Volleyball coach of the year: Cypress' Dillard
After taking a one-year break, she returned to lead Centurions to CIF title.
Heather Dillard figured that this season had the potential to be a memorable one.
The majority of the players on the Cypress girls volleyball team were returning from a team that was eliminated in the second round of the 2006 Division III-AA playoffs.
This year was going to be different.
She was right.
“I knew this was a special group of girls,” Dillard said. “I wanted to take them to where I knew they could go.”
Cypress went undefeated in the Empire League, won its first CIF title before losing in the first round of the CIF State Southern California Regionals all in Dillard's first year back as coach. She served as an assistant coach for the Centurions last season.
For this, Dillard, a former Cypress graduate, is The Register's coach of the year.
Aside from the talent, another reason for the Centurions' success this season was the close bond that has been formed on the team.
Senior outside hitter Lauryn Herrick and middle blocker Liana Fuentes have all been in the program for four years.
Juniors Marissa Brand and Kristin Neary have both been on varsity for each of their three seasons.
“I knew they were highly motivated and very talented,” Dillard said. “They did a great job of representing their team and their community.
Things appeared easy for the Centurions through the preseason schedule.
In some cases, that would allow teams to ease up as the league season begins, but not the Centurions.
“This team had the fire and drive to succeed,” Dillard said.
Success isn't new to Dillard, who played collegiately at Utah State and Alabama-Birmingham. In her first year back as coach at Cypress in 1998 she led the Centurions to the CIF-SS Division II-AA finals appearance.
This year, after spending one year as an assistant, she led Cypress to the ultimate prize, the CIF title.
“Maybe I should always take a year off,” Dillard joked.
Contact the writer: dcalhoun@ocregister.com
| Congrats Heather! You are the WoMan! You also get my vote for sexy coach of the year! and I'm not kidding! |
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| Chad Hepp - Jun 03, 2008 05:23:27 PM | Remove Comment |
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| Congratulations Heather on a great coaching job leading your Cypress girls volleyball team to the 2007 CIF Champioship! All of your 8 years of club volleyball combined with 4 years of Division I college volleyball experience payed off!
Love Ya,
Dad |
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| kennethdillard27 - Jan 05, 2008 07:32:52 PM | Remove Comment |
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| Congrats Cypress HS ANA especially Heather for making Coach of the Year,You go girl |
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| Cat - Dec 17, 2007 02:29:10 PM | Remove Comment |
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| Way to go Cypress HS and AWESOME job Heather, you are an inspiration to many people out there. So happy to see the success. Congrats Cypress HS and coach Dillard. |
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| Myshawny - Dec 17, 2007 02:10:52 PM | Remove Comment |
