Scorpions Upheaval

Scorpion volleyball has been on the rise the last few seasons despite several coaching and roster changes.

And now they are faced with the same task once again.

The University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College ended last season tied for fifth in the nation under Marcus Young who resigned soon after the 2007 campaign.

Young's successor David Nicholson signed on the dotted line March 6 in hopes of keeping the program at a high level but re-signed less than two months into the job due to "personal issues in the family."

This is the fourth time in three years the Scorpion volleyball coach has stepped down including Bruce Atkinson who also left for "personal issues."

"My feeling is to be willing to take the job those issues should have been taken care of before you apply for the job," UTB-TSC Athletic Coordinator Daniel Huntley said.

As of today they isn't enough players on the roster for the team to take part in an official NAIA game.

The team also lost arguably its best player in Talita Milasauskas who ranked 12th in the nation in blocks per game at 1.610. She was also 30th in the nation in kills per game at 4.370. She led with team with 690 kills in 158 games.

Another hit UTB-TSC will take is the red shirting of Claudia Alarcon and Daianarah Bracero who ranked 19th in the nation at 11.9 assists per game.

"It was an incredibly difficult (decsion) to leave them," Nicholson said. "We were hoping it wouldn't come to that but it did. I hated to leave those kids. Going into it I knew it was going to be a challenge but that wasn't really significant in my decision."

Senior Katie Japp has endured three coaching changes in two seasons and even with only three other returning players from last season's history setting campaign and said she is taking the positive approach.

"I think each coach had something different, being closer to home, good job offer," Japp said. "The team is gathering so we can put together a summer workout program because we want to continue to be successful."

Huntley added that filling the coaching vacancy is a priority in Scorpion athletics and that the program took a hit especially with the chemistry Nicholson had with the current players.

"We're trying to get the coaching opening done and complete as quickly as possible," he said. "It'll help finalize the recruiting we've been doing to give some of the players a sense of continuity.

"It was disappointing for our program because of going through the process and for David to practice for five weeks and the players felt a connection with him that is something you can't replace."

Ideally Huntley said he'd like to hire someone that would be a part of the program for the next couple decades but with the vol-leyball season just around the corner his options appear limited.

"Going through the search you'd like to find someone to be there for the next 20 years," Huntley said. "That's no always the per-son who applies for the job. Those coaches have gone to Division II schools and there's competition between the NCAA and NAIA."

Despite the juggling of coaches and roster changes, the volleyball program has found a way to pull a rabbit out of a hat to have successful seasons. The UTB-TSC faithful is hoping for another magic trick come this fall.