Victoria College volleyball aims for improvement under new coach
Reported by Jeremiah Sosa of the Victoria Advocate
At just 28 years old, LaMonica Peacock is seasoned in coaching teams on the volleyball court.
She has a decade in coaching experience from being a graduate assistant to an assistant coach at schools the likes of Grambling State University, The University of Arkansas Pine Bluff, and most recently, Clarendon College.
Peacock is looking to lead Victoria College in the right direction after being named head coach in May, taking over for 2022 interim head coach Skylar Chreene.
“I chose Victoria (College) because of the family feel,” said Peacock, of Houston. “By coming here it just made me feel like a home away from home.”
Peacock is going to try to turn around a program that finished last season 5-27 overall and 0-16 in conference play.
“One practice at a time, one day at a time and one game at a time,” she said about trying to lead the program.
Her first chance to see her team in live game action will be on Friday, when the Pirates open their 2023 campaign hosting a doubleheader. Their first match against Our Lady of the Lake JV team is set for 11 a.m., which will be followed by a game against Dallas College Mountain View at 3 p.m.
Peacock isn’t the only new face to the program. Just two of the 18 players on the roster are returning from last season, with 14 of the new players being freshmen.
“This year we have a lot of great potential on the team and a lot of great talent,” Peacock said. “We do have a lot of freshmen, but with those freshmen I think we definitely can execute.”
One new face in particular she hopes can help improve the team is freshman outside hitter and defensive specialist Eliyanna Hatcher.
“I’m hoping for a lot of great things out of her,” Peacock said about Hatcher. “I believe she can be one of our top offensive players, but I definitely believe she can bring a lot of stuff to help out the team.”
Hatcher has been impressed with the way Peacock has led the team leading up to the season.
“I definitely think she has what it takes to get us where we need to be,” Hatcher said about her head coach. “She does have the potential and she does have the structure that I think our team needs.”
The only returners from last season are Trinity Morris and Ashley Sanchez.
Morris, a Victoria East graduate, ended last season playing all 32 matches and accumulated 293 assists and 180 digs.
Peacock hopes she can not only get a lot from Morris, but all of the setters on the roster.
“I do believe in her being a part of that role, but also we do have another setter as well so having those two part of our program will definitely be a great key asset to our team,” Peacock said.
