Webb to take the reins of Cheney volleyball

The Cheney High School volleyball team will welcome Courtney Webb as new head coach for the 2014 season.

Webb, who grew up in Ephrata, Wash., played varsity volleyball, girls' basketball and tennis in high school. She attended Gonzaga University then transferred to Eastern Washington University in 2010. In 2011, she graduated with a bachelors degree in education in Health and Fitness. During this time, she was an assistant volleyball coach for one of the seventh-grade teams at Cheney Middle School.

After Webb graduated from EWU, she moved to Eatonville, Wash., where she taught at the middle school and was an assistant coach for both boys' and girls' basketball. In 2012, she became the Eatonville High School volleyball head coach.

Webb said she enjoys the competitive aspect of coaching and watching the passion in the athletes.

"It's fun to watch players improve," Webb said. "I'm there as a support system, teaching them and guiding them."

Webb was also an assistant tennis coach for the girls' head tennis team. In an email, Eatonville High School girls' tennis coach Maryann Baker wrote that Webb is an "excellent coach who makes sound decisions based on her keen insight to her athletes."

"She is observant and knowledgeable of her athletes' skill levels and abilities," Baker said. "She sets high expectations for them as she believes they all have the potential to achieve greatness and success. Her unique style of giving encouragement while providing instructions to improve sets the tone for the entire team."

Webb said it was hard to say goodbye to her students on her last day at Eatonville.

"A lot of them didn't know I was leaving until the last day of school," Webb said. "It's hard to leave students and friends, but I know that a lot of positive things will come out of this move."

In addition to coaching, Webb will be teaching freshman health and physical education at Cheney High School. She said she enjoys being around kids a lot and watch them grow as individuals.

Webb hopes to bring enthusiasm, competitiveness and a sense of teamwork to the team. She said transitioning to a new high school will be hard at first, but she hopes she can help the team mesh and inspire them to compete.

"I'm really looking forward to the season," Webb said. "I have high expectations and high goals for the team."

Al Stover can be reached at al@cheneyfreepress.com.