Springfield didn’t have to go far to get its new volleyball coach, and the school got a two-for-one deal.
Lisa Blanchard, a former girls basketball coach at the school, was named volleyball coach Friday. Her assistant coach will be Chris Blanchard, her husband and Bulldogs baseball coach.
“We’re excited,” Lisa Blanchard said. “We had a good participation in the tests. The girls look excited. They seem excited to get back to work.”
Blanchard takes over for Jennifer Hebert, who led the Lady Bulldogs to the playoffs in each of her three seasons as coach, including a trip to the regional round last season.
Lisa Blanchard was an assistant volleyball coach at Springfield under former coach Miranda Lobell Walters.
“We’ve been around volleyball for a while,” Lisa Blanchard said. “I learned a lot from Miranda. Miranda was a great coach. Coach Hebert did a fantastic job with the girls. We are sad to see her go. He took them to the second round of the playoffs last year. We just hope we can continue the same success and continue to build the program.”
“With his background, we think he’s a good fit for us and our school, and we’re excited about the move,” Springfield football coach and athletic director Ryan Serpas said of Blanchard. “We’re definitely happy with where our volleyball program is. Coach Hebert is moving on to other opportunities and we wish him the best. Everyone will benefit from this situation. We’re happy and excited about where the program is and what it’s done in the past, and we’re excited to look to the future.”
A plus for the program is that many players return from last season, including the Blanchards’ daughter Emma, who will be a sophomore.
“We’re really excited because we have a lot of players coming back,” Lisa Blanchard said. “We have a lot of players that were instrumental to the team last season that played a lot of time in college and were a big part of the program.”
“I was a little worried at first because some of the girls, I think they were a little intimidated because they know Chris’ work ethic when it comes to baseball, and the girls in the past, when he was helping Miranda, they knew the work ethic of job I had in terms of coaching and pushing the girls, but we had a good turnout at tryouts, and we have a core group of girls coming back and we have a lot of new faces coming in as well. a lot of freshmen coming in, who we are very excited,” said Lisa Blanchard.
Lisa Blanchard, who played volleyball at Hammond High and also coached girls basketball at Holden and Central Private, said she is working to formulate a system that works best for the team.
“We haven’t actually had a chance to do a practice yet, but after we evaluate the putters, we’ll decide if we want to go 5-1 or if we’re going to go 6-2,” she said. “We still have work to do this summer to make that determination.”
She said it helps that she and her husband have been able to see many Springfield players during high school seasons and ball trips.
“Many have a good foundation,” he said. “There are small things that need to be adjusted and, throughout the season, there will be things that need to be adjusted. We are not perfect. We will make mistakes like everyone else. There will be players or parents who are not happy with the decisions like any sport, but we will do what is best for the program and what is best for the girls and that will benefit the team as a whole.”
Chris Blanchard was an assistant volleyball coach under Becky Madden at Parkview Baptist early in her coaching career.
“She was a tremendous coach and taught me a lot — just the basics, defensive positioning, things like that,” he said.
“What’s going to be fun is watching these girls and pushing them with the workouts and the fundamentals and the athletic drills that we can implement to make them a little bit more athletic,” he continued. “I think the girls are excited about that part because it’s something new, a little different.”
Lisa Blanchard said she plans to have the team practice three days a week during the summer and will implement a yoga program for part of one of those practices. He is still looking for the team to go to summer camps.
“It’s going to be crucial,” Lisa Blanchard said of summer workouts. “It will be very important to determine how our season will play out. Number one is holding the girls accountable and making sure they know they are responsible for their actions whether they decide to show up for practice or not they decide they’re going to work hard. Volleyball starts as soon as school starts. I think our first game is two and a half weeks after school starts. We have to work hard this summer to get where we need to be to be able to compete this season.”
