High school volleyball: Mallory Adams settling in as new wadsworth coach

WADSWORTH — The baton has been passed at the most successful volleyball program in Medina County history. Former Highland and Malone University standout middle hitter Mallory Adams is the new varsity coach at Wadsworth, where she spent the 2020 season in charge of the freshman team. Adams succeeds Ohio volleyball Hall of Famer Jeff Walck, who stepped down for personal reasons after two years. The Grizzlies went 33-11 under Walck and extended their county-record streak of consecutive winning seasons to 17. "Inheriting the program from Coach Jeff brings with it a lot of expectations, but I'm so grateful for the year I had to learn from him," Adams said. "One thing that really sticks out to me — after the challenging year we all had because of COVID-19 — is it's really a blessing to be able to compete and represent your school. "I want the girls in our program to come away knowing that they've grown, both as athletes and as individuals, during their time here." The 6-foot-1 Adams was a four-year letterwinner and two-time all-district selection for the Hornets, establishing the school record for career kills that was broken by Gazette MVP Alayna Tessena and All-Gazette honoree Julia Shaw in 2020. Adams took her game to another level at Malone, earning All-Great Midwest Athletic Conference second-team recognition as a sophomore, junior and senior. She amassed 1,272 kills, 413 blocks, 629 digs and 110 aces. In 2018, she was the only NCAA Division II athlete with at least 300 kills, 100 blocks, 100 digs and 25 aces and powered the Pioneers to their third consecutive postseason appearance. "I still play a lot of volleyball," said Adams, who has coached at the Junior Olympic club level for three years. "And I really enjoy finding new ways to bring different aspects of my experience into coaching." Allyson Wines remains on the staff as Wadsworth's varsity assistant, while junior outside hitter Ellie Zuro and senior libero Haylee Joy are the top returning talents from a squad that went 13-8 and was fourth in the Suburban League National Conference. Adams also will be teaching within the district at Valley View Elementary, instructing students with moderate to severe disabilities. "That job is very important to me, so when I heard about the coaching opening, I wanted to be sure that I would be able to appropriately balance both," she said. "Honestly, everyone has been so helpful and encouraging, especially (Wines) and our athletic director Brad Musgrave. I can't wait to get started." The Grizzlies' four most recent coaches — Walck, Jill Quayle Klingbeil, Terri Mason and Jen Greenlees — combined for a 321-103 record and seven regional berths, making the job one of the most coveted among public schools in the state. "I am very aware that Wadsworth has a rich history of successful athletic programs, and I don't take that lightly at all," Adams said. "I have so many memories of coming into this gym to compete against a really tough program, and it still makes me smile. "I am a bit of a competitor, and I look at this opportunity with a lot of expectations for myself and the program." Contact Brian Dulik at brisports@hotmail.com. Follow him @BrianDulik on Twitter.