Senior Ryan Isom stepped onto the volleyball court to his position at middle back. His mind was focused entirely on the game ahead of him. Zoned in, Isom’s “beastly serve” began the set.

This is Isom’s fourth year on the men’s volleyball team, and throughout these years, he’s experienced many changes. The latest change, the replacement of last year’s coach, Julian Maliszewski, to current coach, science teacher Shane Lawler, has been the most notable change for Isom.

According to Isom, the dynamic of the two coaches is the most noticeable difference. has. “[Maliszewski] did not do as much in practice. Lawler is a very motivational coach and wants us to win games,” Isom said.

Isom personally thought that “we need to improve our focus and intensity.”

Lawler originally took the spot as a head coach when he saw the need for a new men’s volleyball coach in an email. “I had coached in the past, so I took the job. I love the sport and I love playing and helping the kids learn to play,” Lawler said.

So far this season, the team has not won a game yet (as of this posting). “All of the players have shown greatness at times, but they are not very consistent,” Lawler said.

The team has also brought in a few new players this year. Junior Alex Brewer when he discovered Lawler was the new coach. “My favorite part is the overall enthusiasm of the team,” Brewer said.

Another new player, sophomore Jonathan Duvall on JV, has been playing well, according to Lawler. “He is playing great defense and his offense is really coming along,” Lawler said.

The team has encountered a few issues such as sharing the volleyball court with the cheerleading team during practice. “Trying to fit 24 boys on one small court is difficult. It has caused a lot of problems as far as serving goes because there is not enough room to serve,” Lawler said.

Despite these issues, Lawler has not given up.. “We are not winning as many games as we like, but we are striving to improve every week, and JV is exceeding expectations,” Lawler said.

Cole Alban is a Managing Editor for The Patriot and jcpatriot.com.