Halcomb leading young Lady Eagles into 2024 season

COSBY — For Taylor Halcomb and the Cosby volleyball program, things look quite a bit different this year than they have previously.

Personally, Halcomb has seen several scheduling changes.

She has let go of a hectic schedule that saw her driving back and forth to ETSU to finish her teaching degree and to fulfill student teaching requirements in Morristown, while also coaching two games and holding practice each week.

Since Halcomb has graduated and will be teaching fifth grade at Edgemont this fall, her commute and her overall schedule will be easier and more efficient.

“It’s a big relief,” she said with a chuckle.

On the court, Halcomb is entering her fourth year as head coach of the Lady Eagles, making the 21-year-old one of the longest-tenured coaches on the Cosby campus given the recent baseball and softball turnover.

“It’s very crazy for me, having just graduated,” said Halcomb. “I finally feel like I have less on my plate, I’m more focused on volleyball, and I’m very excited about that.”

She has good reason to be, noting an improvement in team chemistry going into the 2024 campaign.

“This culture is changing, slowly but surely,” she said. “To me, a good culture is for all my kids to have good attitudes. If I tell you to do something, it’s, ‘Yes, coach.’ And they want to learn.

“That’s what I want every year, a group that comes in ready to learn and one that knows they can learn. This group has done that, and they want to win.”

That desire began with 28 players showing up to tryouts, with Halcomb whittling the number down to 23 entering this season.

“It’s safe to say that I feel very good about what we have going on this year,” Halcomb said. “In years’ past, it’s been a little rougher.

“But our team, they’re connecting so well. They’re really buying into what I say.”

That starts from the bottom, as Halcomb has a whopping 17 freshmen on the team.

“I feel like our program will grow through them,” she said. “Our freshmen have been positive, super energetic and ready to learn whatever I give them, and it has shown in practice.”

Because of that youth-fueled roster, several young Lady Eagles will see the floor early this season.

Some of those contributors will be Sophia Summerlin, Azariah Spurgeon, Zayli Spencer, Gracie Strahan and Matisse Bible.

Most of those players have also found early minutes in summer league basketball for the Lady Eagles’ basketball program, where they will also be heavy contributors in the winter.

In basketball, Cosby coach Cody Lowe noted their quick improvement, something that has been evident for Halcomb as well.

“They have really stood out to me,” she said. “Great, positive attitudes, and they act like veterans, like juniors and seniors.

“They know what they’re doing, they take on helping others who are a little more behind. They have really stepped up, and I love the attitude more than anything.”

That attitude will be essential for a team that does not have any seniors, only four juniors and two sophomores, with two of the six holding varsity experience from last year.

Emma Potter, a rising junior, will be a core piece for the Lady Eagles on and off the floor, serving as the libero on the back row.

“She has shown a lot of positivity and done exactly what I’ve asked her to do as a leader,” said Halcomb. “I felt coming into this season that she could take on that role if she wanted to.

“We talked about it, and I have seen her owning up to that role. Encouraging in practice, working with the other girls. I’ve seen a big change in her that I have loved to see.”

As the libero, Potter is responsible for delivering accurate passes to a team that will be changing things up schematically this year.

In the past, Halcomb said the Lady Eagles have run a 5-1, with five hitters and one setter, who runs the offense at all times.

Now, they will be running a 6-2, with six hitters and two setters, since Halcomb thought that would fit her team better.

Aside from the aforementioned names, Cosby also has another returning face in sophomore Kassie Davis, as well as freshman Olivia Kepper, who joined the team recently.

“I didn’t know what to expect, but she really was a pleasant surprise,” said Halcomb. “She can be our wild card for this season. She has all the components of an all-around player, someone that can do anything.”

Cosby will look to take that approach to its 2024 schedule, as Halcomb has already circled a couple of specific matches.

“I am really excited to see Washburn again,” she said. “With them being the top team in our district, I would love to see how this group will do with them.

“And then going to Greenback, we were really close with them in both games last year. I feel like this group could really be competitive there as well.”

Win or lose, though, Halcomb has been happy with the group she has in place: one that makes her even more excited considering how different her personal schedule looks this season.

“Every mistake, they want to fix it and have had really good self-awareness with mistakes,” she said. “They have that mindset of getting better and wanting to learn, and that’s all I could ask for.”