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Kristy Duffy takes over a new era for Delta C-7 volleyball
DEERING, Mo. - Volleyball fans at Delta C-7 High School will see a familiar face at a different position.
Kristy Duffy has moved into the head coach position for Delta C-7 volleyball. After playing the role of assistant coach, she took over the program this summer.
Returning three seniors into the mix, Duffy preaches the importance of teamwork and chemistry on the volleyball court. She hopes to use her seniors as leaders to relay the message.
“We started working on leadership and teamwork on day one,” Duffy said. “I’ve been watching these girls play since little league. The talent has always been there, but they don’t always play as a team. Whenever I was coming in, that was my biggest thing. Teach them to be role models, teach them to play as a team and that’s what matters the most. We hit that hard all summer long.”
The seniors returning include Jaelyn Rollins, Hannah Ward and Maria Bass.
According to Rollins, there has been major improvement in the team since Duffy has taken over.
“We love her,” Rollins said. “She’s just really good and she actually cares. She wants us to get better and she pushes us to do our best and it’s been nice.”
Although this is Duffy’s first year as head coach with the Chargers, she has worked with some of these players for years.
Duffy said volleyball has always been her favorite sport, which drove her to become a coach. She taught and coached little league volleyball at Deering and around the Bootheel. During this time she was able to coach some of her current players while they were in their youth.
When the team needed a new coach this season, Duffy stepped up and recruited former Charger Riley Gilmore as her assistant coach.
Gilmore graduated from Delta C-7 in 2020. During her time there, she played volleyball and softball for the Chargers.
She helped lead her 2019 squad to a runner-up finish in the conference tournament. She also received Second Team All-Conference in 2019.
She said she was excited to come back and help her alma mater this season.
“The team fell into a little slump after COVID-19,” Gilmore said. “After seeing this summer compared to last year, I think it's been a great step forward.”
For Gilmore, she has noticed more consistency in the players this season. She thinks they are more motivated than previous years.
According to Duffy, while building leaders and working on team chemistry, she has also been focusing on mental health and giving her players a safe place under her supervision.
“We’ve been open and honest with them,” Duffy said. “We’ve done rating scales to see how they are doing, how they see themselves as a teammate and how they can be better teammates to each other. I started building relationships with them last year, but this year I knew it started with having a good relationship before I could come in and just drill, drill, drill all practice.”
According to Ward, as she enters her last season with the Chargers, this team has become more than just a group of volleyball players.
She said they have become like family.
“We’ve gone to school with each other our whole lives,” Ward said. “I’ve literally grown up with them and been with them our entire high school years. They are like sisters to me.”
The volleyball team will host a Volley-Athon fundraiser on Saturday, Aug. 24 from 7 p.m. Until 7 a.m.
They will also host Hayti and Cooter in a jamboree on Aug. 27. The three team jamboree will beginat 5 p.m.