MLHS welcomes new volleyball coach

MOSES LAKE - Michael DeHoog, along with a completely new staff has taken over the coaching duties for the Moses Lake varsity girls volleyball team.

"Aside from the returning freshman team coach who was previously with the squad before leaving for some time to coach at Big Bend, the staff is pretty much all brand new to the program." DeHoog said.

DeHoog coached at Big Bend Community College for over a decade before taking the job at Moses Lake. DeHoog also has a good feel for the local sports landscape as a graduate of Ephrata High School and Whitworth University.

Although this will be a transitional year for the Chiefs, they have momentum from last year to build off of, with only two losses in the Big 9 conference last year.

This year's squad has gotten to work quickly with their jamboree just five days away and players requiring 10 practices before being deemed eligible.

This Saturday the team will travel to Wenatchee for the round robin style event, in which teams will face off for 20 minutes before rotating.

"With only four practices since tryouts, we are still figuring out the makeup of this year's team and how all our players will fit." DeHoog said.

With five returning seniors and a team full of experienced players, the new head coach will likely have some help internally discovering the identity of his team.

In addition to the strong veteran leadership, the Chiefs have a lot of potential this year that will help build upon the success of last year. Setter Kylee Mckay and Maddie Tudor are both well rounded athletes that give this year's squad depth and play into the philosophy of their coach.

"My main focus to start the year is increasing our volleyball IQ and improving our decision making to ensure we are disciplined in how we play the game." DeHoog said.

The Chiefs have their sights set on rival teams Wenatchee and Sunnyside this season, as Sunnyside defeated them in 2012 and Wenatchee is vastly improved. They won't have to wait long for these tests on the court as the jamboree this weekend is hosted by Wenatchee and the team's first match is Sept. 12 against Sunnyside at home.

While changes of this magnitude can often take time to be implemented, the girls on this year's team have embraced their new coach and combined with last seasons success could generate a strong start for Moses Lake.