Lady Hornets Volleyball coaches not slowing down - WSFA.com: News Weather and Sports for Montgomery, AL.

MONTOGMERY—Alabama State University head volleyball coach Penny Lucas-White and assistant coach Verna Julaton arrived in Montgomery last August and the two have not slowed down since.  Preseason practice started within days after arriving and then the regular season.  Following the season the coaching duo had to hit the recruiting trail and then had spring drills. 

Even after school ended in May, there was no rest for the weary as Lucas-White and Julaton started their journey across the state and at ASU working camps, meeting coaches and getting the word out about ASU volleyball. 

"It has been extremely busy and I have loved every minute of it," Lucas-White said.  "It is what we do and it is what I love doing.  To get the kind of program that I want here we cannot stop right now.  I have to get this program into shape like a well-oiled machine and we are nowhere close, so with that said, we are all over the state of Alabama and have plans to be everywhere this entire month and next month." 

Lucas-White has made huge inroads in the Alabama volleyball community in a short amount of time and has become a coach in demand as she has received numerous calls about speaking and working at different volleyball venues. 

"I did a coaches clinic for the Alabama High School Athletic Association and that was the best thing that could have happened," Lucas-White said.  "Now we have people calling and want their daughters connected with us.  I think that is the key is bridging relationships and that is what we are trying to do." 

"The Birmingham Complex gave me a call after calling some of my colleagues in Louisiana and at LSU saying they needed someone to put on a clinic there.  So we put on a coaches clinic for all of the Birmingham City Schools and that was the intent, at first.  After I got my coaches together, which I went out and got all of the coaches from our state D-I's and there was only one that could not make it and he was sad he could not due to a previous engagement, but when you bring in all the big hitters and we can stand on the same stage as one to promote volleyball in the state of Alabama, I think it says a lot about what the city of Birmingham wants to happen and I think it says a lot about what we as college coaches in the state of Alabama want to see happen." 

"We had over 50 coaches come out to that clinic on June second and third.  On June fourth and fifth we had over 350 kids at that clinic.  We had nine courts going in a facility that is unbelievable and I led it, ran it, taught it and it was all driven by the Alabama State staff. That says a lot about the possibility of what we can do here." 

Between working other camps at high schools and in other cities, the ASU coaching staff has also started the volleyball camps on campus with the first camp coming earlier this month.  There were 16 campers at that first camp, but Lucas-White, still being new to the area, learned a lesson from that camp. 

"My first camp was on June eighth through the 11^th, and with me being new to the area and not knowing the Montgomery city or public Schools were going to be getting out late, I really did not get a pool from the public schools here.  My pool came from Tennessee and Mississippi, and that is just the first clinic.  However, these next two camps that are coming up in July, I really feel are going to be full and my cap is 50 because I only have two courts.  So if we get 50 that is a success, but even with the 16 from the first camp, I think it was a success because they received a lot of one-on-one instruction." 

"Even after these camps we are full during all of this month and July and I don't get done with all of it until August 2 and then preseason starts just days after.  I think we have to do it because I want the best kids in the state of Alabama to want to come here and to want to fall under my tutelage and the only way to make that happen is to do these camps." 

With all of the learning the coaching staff had to do during their first season at ASU, they also had to learn not only about the high school volleyball in the state, but about the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) volleyball nation. 

"I think this area is so hungry they want volleyball to grow and I have been received extremely well by this area," Lucas-White said.  "They know they can pick up the phone and say coach can you do this, and I can be tired, but I am going to go and do it." 

"The SWAC office is open to new ideas.  I put two proposals on the table a couple of months ago.  We voted on them yesterday and one passed and that tells me a lot.  They are open as well.  I think they know volleyball needs to grow and I think they know it will grow." 

"The SWAC will have three new coaches next year.  I think the new coach at Arkansas-Pine Bluff is going to do some really good things and there is going to be a new coach at Mississippi Valley and I believe whoever that person is will do some great things.  It is obvious that Jackson State, Alabama A&M and Prairie View has always had strong programs.  I think Southern has a legend, coach Denu is well-know nationwide and well-respected. 

"So I think with the coaches that have been here and has a good reputation and has created strong programs and with the new coaches with fresh ideas that are coming in, I think the SWAC is about to take leaps." 

Even though the coaching staff has not made it to their first-year anniversary with ASU, there has been some progress made which has been pleasing to Lucas-White. 

"I am very pleased," Lucas-White added.  "I really can't answer how far the program has come this season, but what happens is I get confirmation when I go out by people telling us they watched us play or they followed us on the internet and you guys are doing really good things.  So that is my confirmation of we are doing some good things and that is good enough for right now, but that is not good enough for me." 

ASU will host two more camps this summer with the first of those coming July 9-11 which will be an all skills camp.  The final camp will be July 12-14 and will be a setter and hitter camp. 

INFORMATION SOURCE: ASU Athletics Dept.