STARKVILLE — Xavier Tillman has an advantage most first-year head coaches lack.
Since she was with the Starkville High School volleyball program for six years before getting the team’s head coaching job over the summer, she knows the team’s strengths: up the middle and its assistant coaches.
Tillman won’t be shy in exploiting either of them this weekend when Starkville opens its season at the Tupelo High tournament. Tillman has enlisted the services of former Mississippi State volleyball player Jazmyne Johnson and former Alcorn State volleyball player Kyla Menefee and has given them plenty of creative control.
“They’ve come here with a plethora of experience,” Tillman said. “I’m smart enough and mature enough to know you let people do what they’re good at doing. It’s good for me to know how our system works, the expectations of the school district and I’ll let them handle the on-court stuff.”
The impact Johnson and Menefee have had on the program is obvious to middle blocker Caitlin Beckum, who played at Starkville High as a sophomore but moved to Tuscaloosa, Alabama, for her junior year.
“We have more reps,” said Beckum, a senior. “During practice we got a lot more sweaty. They’re showing us how to do it and everything. We can make more progress.”
Beckum is part of the core in the middle that has Tillman optimistic. Kirsten Thompson, a first-year player who has come over from the basketball team, provides depth. Tillman complimented Thompson’s natural slide approach, a last-second attacking move from the center of the net to the side.
Tillman hopes Jariyah Covington, another basketball player, will be able to fill a major void at setter. Last year’s starter practiced with the team over the summer, but she moved to Tuscaloosa earlier this week.
“She’s athletic enough and, strangely enough, she’s up there jump-setting just out of her sheer athletic ability,” Tillman said. “Her touches and stuff on the ball, the longer the season goes, she’s going to get better and better.”
While Tillman hopes for a playoff bid, the true excitement lies in the future. Tillman spoke highly of the potential in a freshman class that will have two members playing with the varsity team this fall. Tillman said there aren’t any standouts on the junior varsity team, but there is a group of strong players that is learning fundamentals and is poised to help the program contend for championships again.
Tillman believes the Armstrong Middle School program will continue to produce players for the varsity program.
“We noticed it has helped us, especially with the knowledge of the game and the basics,” Tillman said. “Putting the whole thing together is something we’re still working with the coaches at Armstrong now to get them in the same system.”
Follow Dispatch sports writer Brett Hudson on Twitter @Brett_Hudson
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 41 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.