Bull coach still has knack for winning

By TERRY JONES
Published September 19, 2006

BLOOMINGDALE -Winning volleyball matches has become part of Bloomingdale coach Bonnie Hess' lifestyle.

The Bulls' early-season defeat of Plant City gave Hess her 400th career victory. She is 6-1 so far this year, and 405-147 in almost 40 years.

Hess has been coaching in Hillsborough County since 1974, starting at Bayshore Christian. She moved to Berkeley Prep in 1975 and during her eight years coaching the Bucs, went 137-27 and led the program to four conference, three district, two regional and one sectional championship.

From 1984-94, she coached at Horace Mann Junior High, going 85-10. In 1994, her first year at Bloomingdale, Hess coached the Bulls to a semifinal berth in the Class 6A state tournament.

She started the 2003 season with a group made up mostly of freshmen and sophomores in a district loaded with mature teams.

"We really got beat up a lot in 2003 and '04, but the freshmen from back then stuck with it, worked hard, started playing club ball and now that hard work is paying off," Hess said.

The Bulls' only loss of the season so far was to Durant in a close match. They have won all three of their Class 5A, District 8 matches and are hoping for a big finish.

"Last year, we entered the district tournament seeded sixth and finished runnerup," Hess said. "That was a big boost for them to start this season. They still have some lapses, but they are hoping for a great season."

Hess doesn't focus on stats, because she always coaches with all her attention on the match at hand. Consequently, her husband, Chuck, keeps the match stats - and her career record.

"I am proud of all my girls who work hard at doing their best, especially the seniors, who just keep getting better," said Hess, whose team is at Tampa Bay Tech tonight. "They still have room to improve and I want a big finish for them."

PANTHERS RANKED: Plant (7-0) was ranked 24th in the PrepVolleyball.com national rankings released Thursday.

"We feel honored that our program is nationally ranked, but we also realize the season is still very early," coach Leanna Taylor said. "The big matches will start with districts. We want to win the state championship."

Taylor said she is pleased with her team's play, but added the biggest matches of the season to this point will be at the Berkeley Prep Premier Tournament, set for Sept. 28-29 at the University of Tampa.

The annual 16-team event features teams from four states including Winter Park and Venice, ranked 20th and 34th in the nation, respectively, by PrepVolleyball.com.

"We will face some of the top teams in the state and some good ones from other states," Taylor said. "That is where we will be able to get a more accurate measurement of our progress now and see where we need work."

University of Miami-bound middle hitter Christine Williamson leads the Panthers' attack. She has been averaging about 12 kills per match, according to Taylor.

"Christine is amazing, but so are the others," she said.

"To get everyone better prepared to compete, I have been moving them around in different positions. I want them to be prepared to do whatever is necessary down the stretch. So far, everyone is healthy and that is a good thing."

BUCS FINISH SIXTH: At least one local Bucs team is playing consistently. Berkeley Prep won its first two matches en route to a fifth-place finish in the 16-team Buchholz Tournament in Gainesville this past weekend. After a 2-1 finish in pool play, the Bucs defeated Jacksonville Bishop Kenny in three games before bowing out with a three-game loss to Gainesville. Christina Theofilos represented Berkeley on the all-tournament team.

- TERRY JONES, Times correspondent

[Last modified September 19, 2006, 06:00:28]