Wicox-Seniors Have Been On a Journey Together

The head coach of the Volleyball team at Rocky Mount High School is Tabitha Wilcox.  She teaches science at Edwards.  Several years ago she was the Volleyball coach at Edwards when five seventh graders came along and wanted to play volleyball. 

I  don't care whether it is little league of junior high at the lower age groups you have to learn how to play the game.  Wilcox had one demand in order to play volley ball at Edwards.  You had to be able to serve the ball over the net over handed.  There was one of those seventh graders that when she walked up to the net she just could stand tall enough to touch the net and asking  her  to serve the ball  from way back on that back line and get it over the net was impossible.  Morgan Doughtie became the team manager.

Four other girls Tia Hudgins, Precious White, Emily Jacobs and Samantha Westphal could.  When they went to matches they were beaten by teams that had to underhand the ball to get a serve in but even then you could tell they were doing it the right way even though wins were not coming at a rapid clip.

They grew and moved on to Rocky Mount High School and after the retirement of Debbie Webb   Tab Wilcox moved on to varsity too.  Two consecutive undefeated conference  seasons and now a three loss conference year and the road is near it's end.  These five who have spent what seems like a life time with Tab Wilcox will end soon.

Today Rocky Mount Volleyball starts the road to the playoffs with a home game tonight against White Oak from Jacksonville.  They have reach the point when one loss and it is over.  The older these girls get they will remember back at something Wilcox said and will come to appreciate her teaching.  Wilcox has many more volleyball players to teach but this group will ever be special to her as this is the group that she took on as skinny seventh graders and help mold into  two time conference champions. A group of five seniors who were a part of a 27-3 conference record.

Coaching is a part of life that you teach them while they are in your charge and when they move on there is another group on the way.  Tab Wilcox will always remember this group as the one she rode with all they way from 7th to the high school finish.  Seldom do you start with a group as young pups and travel with them during their maturity for six years.  Regardless of the number of championships Tab Wilcox has in her life this group was part of her first and will ever hold  a spot in her heart  forever.