LE ROY — The Southern Coffey County High School Titan volleyball team will have enough players to field a junior varsity team for the first time in two years.
Jeff True, longtime SCC volleyball coach, said the increase in players came from a large group of freshmen joining the team. The addition of a JV team will assist in developing players before they take the court with their varsity counterparts, True said.
“Last year we only had 37 in all four grades of the high school. Total,” Coach True said. “We had 10 or 11 girls on the team. This year, I’m hoping we can get 12 or 13. If everybody stays healthy and eligible that should allow us to play a JV.”
Even if they’re able to field a JV team, the Titans will have to work with opposing schools this season.
The Titans do not have enough players for simultaneous competitions involving the varsity and junior varsity. Instead, with many SCCHS players also seeing extensive time with the varsity, SCCHS will have to play their contests one game at a time.
“We can play JV games at home because we just have the one floor,” True said. “We just play JV, then varsity, JV, then varsity. When we go to the other schools in the league, where they have two gyms, they like to play two floors at the same time. If you don’t have at least 12 or 13 players, then it’s impossible to do that.”
Developing players before they take the court may be a priority for SCC.
In 2024, they ended the season with an 11-27 record and finished eighth in the Three Rivers League standings. 
True believes the program will continue to grow with large middle school classes coming up the pipeline. Before then, he hopes to create a foundation for those future players to use as a springboard into a perennial powerhouse.
“Our numbers, I hope, will pick up. It’s a cycle,” True said. “We’re going to take our lumps, but they’re a good group of girls. They will come in and work hard every day.”
While a junior varsity team will be essential for developing players for tomorrow, the Titans may need their underclassmen a little earlier than expected.
Last spring, SCCHS graduated more than half of the players from their 2024 roster. With only five players remaining, including seniors Melissa Edwards and Miley Patterson and junior Layla Decker, the Titans are in for a rebuild. With a reloaded roster, some players may have to mature sooner than expected but Coach True looks forward to the challenges that lay ahead.
“Including Erie this year, we’re up to 15 schools in the TRL,” True said. “It works out perfect for a volleyball schedules because we have triangulars. We’ll be fine. Half of the teams in the league, we should be able to compete against.”
