Couturiaux Stepping Down After Guiding James Wood Volleyball To New Heights

Posted: November 25, 2014
By KEVIN TRUDGEON
The Winchester Star

WINCHESTER — When Jill Couturiaux was first hired as the James Wood volleyball coach in 2008, she was asked what her goal was for the program and answered that it was to win a state title.

Seven years later, Couturiaux will be leaving the Colonels knowing she didn’t technically reach that goal, but she got closer than any other coach in James Wood history.

Following Saturday’s loss to Loudoun County in the Group 4A state championship at Virginia Commonwealth University’s Siegel Center in Richmond, Couturiaux announced that she was stepping down after a run that saw her go 138-45, win three straight Northwestern District titles, snap a 10-year absence from the state tournament and advance to the state quarterfinals, semifinals and finally the finals the last three years.

“In seven years I think I demonstrated growth in the program,” said Couturaiux, who had previously coached at Admiral Byrd Middle School, where she is a sixth-grade teacher, before taking over at James Wood.

“A few years ago it was a big deal when we made it to the district [tournament] championship and we’ve raised that bar over the last few years. It takes time to build a program, and I think that’s what we accomplished.”

Couturiaux, who gave birth to her first son, Jake, in January, said she had planned for awhile to step down at the end of the season to spend more time with her family and talked about it with James Wood Coordinator of Student Activities Craig Woshner, but struggled to find the right time to tell her team.

She eventually decided to break the news on Thursday following the final practice in James Wood’s Donald H. Shirley Gymnasium — the Colonels practiced at Shepherd University on Friday to help prepare themselves for playing in a bigger gym like the Siegel Center.

“It was our last practice at James Wood and the seniors were commenting about how this was it as they were tearing the net down and I was just thinking, ‘I’m right there with you,’” Couturaiux said. “So I thought it was fitting to tell them then and I just spoke from the heart. It was tough, I got a little choked up.”

In her seven years at James Wood Couturaiux helped cultivate an annual “Dig Pink” match that has raised more than $20,000 towards fighting breast cancer and raising awareness, had multiple players go on to play in college and turned the Colonels into one of the best programs in the area.

“She basically built this program,” said senior Katie Houser, who was one of several Colonels who played for Couturiaux on Potomac Elite’s club volleyball team as seventh and eighth graders.

“She’s more than your typical high school coach, she’s been a friend and a mom to us. She always said, ‘I’m not your friend, I’m your coach,’ but she’s been a lot more than that. I wouldn’t have wanted any other high school coach.”

When Couturiaux first arrived very few of the varsity players played club volleyball and the pace of play and service game were not to her liking.

“When I took over I took a lot of criticism for having my players jump serve and the errors we had,” Couturiaux said. “But that’s the direction we wanted to go, I wanted to push the girls to be better. We wanted a faster-paced offense and to be more aggressive at the service line.

“I never doubted my players, and now most teams do jump serve or jump float and they play faster, it’s part of the game. And there wasn’t a kid on [James Wood’s] varsity this year who doesn’t play travel ball.”

Woshner had hoped that Couturiaux would change her mind about stepping down, but he said he understands how much time coaching takes up with practices and traveling to away games.

He said James Wood will begin the search for a replacement in the coming weeks, but that Couturiaux will be leaving behind big shoes to fill.

“Jill’s done a great job with the girls, she’s the first to get them to a state championship,” Woshner said. “She’s won the Coach of the Year at James Wood the last two years, which is voted on by her peers, so that shows that they see how much time and effort she’s put into the volleyball program.”

Couturiaux wouldn’t say that she will never return to coaching, and she plans on attending some James Wood matches next year to watch younger players like sophomores Megan Hillyard, Taylor Heishman and Leilani Burch step into leadership roles left by this year’s seven-member senior class.

“I’ll definitely be at a match or two, it’ll be hard to stay completely away,” Couturiaux said. “There’s a lot of good players coming back who I know will continue the traditions that we have and keep James Wood going.

“There’s no other school I would have wanted to be a part of and it’s been a blessing to work with the people I’ve worked with over the years. It’s been a really fun part of my life and I’m definitely going to miss it.”

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