School & Family Magazine Newstand Allen ISD Winter 2017 | Page 22

Celebrating
Coach G’s
700th win
G Force X 700+
A
llen’s head volleyball coach Kelly Gregoriew likes
to win. That alone doesn’t separate her from her
colleagues but her teams do win. In fact, her teams
have won more than 700 games during her career which places
her among an elite group of volleyball coaches called the 700
Club.
Gregoriew came to Allen High School as a math teacher and
coach in 1993. She had graduated from Texas Tech in 1989
and previously coached in Arvada, Colorado and Lakeview
Centennial High School in Garland.
“I was actually working at a summer volleyball camp when I
heard the Allen job had come open,” says Gregoriew. “I went out
and called right away and ended up getting the
job. I had heard good things about Allen and
wanted to work in a community that placed
value on men’s and women’s sports.”
Lady Eagles Varsity Volleyball Team in action
regionals in 8 of those years.
There is no secret to winning, she said. It certainly requires
talent but conditioning and commitment are just as important.
“Because of Allen High School’s size, the team always has
a strong offense but without defense, you’re only halfway
there. The team needs to work together to win
consistently.”
There were no high expectations for the
program that first year, she explained. “The
school had just moved up to Class 5A from 4A
and the competition was much tougher. The
kids were excited to be in the big time and they
surprised many of the area teams with wins that
first year.”
The team went on to win 7 district
championships from 1996-2003 and advanced
to the State Tournament in 2003 and 2006.
Overall, Gregoriew’s teams have advanced
to the playoffs 21 times and advanced to the
22
Coach Kelley Gregoriew working
with junior Morgan Christon
“In volleyball, one talented player can control a
game,” she added. “If a team relies too heavily on
that individual and that girl has a bad night, the
team can get behind. A strong player should raise
the level of play for the whole team.”
Coach G says she may not remember every
single one of the 700 wins but schedule posters
around her classroom help her remember every
team. “Every team was special in some way and
had its own personality. It was the hard work by
all of those girls, teams and assistant coaches that
are reflected in the 700 wins. I appreciate the
credit but they did the work.”