The Garden Plain volleyball girls kicked off their season with a summer long weights program, followed by a 4 day camp. During their pre-season they introduced two new coaches to their squad, Eric Rockers and Grace Gorges.
Eric Rockers will be the new freshman c-team coach this year. Even though Rockers is new to the volleyball program, he is definitely not new to Garden Plain High School or coaching. This will be Rockers’ 26th year at Garden Plain as a technology teacher and he has previously coached track and football. The team is excited to have him with them this season and to experience all his knowledge. The team is hoping to have a great season this year with him by their side. Rockers’ says, “I think that we have a fun, hard-working, energetic group, and I’m really excited to see where we end up.”
Also joining the coaching staff is Grace Gorges, filling in as a part-time coach. She is currently taking classes to become a teacher, but always finds time to come in and help the team out. Gorges has lots of experience in volleyball, as she was a libero at Andale High School, leading her team to win the state championship in 2021. The team loves having Gorges with them to share all her knowledge and experience. Gorges shared what she likes about coaching at Garden Plain, “I like how close all the girls are to each other and how welcoming and open they were to me coming.” The team is truly lucky and grateful to have Coach Gorges with them this season. She says her feelings toward this season are, “Good, because we have such a talented group of girls, very dominant leadership, and great relationships.”
With Eric Rockers and Grace Gorges by their side, along with Taylor Joplin, JV coach, and Gina Clark, Head Coach, the Lady Owls are ready for this volleyball season. Come support the team this season and see their hard work in action. The Lady Owls C team and mixed team open up their season at the CPL Pre-Season Tournament on August 31 at Kingman High School. The varsity and junior varsity teams see their first action on September 5 at Bluestem High School. Match time for those games are 4:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. vs. Bluestem and Sedgwick.
