Whitley County High School announces new volleyball coach

Whitley County High School officials announced Thursday that Neysa Hernandez has been hired as the new coach of the Lady Colonels Volleyball program.

Hernandez will be leaving her position as volleyball coach at Prattville, Alabama High School to take the new position.

“We have had so much success with our volleyball program in recent years and we really want to continue that,” said Whitley County Athletic Director John Siler.

“I believe that Coach Hernandez will have the knowledge of the game and the experience as a head coach that is necessary to not only continue our winning tradition but to bring a lot of new perspective as well.”

Hernandez has spent three years as the head coach at Prattville, taking her team to the state tournament in 2015 and 2016.

In 2016, the American Volleyball Coaches Association presented her with the Thirty Under 30 Award.

As a player, Hernandez was a four-year starter at Faulkner University in Montgomery, Alabama, where she played the positions of outside hitter and middle blocker.

Hernandez will take over the position vacated when Coach David Halcomb, who resigned to take over the girls’ basketball program.

Whitley County finished the 2017 season with a record of 20-15, losing to South Laurel in the first round of the 50^th District Tournament.

In 2016, the Lady Colonels finished 30-10, and won the 13^th Region, falling to Raceland in the first round of the state tournament.

” I’m really excited about transitioning to a new town and a new school. I’m accustomed to being a part of communities that support their local schools and athletics wholeheartedly, and it is evident that Whitley County has that exact type of charm,” Hernandez said. “Furthermore, I’m thrilled about being named as the new head coach for a sport that I love so much. I can’t wait to meet all of the phenomenal young ladies who I’ll have the blessing and opportunity to mentor and coach.”