Cave Spring High School has gone to a former rival to lead its volleyball program.
You could say it was a Titan kind of hiring.
Former Liberty University basketball standout, Kylee Beecher, who played high school basketball and volleyball for Hidden Valley, has been named the new head volleyball coach for the Knights.
If Cave Spring was looking for someone highly motivated and competitive, with a history of success, they’ve found their person in Beecher.
Beecher played volleyball for three years at Hidden Valley under head coach Carla Ponn, foregoing her senior year on the volleyball court to avoid potential injury after getting a scholarship to play basketball at Liberty. On the basketball hardwood, Beecher was a force in the paint for the Titans, being a key part in Hidden Valley’s back-to-back Group AA state championships in 2007 and 2008.
She played center for three seasons at Liberty, where the Flames won Big South titles twice and made two NCAA tournament appearances before losing to Louisville and Kentucky.
Beecher, who has a major in sports management and minor in coaching, had made stops as an administrative assistant and trainer at The Spectrum training facility in Roanoke and was previously an assistant varsity basketball coach at Timberlake Christian in Forest, Va.
Kylee has been at Cave Spring since the start of the school year as an instructual assistant, helping with the special-ed program, main office duties and, as she puts it, anywhere they need me.
Cave Spring was one of the top volleyball programs in the state under former coach Tamalyn Tanis for over a decade, winning five state championships during the Tanis era. After Tanis retired after the 2015 season to spend more time with her family, the Knights had struggled, finishing 7-16 last season.
“I’m following some big shoes in a program that had such success under Tamalyn,” Beecher said during an interview in early February. “I’ll definitely be using her as a resource in the development of our program.”
“My initial approach will be focused on being competitive and I want the girls to have fun,” Kylee added. “I plan to emphasize skill development; keep getting better with the fundamentals of pass, set and hit, and hitting it hard. I’m already around these girls at school and have connected with them. I’m starting with a great bunch of girls who have a lot of heart. And, we’ve got great kids coming up from our JV program and middle school program. Athletic Director Jon Hartness had asked me about my interest on the athletic side, and the opening was very competitive. I’m so excited and ready to stay all-in.”
Bill Turner
