Libby Peigen, center, begins her first year as volleyball coach at Soddy-Daisy High School in earnest on Monday, when TSSAA teams can begin playing regular-season matches.With the TSSAA volleyball season starting Monday, Libby Peigen is about to begin her first year as head coach at Soddy-Daisy High School.
And being a former player at Ooltewah, where her mother Elaine has been head coach since 1992, it's as though a McCoy has married a Hatfield.
Ooltewah and Soddy-Daisy are located about 25 miles apart. But with the two largest enrollments among public schools in Hamilton County, they've long been rivals in athletics.
Neighboring East Hamilton is also an Ooltewah rival but has been around only since 2009.
TEAMS TO WATCH
1. Baylor: After five consecutive years of finishing third or second in the Division II-AA state tournament, the Lady Red Raiders broke through and won the championship last year. Now they know what it takes to win it.2. Ooltewah: Not many teams can graduate a player like Courtlyn Ison (Belmont University) without suffering, but setter Hanna Matthews is back and Alex Biro looks poised to take over the key hitting role.3. Walker Valley: The Lady Mustangs return coach’s daughter and leading hitter Madison Pruett, but keeping the ball off the floor is their main strength. Four seniors on this year’s roster had 350-plus digs each in 2014. PLAYERS TO WATCH1. Gabby Gray: During her sophomore season in 2014, Gray not only helped Baylor win the DII-AA title, she was chosen MVP of the championship match. She was also the Gatorade state player of the year.2. Emma Lenoir: The daughter of East Hamilton coach Kristy Lenoir showed promise as a freshman and is now a senior. She led the team last year in kills and digs and was second in assists and aces.3. Alex Biro: Look for the hard-hitting Biro to have a breakout senior season. Last year she was second in blocks and kills and blocks for Ooltewah’s Class AAA state-sectional team.
"Every year when I was growing up, even before I started going to Ooltewah, it was always Soddy-Daisy. That was our rival the whole time I was in school," said Libby, who graduated in 2010. "I knew I just wanted to beat them. I didn't care how. I just wanted to beat them. It never even crossed my mind that I would end up there one day."
Libby is a recent graduate of Lee University, where she was a libero and defensive specialist. The first time she coached against her mother was last year, when she was head coach of the middle school team at East Hamilton and went against her mother's Ooltewah Middle team. Libby also assisted Kristy Lenoir with the Lady Hurricanes' high school team last season.
Before that, she began preparing for her career in coaching by working at college camps and contributing locally during club season with the Choo Choo City program.
"I think she's ready," Elaine said of her daughter. "She's going to learn as she gets experience. She'll make mistakes. We all have. She has a great knowledge of the game and a great work ethic. That will carry her as she moves forward coaching and teaching."
The Lady Trojans' job came open when Lorrie Johnson resigned in December. Libby applied and was hired by principal Danny Gilbert in January.
Libby knew by accepting the job it would mean not only having to embrace the navy blue-and-gold colors she had such disdain for growing up but also going head-to-head with her mother at least twice a year in regular-season matches. The adjustment was easier than expected. She even said it "immediately felt like home when I walked into that interview."
"I knew I wanted to coach at the highest level in high school," she added. "I didn't expect to be at this level immediately. I just couldn't believe I got this opportunity. It's exciting. I like the challenge."
The Lady Owls and Lady Trojans already have met this year in a preseason scrimmage that didn't go to Libby's liking. Elaine is aware Soddy-Daisy has a young group compared to her team, which has five returners with lots of playing experience.
"She's taking over a quality program," Elaine said. "They have a great community and a great school. I think she's enthusiastic. She'll not only teach them volleyball but life skills, too. She's very disciplined and a great role model. We're proud of her."
Libby inherits three seniors whom she'll depend on for leadership. Among them is outside hitter Alex Volker, who also will play some on the back row.
Volker said she first met her new coach late last school year at a small team meeting. Then once practice started this summer, she knew things would be a little different than in her previous years on the team.
"She's more of an outspoken person," Volker said. "She'll tell us what we're doing wrong. She coaches a different style than Coach Johnson did. It's not only with strategy. She's more pressing when it comes to techniques. I feel like we'll do well. We just need to keep up our aggression."
The other Lady Trojans seniors are defensive specialists Whitley Phipps and Amber Hatfield, who could distinguish herself at libero. Yes, Hatfield.
No word on whether Ooltewah has a McCoy on its 2015 roster, so the only family feud in arguably one of the toughest volleyball districts in the state may just be the one from within.
"We'll talk a little smack, I guess," Mom said in anticipation of the Sept. 1 matchup at Soddy-Daisy. "It's going to be neat."
Contact Kelley Smiddie at sports@timesfreepress.com. Follow him at Twitter.com/KelleySmiddie.