“Give 100%” was the 1982 Coaler Volleyball Team’s key to success and succeed they did, advancing to the Class A state quarterfinals finals. The success continued into the following season as the Lady Coalers once again advanced to the finals and this time they brought home a trophy.
As the current Lady Coaler team heads into the postseason we are reminded of the teams that have come before them. Many that have advanced in the postseason with district, regional, sectional and super sectional titles, and three teams—1982, 1983 and 1991—made it to the state finals.
Linda Oxby was the Coaler coach from the 1979-80 season through the 1983 state finals. In her final year, not only did she coach the volleyball team to a 29-5 record, but a third place finish in the state tournament. Oxby was with the Coalers for 5 years and posted a 90-39 record as the team’s coach.
This year marks the 40th anniversary of that state trophy winning season for the Lady Coaler volleyball team.
The names on the state tournament trophy were Thiers, Gervase, Overby, Scott, Togliatti, Martis, Heavens, Wills, Pogliano, Nowicki, Clavey and Smith. Jones was the team manager and Karen McMillan was the team's assistant coach.
“Each member of the varsity volleyball team played an important part in bringing home third place at state for Coal City. Every girl practiced as though her efforts would mean the difference between a win and a loss,” the 1983 Coaler yearbook stated.
The yearbook went on to say, “The town of Coal City was becoming well known throughout the state as a volleyball power house. The other teams prespected the Coaler team for their non-cocky attitude and their sportsmanship for which they won an award at the Braidwood Invitational.”
At the start of that 1983 season, the coach and her team set goals to win the conference, the Marseilles and Bradwood Invitational, make it to the quarter finals of the Chicago Latin Tournament and win the first game at state. They accomplished all of that with the exception of the Braidwood Invitational where they finished second.
In the state finals, the Coalers defeated Byron in three games, fell to Riverton and then came back to beat Shelbyville for third place. Riverton won the title that year.
Co-captains that season were Carol Martis and Ellie Togliatti. Martis was named MVP and had the most points. Betsy Gervase was named most improved, Michelle Overby was the MVP at Braidwood was named All-Conference along with Martis and Togliatti. And the accolades for the team included five members being named to the All-Area team by the Kankakee Daily Journal.
Eight years later, the Lady Coaler volleyball team was back in the state finals. Under the leadership of Barb Jansen, who coached the Coalers to multiple regional and sectional titles during her 13 years, the team brought home another third place trophy during the 1991 season. That team also posted a state record of most consecutive matches won in a season at 38. They finished the season with a 39-1 record—the only loss coming to Wheaton St. Francis.
The names on that trophy are Odo, Moschetti, Sarna, Wills, Griggs, Skubic, Christensen, Rynearson, Lareau, Longest, Gowdy and Togliatti.
Congratulations to the Lady Coaler volleyball teams who have paved the way and best of luck the 2023 ICE Conference Champions and their coaches Pam McMurtrey and Michelle Painter—who played for the Coalers—as they begin regional play.