Sawyer ready to guide Faith Academy volleyball program

CAPTION: Erin Sawyer (kneeling) believes volleyball has a positive impact for those who participate, especially the Faith Academy Lady Flames, including Alyana Reyes (left), Ella Chavira and Megan Burrows wait to enter the match. File photo 

Erin Sawyer may be the new volleyball head coach at Faith Academy of Marble Falls, but she isn’t a new face to students, faculty members and others associated with the school.

She spent the last two years as an assistant coach on Adrienne Pabon’s staff and as the Faith Academy junior high school coach. Building those relationships and trust are a couple of reasons why she accepted the position after Pabon stepped down because of other commitments.

The desire to see the program grow is another.

“To me, it was always about building the program,” she said. “At the beginning, it was at the junior high, setting fundamentals and getting them ready. Now I’m at the end instead of at the beginning. I want to help the girls learn the sport and have fun. I want them to gain confidence in what they’re doing as a person and on the court.”

Volleyball has played a significant part of her own life for the last 30 years.

She played the sport in college for East Texas Baptist University after graduating from Van High School. Her Van team advanced to the state tournament in 1997 and 1998.

“We put in such hard work,” she said. “We worked really well as a team and created that tight-knit family that we could have a strong basis to build off.”

She formed lasting memories from those years of success, noting advancing to the state tournament is why players work tirelessly in the offseason, during club season and any chance they can. Reaching the state tournament in Texas, she added, is incredibly difficult because of the talented athletes and excellent coaching.

Faith Academy’s District 3-3A of the Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools is no different. The Lady Flames share it with Class 3A defending state champion Round Rock Christian

The Lady Flames have five returners from last season and will have some solid players moving up from the junior varsity .

“It’s about the girls,” Sawyer said. “It’s another reason why I started the club (Highland Lakes Aces). I want more girls out to play volleyball. I love it so much. I want them to have the same opportunities. I want to build a strong program. I think communication is key with kids and with the parents. It’s family, we’re trying to build a family. I want them to be assertive and aggressive. I want them to always try their hardest. I want to create a strong family that’s tight knit, that they can build off on another. “

She is still trying to assemble the staff. The junior varsity needs a coach and that Marble Falls High School graduate Natalie Chapa is the junior high coach. But no matter the challenges, Sawyer believes volleyball can do for her players what it did for her.

“I just love playing the sport,” she said. “I want to show that love, I want to show the desire. It’s to help the girls grow, it’s to teach them life lessons, it’s learning at a younger age. I want to help these young ladies be the best they can be.”

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