Northern Wyoming News - Serving the Big Horn Basin for over 100 years

WORLAND - For their annual summer volleyball camp the Worland Lady Warriors will have a special guest coach helping hone their skills this year. University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) head volleyball coach Steven McRoberts will lead this year's camp on July 21, 22 and 24.

Since being named the head coach at Ole Miss in 2014, McRoberts has led the Rebels to winning seasons in each year and for his career is an impressive 539-198 in his 20 seasons coaching at the collegiate level. Prior to Ole Miss, McRoberts coached at Tulsa, Central Arkansas and Lubbock Christian and has been named conference coach of the year 10 times in his career.

"I think it's super cool to have an SEC coach coming to Worland, Wyoming. He doesn't do camps anymore and usually sends his staff out to do that. So the fact that we're getting him is huge," said WHS volleyball coach Brittany Miller. "Where he's been and what he's done, to have over a 700 winning percentage at that level is insane. He's one of the best coaches in the country."

Having coached against McRoberts, while she was at Northwestern State University and he at Central Arkansas, in the Southland Conference the two stayed in touch while their careers took them to other places.

"Years ago we were coaches in the Southland Conference as colleagues and we kept a relationship since. I've been bugging him about bringing his family to Wyoming and this summer we got our schedules to coordinate. He'll speak at our coaches clinic too, so we're going to keep him really busy," said Miller.

During the camp McRoberts will use game situations to hone the fundamentals of those volleyball players participating.

"He's going to get us playing a lot more and I told him how we want to focus on the fundamentals during our time together this summer. So he's going to take it a step further and really get us in some game-like situations and drills and just try to coach us through them. I'm pretty excited about that to have a different voice in the gym and someone with his experience and knowledge will grow us as a whole program," said Miller.

The WHS and WMS volleyball coaches will also look to learn from McRoberts during a coaches clinic.

"I told our middle school and high school coaches we're all going to be there with notebooks ready to learn. We're even going to invite other coaches in to do a small coaches clinic while he's here," said Miller.

Having a Division-I coach teach a camp is an opportunity Miller does not want her players to miss and informed them early of the camp. And Miller wants to makes sure every local area player interested gets the chance to take part in the camp as well.

"We met with them and gave them a save the date. Just to tell them how important this camp is and as families plan their vacations we'd like them to save this date. Because if a coach of this caliber is going to come into Worland we need to take advantage of this. Word has gotten out and people from all over have called wanting to be a part of it," said Miller. "I've been kind of selfish, because I want the local kids to be a part of it and really want them to have the experience with the best. To go to a coach like this would cost a ton of money and he's even keeping the cost low so that our kids can do it."

The camp cost $125 per athlete and is open for freshmen up to seniors. Those interested in participating contact Miller, by phone 307-851-6603 or email [email protected], to RSVP a spot today.