By: James Cassar
Some people are just born leaders. For Ms. Hermes, Tuscarora’s girls’ JV and varsity volleyball coach who gives guidance on and off the hardwood, her office is parked in the Guidance hallway. Testing coordinator by day, diligent volleyballer by night, she’s got a history with the sport that’s primed her for the post. “I played volleyball at Bridgewater College. One of my coaches told me I should continue playing or pass my skills onto someone else.” Pass she did. Claiming the top spot as head coach for both years of Tusky’s history, she believes she’s brought the girls’ game to a whole new level, despite their seasoned veteran status with the sport. “I feel like I’ve expanded their skills, even though most of our girls play year-round anyway.” Even though she brandishes her fighting words, “we’re a very competitive team this season,” she’s also confident she’s infused the game into their hearts as well. Although some Husky volleyball players may have approached the sport reluctantly, their coach is bent on “sharing the love of the game with them so they enjoy playing it.” While Coach Hermes is determined to create a fiery passion for volleyball on the court, she’s also bringing the terror – the Tusky Terror, that is – into the gym to create a flamboyant flame of fan support. “I’m sure that once a person attends a match and sees the excitement, they’ll want to come to another!”
And if there’s any match you should have came out for, Thursday, October 20th was THS’ second annual Dig Pink volleyball game. Starting at 5:30, the battle against breast cancer took form in a bake sale and silent auction, among other crowd-pleasing activities. The JV/Freshman game took the stage at 6, with Varsity following an hour later. All proceeds went directly to breast cancer research, and for $10, Dig Pink tees (Real Men Wear Pink, just sayin’, bros) that you could flaunt to show your support were for sale in the Guidance office.
Every coach has got their head in the game, but Coach Hermes is driven to drive through breast cancer head-on.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=npGTareHMqA&w=420&h=315]
