Wood Names Reaves As Volleyball Coach

Posted: March 14, 2015
By ROBERT STOCKS
The Winchester Star

WINCHESTER — Stephen Reaves knows the standards set by James Wood High School’s volleyball team with three straight state tournament appearances.

That’s why Reaves, who was named the Colonels new varsity volleyball coach on Friday, jumped at the chance to take over an established program.

Reaves, 41, takes over for Jill Couturiaux, who guided the Colonels to a 26-5 record last fall as the 4A state runner-up. Couturiaux, who gave birth to her first son, Jake, in January 2014 and decided to step down at the end of last season to spend more time with her family, finished with a combined 138-45 record in seven seasons at James Wood with three straight Northwestern District titles and trips to the state quarterfinals (2012), semifinals (2013) and finals over the last three years.

“I know Jill real well, and I know the program that she’s built,” Reaves said. “She’s put her heart and soul in that thing. I’m honored to take it over, and I hope to keep moving forward and continue with the work that she’s done.”

Reaves, a math teacher at Hedgesville High School (W.Va.), has coached at the high school, college and club levels. He served as the freshman head coach for Martinsburg High School in 2004-2005, and coached in the Eastern Panhandle Volleyball Club, the Northern Virginia Volleyball Association and Potomac Elite from 2005-’13. He was also an assistant volleyball coach at Shepherd University from 2008 until June 2012.

“The James Wood volleyball program will be in excellent hands with Coach Reaves,” said James Wood High School Principal Joe Salyer, in a press release from Frederick County Public Schools. “He has a great deal of experience working with high school age student-athletes and knows what it takes to compete at both the high school and college levels. His experience and knowledge of volleyball programs throughout the region will prove to be a great asset as he works to further develop the program here at James Wood.”

The Colonels lose seven seniors, including Katie Houser (who has signed to play at Notre Dame next fall), Ashley Hillyard (who has given a verbal commitment to Radford University next fall), Lindsey Painter, Savannah Yost, Ally Iden, Lexi Copley and Abbye Prelip, to graduation from last year’s team that finished as the state runner-up. Reaves inherits a solid nucleus of seven returning varsity players, including Taylor Heishman, Megan Hillyard, Leilani Burch, Sidney Furr, Kirsten Mullin, Ashanti Day and Emma Montgomery.

Although Reaves said he was more familiar with James Wood’s departing seniors than some of its younger players, he said his coaching style will be very much like what it had been under Couturiaux.

“My style of coaching is very much in line with Jill’s,” said Reaves, a 1992 graduate of Musselman High School (W.Va). “It’s the same kind of offense and defense and system calls, so it will be a very easy transition for the kids.

“My coaching philosophy is Gold Medal Squared which is sponsored by USA volleyball and developed by the founding fathers of USA volleyball. Jill and I are both in that concept so it should make for an easy transition. The goal is to design practice as game-like as possible.”

Reaves said he’s eager to get started in his first varsity position and hopes to meet with the team for the first time as early as next week.

“I’ve been a head coach of many club teams but this will be my first one of an entire [varsity] program,” Reaves said. “I just want to do a good job for the community — I know they love volleyball there. I recruited [former Sherando standout and current Shepherd University senior] Lauren Wilkins. I think this [job] is the next step for me in the progression and I know I don’t want to be an assistant coach anymore. Everything fell into place. Craig [Woshner] and Mr. Salyer have been great, so I knew it was right when I met them. I told them I’m not here to re-invent the wheel but to polish it. I want to make it better if I can.”

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