SMCC Volleyball in Good Hands with Hess, Mooney

The movie "Hoosiers" is one of the seminal sports films. The tale of a small Indiana town's basketball team overcoming adversity resonates with many and for a good reason. The lessons and message of the story focus on perseverance and determination, characteristics that everyone needs to be successful.

For South Mountain Community College assistant women's volleyball coach Patrick Mooney, "Hoosiers" represents a tradition for the Cougars as he would show the film on bus rides. And just like Coach Norman Dale, Mooney understood the value of his assistant coaches and when to allow them to shine.

See, Mooney wasn't always the assistant coach; he led the Cougars for 13 years. But when he hired Melissa Hess before the 2016 season, he probably didn't know he would be hiring his successor. Or that rather than hang up his whistle, he would slide over to the assistant chair while also taking on an academic advisor role. That's something even Hollywood could not conjure.

Looking for a job after playing professionally in Europe, Hess contacted Mooney about a volunteer coaching position with the Cougars. The day of the interview, Mooney received a call from his top assistant with good and bad news: the good news was that she had accepted a firefighter position, and the bad news was that she could no longer continue as an assistant.

After concluding the interview, Mooney was confident and gave Hess a double-dose of good news: not only could she have the job, but now it was a paying gig. She quickly excelled at the position and showed Mooney and the squad she wanted to contribute.

"Her willingness to learn and ask questions was one of her best traits as an assistant coach," said Mooney. "She was open to learning new things and was not afraid to be in charge of the huddle during a match when the team was looking for suggestions."

Hess comes from an athletic background. One of several children, Hess mostly played softball until her older sister started volleyball. She gravitated to the faster pace of the game and, by high school, had dedicated herself solely to the sport.

"The main thing I love about volleyball is the competition," said Hess. "That comes from the other teams, but also from within your team. That competition and drive to be better for the team and the subsequent relationships you make are ones you cannot get anywhere else."

After her Horizon High School team won the state championship during her junior year, Hess started exploring college opportunities. At a club event, Hess spoke with Colorado Mesa University coaches, who had been recruiting one of Hess's teammates, and she told them she'd play wherever asked.

She moved all over the court during her career at CMU and left as a two-time AVCA All-American, RMAC Tournament MVP and 2015 CMU Female Athlete of the Year. As a senior in 2015, she and the Mavericks hosted regionals as part of the NCAA Division II Tournament.

"I'd say it was in my junior year when I hit my peak," Hess said. "My mentality and maturity came together after it took a while to reach full potential. I just kept growing and having to adapt to my body. It was a story of being good and then having to re-learn as my body changed."

Like Hess, Mooney also comes from an athletic background that didn't start in the sport. It was not until college that he changed his major to Physical Education and picked up a ball that Mooney knew it was volleyball.

Mooney is a veteran of ACCAC action, having spent 10 years as the head coach at Phoenix College before leading the Cougars for 13 seasons.  His 1999 team went to the NJCAA National Tournament, and the team makes it a point to reconnect each year as memories of the tournament swell each November.

With more than 20 years of experience, the toll of recruiting began to wear on Mooney. The amount of time spent recruiting 30-40 players and then signing 8-10 is a grind that most outside the coaching world do not see.

With Hess excelling in her assistant role, Mooney saw the potential for her to take over and allow him to enjoy retirement. In 2017, the team advanced to the NJCAA Division II Region I playoffs, and that set the stage for bigger accomplishments the following season.

The 2018 season was one for the record books for SMCC volleyball. The Cougars finished 28-9 overall and 12-3 in ACCAC play, including a 13-1 stretch that spanned August and September. In the postseason, SMCC knocked off Glendale CC and Pima CC twice to earn the NJCAA Region I Division II Championship.

From there, the Cougars traveled to Charleston, W. Va., to compete in the NJCAA Division II Volleyball Championships. At the event, South Mountain Community College recorded victories over Moraine Valley CC, Northeast CC and Grand Rapids CC to earn fifth place.

