Richwoods, Dunlap and more: Meet the 7 new high school volleyball coaches around Peoria
Seven high school volleyball teams around the Peoria area will have an updated coaching staff when the season begins next week.
Some programs are bringing in new coaches, while other teams have promoted assistants or have welcomed back previous head coaches. The first matches can be played on Monday, Aug. 21.
Here are the seven new volleyball coaches in the Peoria area, listed alphabetically.
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Brittanny Boyle, Richwoods
The 2012 Pekin grad becomes the third Richwoods coach in three seasons, taking over for Heather Haliburton. Boyle, who played at Culver-Stockton, has been on the Richwoods coaching staff since 2020, serving under the previous two coaches, Alex Robinson and Haliburton. She also coaches for the EastSide Volleyball Club. Richwoods went 19-17 overall last season, boasting a quartet of all-Big 12 Conference now-graduated players in Deja Foster (first team), Mariah Cade (second team), Leslie Loganbacher (honorable mention) and Sanai Snyder (honorable mention).
Michelle Forbes, Dunlap
The 2014 Washington grad enters her first stint as a head coach. Forbes, the former Michelle Escue, was a 2013 all-Mid-Illini Conference second-team selection. She went on to play at Cape Fear Community College in North Carolina before finishing her collegiate career with Division-II St. Maryville (St. Louis) University. She replaces Jennifer Bartlett, who spent the last 13 seasons as the head coach and won three Class 3A regional championships (2012, 2013, 2016) in her tenure. In 2022, the Eagles went 8-21 overall and 2-12 in Mid-Illini play.
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Cassandra Gauf, Farmington
Gauf returns to the Farmington bench following a five-year absence. Her 12-year coaching tenure with the Farmers includes time with the junior high and time as varsity coach from 2013-2017. In those five seasons, Gauf's teams won a pair of Class 2A regional titles (2014, 2017). The 2014 regional plaque was the first in program history. She replaces Quincy Thompson, who guided Farmington to a 6-20 overall record last season. Two all-Prairieland Conference players in Alayna Keefer (first team) and Bella Archdale (second team) are expected to return for their junior seasons.
Tiffany Klaus, Tremont
Klaus inherits the Turks program, replacing Heather Kusk, who led Tremont for five seasons and a 24-7 overall record in 2022. She served as the JV coach under Kusk and is the mother of returning junior starting setter Lilly Klaus. Her time is also spent coaching for the EastSide Volleyball Club. The Turks graduated three all-Heart of Illinois Conference players in Whitney Rumbold (first team), Makenzie Pfelderer (first team) and Bella Porritt (honorable mention), but return the younger Klaus (second team). Tremont last won a regional 14 years ago, winning back-to-back Class 1A plaques in 2008 and 2009.
Ashley Lauber, Princeville
Lauber, who was approved at the April school board meeting, becomes the third successive Princeville grad to coach the Princes. The 2001 graduate takes over for 2016 alum Anna Schupbach, who spent the past two seasons as head coach. While coaching Princeville Junior High for one season, the former Ashley Koller, who was a two-time all-Lincoln Trail Conference first-team pick, led the squad to the 2006 Class 7A Elite Eight — its first appearance. Princeville was a 2022 Class 1A regional champ with a 22-9 record and boasted five all-Lincoln Trail Conference players with senior Briana Brodie (second team) likely returning.
Jordan Lindsay, Manual
Lindsay becomes the head coach following Jade Davis' five-year stint. The Rams went winless in 15 matches last season, ending their season with a two-set loss to Canton in the Class 2A regional quarterfinals. Senior Tanija Hinkle is expected to be back after earning an all-Big 12 Conference honorable mention selection in 2022.
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Patricia Mingus, Peoria Notre Dame
Mingus served as an assistant/JV coach under Jacqueline Kelly last season. Kelly is now the PND principal, while the 2001 East Peoria grad becomes the Irish's third coach in three seasons. Coaching has taken Mingus from grade school to junior high to the club ranks, leading the 16s National Team at EastSide to a top-40 national finish. Two all-Big 12 Conference players — Emily Beale (first team) and Claire Girard (second team) — have graduated for the Irish, who in 2022 were 19-16 overall and 6-4 in Big 12 play.
Adam Duvall is a Journal Star sports reporter. Email him at aduvall@pjstar.com. Follow him on Twitter @AdamDuvall.
This article originally appeared on Journal Star: IHSA volleyball: New coaches around Peoria, IL, for 2023
