The Mascenic girls’ volleyball team takes the floor on Sept. 11 for the first time under new head coach Karen Gibson.
Gibson took over this fall for longtime Viking coach Missy Salo, who stepped away from the post she held since 2011. Gibson also served as Mascenic’s varsity head coach in 2007 and coached the JV squad under Salo for several years, which means that continuity shouldn’t be a problem for the senior-heavy Vikings.
“Since I coached under Missy and with her for so many years, I’m sure that we’ve adapted similar styles,” Gibson said.
Gibson’s girls include some seasoned seniors who play year-round (Elizabeth Spaulding, Jaden Horrocks), some veterans with multiple years of varsity experience (Molly Rines), some height (Annika Martel, Kylie Millea) and some relative newcomers with drive and athleticism (Sam Hughson, Shelby Babin).
“They all are great kids, they’re willing to work hard, and it’s going to be up to me to push them and see where we can go,” Gibson said.
Mascenic finished with 11 wins and seven losses last season, winning one playoff game as the seven-seed before losing to No. 2 Farmington. The Vikings have won five state championships and made 11 title game appearances, but have not made the final game since 1997.
“There’s obviously a challenge there to get to the next level,” Gibson said, adding that it was too early to make a prediction as to how far this season’s Vikings could go.
“My goal is for these girls to reach their potential,” Gibson said.
As a freshman at Castle Rock High School in Washington, Gibson was part of a state championship volleyball team under coach Julie Clancy. Gibson said softball, not volleyball, was her strongest sport, but Clancy was one of her favorite coaches, and the lessons she learned back then are still applied today.
“My coach had such an impact on me that it’s probably partly why I love this so much,” Gibson said. “She had what I think is the perfect balance – we had a ton of fun, but I wanted her to be proud of me.”
Mascenic starts the season at home against Fall Mountain on Tuesday, Sept. 11 at 6:15 p.m. The Vikings swept the Wildcats in the first playoff round last year.