For their efforts, Erica Ronda won ACCAC Player of the Year honors to go with First Team All-ACCAC and NJCAA Division II Region I awards.  Joliana Sanders won Setter of the Year in addition to NJCAA Division II All-Region I and  Second Team All-ACCAC honors. Finally, Miranda Bacon earned NJCAA Division II All-Region I and  Second Team All-ACCAC honors, and Mooney received ACCAC Co-Coach of the Year honors.

"As a head coach, you hope to get to nationals happens consistently, but to get there is special," Mooney said. "The 2018 season is near and dear to me because it was my last season. The players had a strong connection and great leadership. SMCC President Dr. Olson and the entire administration bent over backward to make sure we were appreciated and supported. It was memorable to go out pretty close to the top of the country."

"As a coach, you don't realize how important it is to get nationals until you get there," Hess added. "The tension and level of play are amplified, and I was excited to see the girls endure something brand new.  You don't have four years to develop a team at the community college level; getting to participate in the tournament is special."

As 2019 came rolling around, Hess assumed the reigns, and Mooney slid over to an assistant coaching position while also helping Cougar student-athletes with academic advising.

"She was not afraid to be the head coach," Mooney said. "Her confidence is one of her best abilities, and even as she got frustrated with losses, I reminded her that things just needed to fall in place. When we do have talks, I let her know that she is the head coach, and I will support her decisions. If I don't agree, I will let her know why, but we  have spent 18 months developing this squad and are excited about the 2020 season."

In that first year, Hess and SMCC posted a 14-17 overall record and 5-10 mark in ACCAC action. The Cougars played more sets (120) than any team in the conference and recorded sweeps over league foes Chandler-Gilbert CC and Phoenix College.

Sophomore Haley Meshay earned Honorable Mention All-ACCAC and NJCAA Region I Division II honors. She will continue her intercollegiate volleyball career at NCAA Division I St. Francis College in Brooklyn.

"There were a lot of adjustments that I had to make," Hess admitted. "As a head coach, you have more to deal with, and I don't know if anyone is ever fully prepared for what is some uncharted territory. The biggest lesson I learned is to be open to changing the game plan, whether in matches or practice. Sometimes things aren't working, and it is my responsibility to adapt quickly to make us successful."

"Still, it was exciting to learn new things and these opportunities. Having Pat made it easier, and we had a lot of success throughout the year, whether it was in the gym or the classroom. The returning girls have trained well, and we are poised to grow on the successes we have and grow in the areas where we struggled."

Marlayna Stapleton will be a sophomore in the upcoming 2020 season. A libero/defensive specialist, she finished second on the team with 274 digs and third with 25 service aces while appearing in 29 matches in 2019. She credits Coaches Hess and Mooney for their investment in the Cougar student-athletes and the program.

"Both Coach Hess and Coach Mooney have helped me make huge strides in all aspects of my game," said Stapleton. "They have taught us how to be stronger during games and to perform better. I think they helped me mature mentally and be more consistent for the team. They have been the best coaches I have had thus far, and I owe a lot of my success to them."

Stapleton has several goals for the upcoming season: to finish in the top-3 in digs in the ACCAC and to then continue her volleyball at a four-year institution. As with Hess, she saw the team come together towards the end of 2019 and is excited about 2020's prospects.

"The coaches have high expectations for us on and off the court. With the sophomores, having that year of experience under our belt will help us show what this program is about," Stapleton added. "We have had virtual meetings with the incoming newcomers where we have worked at building our team chemistry."

As Stapleton noted, the early parts of the 2019 season left something to be desired from a win-loss perspective. Still, Mooney knew he made the right decision when Hess made a comment that harkened him back to his favorite movie.

"Early in the season, she admitted to being a little nervous, and that brought me back to the movie. There is a scene where Gene Hackman takes a big sigh before heading out to his first game. I had that feeling before each first match of the season, from my first year to my 23rd year."

Based on the success he's had, and the trajectory of Hess's program, it is likely they will not have to be the deepest breaths.