By Rick Mauch
When her Weatherford College Coyotes take to the volleyball court this fall, coach Kailee May expects them to be quite annoying - to the point of frustration, in fact.
For the opponent, that is.
That will be part of the program's cornerstone as WC will field a team for the first time in school history.
"The one word to describe this program that you'll hear from me a lot is competitive. The WC volleyball program will be known for being frustratingly, annoyingly competitive," May said. "We will work for every point, and we will not give up easy points."
As May continues to recruit players, those words will be key in who makes history as part of the Coyotes' inaugural roster. Obviously, in order to create a program that thrives on competition, she needs to bring in competitive athletes.
"The group I have coming in is gritty. They are ready to work and ready to take the world by storm," May said. "I think when you have a group that is willing to not only compete in matches, but compete with and against their teammates in practice, the team is going to get better faster."
But being competitive requires more than talent. It requires a desire to lead others in a team mission to succeed, another quality May is looking for in her players.
"I think the most important leadership quality is the ability to put your team's needs before your own selfish desires. Everyone wants to be successful on a personal level - to have the most kills, digs, etc. - but being able to put that aside and ask what you can do to make the team better shows so much maturity and ultimately contributes to the success of the team in a bigger way," May said.
May's first recruit is Boswell High School graduate Isabela Moore who already has significant college experience.
After graduating from high school in 2020, Moore played at North Central Texas College and earned Region V Player of the Year honors. She took a year off due to COVID-19 before making the switch to WC.
May and Moore have a long history, with May having coached her when Moore was a 16-year-old club player. May expects her to make an immediate impact.
In the 2020 season at NCTC, Moore finished the season in the top 10 of several statistical categories in Northern Texas Junior College Athletic Conference play: points (second with 154), points per set (second with 4.8), kills (third with 133), kills per set (second with 4.16), total attacks (fourth with 383) and others.
So, with a plethora of volleyball talent throughout North Texas, why would a player choose WC? May doesn't hesitate at all in giving a reason.
"What I've learned in my short time here is that WC has something for everyone. Small town, tight-knit feel, but also sits just outside of a giant metroplex. Great athletics and academic facilities that are comparable to most colleges and universities. The dorms are better than almost every college campus I've been on," she said.
"The community here is solid, and I've found it really hard to find any areas where WC is at a disadvantage when compared to other colleges in the surrounding area, or anywhere for that matter."
Another reason might be to be a part of history, something that has May excited.
"I don't even know where to begin. Not many people get an opportunity like this and feeling the responsibility of building something great has weighed heavily on me," she said. "To see my vision come to life, and to have the freedom to mold every facet of the program has been stressful but unbelievably rewarding.
"I am so grateful for the support of [Athletic Director] Bob McKinley and the athletics staff as a whole. I have had so much help building this program from so many people inside the college and within the greater Weatherford community.
"That being said, the work has only just begun! Getting the athletes here and getting them to buy into what I'm building is half the battle. I'm so excited to get this group on the court and start the next chapter of the process."
A large part of that process is winning right away, something other programs have made a habit of doing at WC, including the newly added golf and tennis programs this past academic year.
"I recruited this team with the hope and intention of being able to compete at the highest level immediately," May said.
May came to WC after much success at the high school, college and club level. She spent the past four seasons as an assistant at the University of Texas at Arlington. She helped lead the Lady Mavericks to two top-three finishes in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament, a victory over a nationally ranked top-25 opponent in 2020, and a National Invitational Volleyball Championship quarterfinals appearance in 2019.
Before UTA, May was an assistant at Stephen F. Austin where she helped lead the team to a Southland Conference championship. Prior to that she was the head coach at All Saints Episcopal School, where she led the team to two Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools State Tournament appearances and a runner-up finish.
She has also been heavily involved in the extremely competitive USAV club volleyball world in DFW. In her seven years as head coach of various club teams ranging in age from 12 to 18, five of her squads finished in the top 10 in the country at the USAV Girls Junior National Championships, including one third-place finish.
As a player herself, in her junior year she led her team to a Utah state championship and received all-state honors. Then, after her family moved, she took her squad to a runner-up finish in the Maryland state tournament and was named The Washington Post's Player of the Year for Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C.
After being recruited to play volleyball at Fordham University, she made the All-Atlantic 10 Freshman Team, going on to put her name in the record books for the program. She finished her career there in the top 10 of various statistical categories, including career kills, digs, service aces and attempts.
Most recently, she was recognized as a member of the Fordham Volleyball 25-Year Anniversary Team.
Such a career has created some strong connections for her that can help as she builds her program at WC.
"I'm lucky to have created a network within the coaching world, thanks to previous coaching positions, that I hope will create some solid avenues for my athletes after they're finished with their careers at WC," she said.
And now, to continue that success she will have to lead her team against the rugged Northern Texas Junior College Athletic Conference and NJCAA Region V competition. She's been there before and knows exactly what to do.
"Region V is arguably the most competitive junior college region in the country. I obviously can't speak from experience, but I know many student athletes from this region go on to play at a high (NCAA) Division I and II level," she said. "I hope I am able to contribute to the region's track record of bringing in highly skilled and motivated athletes."