Ozark High School graduate McPheeters returning.

“We’re anticipating we’ll have 25-30 girls freshmen through varsity,” Shannon said. “We’ve had our four camps.”

“I’m very excited,” Shannon said. “I’m looking forward to getting back into it and helping the girls.”

Fort Scott’s Hill, incidentally, is expecting another strong effort after a regular-season mark of 25-10 in 2011.

She could have two players from Missouri in Joplin’s Danielle Walker and Stockton’s Amber Thomas and three from southeast Kansas in Baxter Springs’ Ali Cure, Southeast’s Bridget McGuire and Chanute’s Danielle Rubow.

Henry, who’s coached club volleyball for some 10 years, has just completed another successful season with the Springfield-based Midwest Xplosion.

Henry, a graduate of Marionville High School, has degrees from Missouri State and William Woods University of Fulton, Mo.

She coached at Republic eight years — three as head coach — before moving to Pierce City for six as head coach. She also was athletic director for two years during her stint at Pierce City.

“We have a good group of returnees,” Henry said of the Bearcats. “We have a solid younger group at key positions. We need players to step up.”