1996 El Mo graduate a disciple of Bear Grassl
The Kim Collins era is set to begin for the Healdsburg High School volleyball program, as she takes over from former head coach John Kamra.
A Sonoma County native, Collins (formerly Steen) was a star player at El Molino High School (class of 1996) before landing a full volleyball scholarship to New Mexico State University.
In three star-studded seasons with the Lions, Collins played for legendary El Mo and Sonoma State coach Bear Grassl.
“He was an amazing coach and still is,” Collins said, reflecting on her formative years with the Lions.
Following a standout four-year college career, she moved back to Sonoma County in 2007 to raise her children.
The enthusiastic first-year head coach has hit the ground running, overseeing open gyms all summer in preparation for the fall campaign and is eager to begin official try-outs on Aug. 6.
“I’m very excited about taking on the varsity volleyball coaching position for the Hounds this year,” Collins noted. “My goal and expectation for the season and the program is to unite these young ladies as a team, build their confidence and make them aware of the opportunities that can arise from being a student athlete through hard work and dedication. The Lady Hounds will be pushed to their limits this season,” she added.
The Greyhounds graduated eight seniors from a strong 2017 squad, a season that featured an overall mark of 15-11 (6-6 in league) before landing a spot in the North Coast Section playoffs. The team is expected to return four varsity veterans from that squad, along with several players moving up from the JV team.
“I have no idea how many returning players we’ll have,” Collins reported. “We’ve had about 15-20 young ladies attending open gym this summer, and the majority are freshman and sophomores, with a few juniors and two seniors, so I have a feeling we’ll be looking at a younger team with room for growth.”
Healdsburg figures to join El Molino among the top teams in the newly realigned league in the Redwood Division, where they’ll compete with the likes of Elsie Allen, Piner, Rancho Cotate and Ukiah.
Collins understands the sacrifice needed to attain success on and off the court as a student athlete and is a strong believer that hard work pays off.
“My belief is that all great student athletes should be pushed past their comfort level to understand how truly great they can be and that’s what returning JV coach Kayla Mora and I intend to do,” she said. “We want to begin the season as a team but end as a united family.”
