GAMES
RANKINGS
Junior outside hitter Ella Folse had 13 kills, three aces and two blocks in leading Jordan High to its first every varsity volleyball win on Monday, 3-1 over Cy-Springs.
Warriors reach milestone with 1st varsity win in 1st game
Joy and elation radiated from the Jordan High volleyball team bench as soon as sophomore Ella Koch put away a 3-1 win over Cy-Springs on Monday evening in the Warriors' first ever varsity game.
For the Warriors, a second-year Class 5A program, the game was not just some non-district affair that will be lost in MaxPreps scheduling lore. It was history. It was justification.
It was a substantial outcome for everything they had worked for in building a new program from scratch over the last year.
"It's super hard," Koch said. "We've been through a lot of tough times, but we've worked very hard to get here and we know we still have a long way to go. I think a win like this sets us forward as to what we can do and how we can get there."
Jordan won 24-26, 25-21, 25-19, 25-14. Impressively, the Warriors, with a 10-girl varsity roster of four juniors, five sophomores and a freshman, showed fight and an ability to adjust and adapt after errors plagued a sloppy first set.
Sophomore Ella Koch finished off first ever varsity victory for @JordanHSVball, 3-1 over Cy-Springs. #txhsvb… https://t.co/oKZSBDqIUh— Dennis Silva II (@Dennis Silva II) 1628642135.0
"I thought we were pretty tough for being a young team," coach Jennifer Vaden said. "We showed resilience. We could've gotten shook; Cy-Springs brought athleticism and didn't ever let a ball touch the ground. I was proud of our response."
Vaden was also proud of the depth the Warriors showed. Junior outside hitter Ella Folse had 13 kills, three aces and two blocks. Koch, an outside hitter, had 12 kills and two aces. Freshman Alexys James, a right-side hitter, had eight kills and eight aces.
"It's about playing together," said James, who provided the team's first kill of the game. "Whenever we get down in points, like the first set, we all came together, talked it out and focused on playing as a team. I'm just so happy to be a part of this program. It's really like a family and we all support each other. You won't find a bond like ours anywhere else."
Vaden said the Warriors have been "working 365" to get to this point. Prior to Jordan, she led Mayde Creek, where her job was to establish credibility and culture within a downtrodden Rams program.
Vaden made considerable headway in that purpose by the time the Jordan gig came around, and she took some of what she learned there to the Warriors.
"Mayde Creek was a great experience as far as going in and having to shift everything and help those girls understand what it looks like to be a great program," Vaden said. "To be able to close the gap there was extremely hard, but we just put our head down and got to work and that helped me coming over here. We talk a lot about culture, building gritty culture, and the neat thing is there was nothing here. It's a lot of fun to be able to build that and for the girls to only know one way."
That one way is a welcomed fresh start for everyone involved.
.@JordanHSVball junior Ella Folse talks about the Warriors’ first ever varsity win tonight, 3-1 over Cy-Springs. Un… https://t.co/NbgNSRgJyp— VYPE Houston (@VYPE Houston) 1628643233.0
"It's awesome," Folse said. "Everyone is new, everything is new. There's no bad habits. There's no bad drama. We're all in it together. We're creating all the good habits amongst ourselves and we're making the most of it."
Indeed, a win in varsity game No. 1 is a strong start, something Vaden is excited that the Warriors can take a lot from and build upon.
"It's just putting our head down and going to work," Vaden said. "How good can we get? Let's leave nothing to chance and make sure we're playing the same way every single time and building that confidence and the grit and resilience that comes from inside-out and not outside-in."
Coach Mike Rabe Selected to Lead Jordan High Warrior Football Program
**From Katy ISD Communications**
KATY [January 20, 2020] – The finishing touches are taking place at Katy Independent School District's newest high school, Jordan High (JHS), and that includes the naming of their new head football coach and athletic coordinator. Superintendent Dr. Ken Gregorski has officially named Mike Rabe to the position, highlighting his experience as a perfect fit for the high school that's set to open for the 2020-21 school year. A familiar face in Katy ISD, Coach Rabe has spent the last four years in this role at Mayde Creek High School (MCHS).
Coach Rabe began his new position on Tuesday, January 14, after finishing his fifth season with the MCHS Rams, where he led the team to the area round of the 2019 state football playoffs, resulting in the most successful season in 22 years. As the MCHS campus athletic coordinator, Rabe's leadership was instrumental in dramatically improving win totals across all campus athletic programs. His passion for working with students and promoting success, not just on the football field, but in the classroom, has earned him various recognitions that include: District 19-6A Coach of the Year (2019), Dave Campbell 6A Coach of the Week (2019) and a two-time recipient of the Houston Touchdown Club Sportsmanship Award (2016 and 2017).
Rabe began his head coaching career in 2006 at Ganado High School, where the football team advanced to the state semi-finals in 2008 and 2009 and all other team sports at the school qualified for the state playoffs. In 2010, Rabe moved to Waco Connally High School. As head coach, he led the program to its first winning season in six years (2011). During his four years at the high school, participation numbers doubled in all athletic programs and the football team won a district title in 2013 and advanced to the area round of the state playoffs in 2013 and 2014. In 2015, Coach Rabe, his wife Teri and his two daughters, Kena and Kyla, moved to the Katy ISD area when he joined the MCHS family.
Congratulations to Coach Rabe in his new endeavor with the Jordan High School Warriors!
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