The Volleyball Team Takes on Twinsburg Tonight with Interim Coach
By Emily Chesnic
The mission of the Nordonia Lady Knights was identified at the start of the volleyball season – to go undefeated in league play – and remains possible despite a minor setback.
Nordonia High School Associate Principal Jessica Archer, without hesitation, now is serving as the team’s interim coach, bringing her years of experience as a volleyball player and coach to the court for tonight’s home match against Twinsburg.
The regular coaching staff is quarantined due to a positive COVID-19 case, with Archer voluntarily bumping into the head coaching slot to aid the Lady Knight’s with staying on target, regardless of the situation.
“They can’t afford to get sidetracked. They can’t let this throw them off,” she said. “That goal comes to fruition this week.”
To date, the team has a 12-0 record in the Suburban League National Conference (SLCN), with league play about to wrap up. Archer was not about to let anything hinder the girls from continuing to ace their season, as she personally has witnessed their determination and hard work pay off this year already.
“I have watched them play quite a bit and am happy to help out and keep them focused and moving forward,” she said. “It is a tough time for something like this to happen.”
While contact tracers decided all the volleyball coaches must quarantine for the safety of others, it was determined not a single player had to do so due to the nature of the single case and the social distancing measures already in place on the team, said Archer.
At Monday’s practice, the interim coach began with a team meeting, sharing her background in the sport with the girls.
Archer played volleyball for Medina’s Highland High School, under winning coach Jill Bouton, and went on to participate in intramural volleyball play in college out of a pure love for the game.
She spent time coaching at Florida’s Key West High School, before returning to Ohio in 2017 to become an assistant principal for Nordonia.
“We just talked about staying focused,” Archer said concerning the team meeting.
The girls adore first-year head coach Tim Vasko, and he is “awesome,” said Archer, who is determined to fulfill her interim coaching duties his way.
“I am just here to help them follow the plan and stay on track,” she said. “At practice, they knew what to do, and they did it.”
Archer believes the Lady Knights will do well this evening against Twinsburg.
She said the “real work” will come at Wednesday’s practice, as they look ahead to Thursday’s away game against Wadsworth – the last regular league game of the season.
The Lady Knights shared the SLNC title with Wadsworth last season and do not have to do so this year, as Nordonia already has clinched it.
“A lot of the teams they beat in three sets. They went to four with Wadsworth earlier this season, and their best hitter was out,” she said.
It has not yet been determined if Vasko will have to remain quarantined for Thursday’s game.
“Tim may or may not be back. If he is, that is the best-case scenario. If not, we still will complete the mission,” Archer said.
