As a 2018 graduate of South Haven Christian School in Springfield, Katrina Epley would never have guessed she’d one day serve as head coach for South Haven’s rival volleyball team, the Christian Community School (CCS) Colts of White House. But that’s exactly what happened.

Furthermore, no one could have guessed that in just one year with Katrina at the helm, the Colts would end their 2023 season with a record of 16-1 and runners-up in the Tennessee State Independent Athletic Association (TSIAA) Division I State Tournament.

A talented athlete herself, Katrina played volleyball for two years at Pensacola Christian College, where in 2022 she earned a Bachelor of Science in business with a concentration in sports management. Before her appointment at CCS, she assisted with South Haven’s middle school and varsity teams, helping to build both into successful and competitive programs. Katrina is also currently the head coach of a 15-under team in the Nashville-based Ethos Volleyball Club organization.

Already an experienced coach at the tender age of 23, Coach Epley expected there would be a period of adjustment after coming on board at CCS; however, she was pleasantly surprised at how seamlessly the team meshed as they began to work together.

“It was very smooth from beginning, and all the girls were very welcoming,” Katrina says. “They kind of knew who I was already, so I wasn’t coming into the situation blind, but they were all for it.”

As a coach, Katrina is encouraging and supportive of all of her team members, and she was quickly able to assess their individual personalities and adjust her coaching techniques accordingly.

“I found out very soon that the girls respond best to positivity,” she explains, “so I try to come at it from the perspective of we’re going to make mistakes, and obviously we try not to but they’re going to happen.

“My approach is more, ‘Okay, what did you do and how are you going to fix it?’  rather than ‘Why did you do that?’ That's the main thing to me. Learning from your mistakes is so important because there are so many things to think about during the game. At some point it will click, and you’ll make any adjustments needed.”

Katrina is quick to praise her assistant coaches, Jessica Dade and Logan Dorris, as key parts of the team’s success.

“Coach Dade and Coach Dorris were fantastic at advising me during the season,” she says. “They also helped me hold the girls to a higher standard by making sure they took every opportunity seriously.”

Additionally, Katrina lauds the parents as well as the players themselves, including senior Sophie Dorris, who has already committed to play volleyball at the University of Mobile.

“We couldn’t have done this without them,” the coach stresses. “Honestly, all of us coming together and working together made it a very successful season.”

As the Colts look forward to building upon the momentum they established this season, one thing is certain — under Coach Katrina Epley’s inspirational leadership, there is infinite potential for success.