Hanahan volleyball program under new leadership

Rob Gantt • July 30, 2025

Hanahan High School promotes Jamie Kock to head coach of the girls varsity volleyball.  Koch, who has moved up from the junior varsity, takes over for former coach Sheena Lanham.


By Rob Gantt

Special to the HSSR

 

Hanahan – The Hanahan High School girls volleyball program has a winning culture in place as it begins a new era this fall under first-year volleyball coach Jaime Koch, who has moved up from the junior varsity to take over for former coach Sheena Lanham.


First official practices for fall sports teams is July 31, with squads picked in early August. Regular season games begin August 15.


“I am beyond excited,” Koch said. “I have moved up from the little ones at the rec center. I’ve done middle school. I was able to take over JV and to be able to work my way up to varsity is a dream come true. The seniors graduating this year are like my babies."


With seven players moving on after the 2024 season, so much playing time is up for grabs this upcoming fall. The younger players in the pipeline, though, have become accustomed to winning and understand the varsity squad has reached at least the second round of the playoffs three straight seasons.


Koch and company took full advantage of open season during the summer.


“We’re only going to have about four seniors, but these girls are hungry,” Koch said. “They’re fired up. They’re eager. We’re all excited. They’re supportive of each other. Team chemistry is there. They are scrappy. They’re all in.”


Senior middle hitter Olivia-Ryan Brace headlines the group of returning players. She was third on the team in kills last season behind a pair of all-region seniors and second in blocks. More lettermen returning are senior Eva Schutz, senior twins Olivia Brooks and Maggie Brooks and junior setter Juliette Owens. Schutz and both twins are competing for time at outside hitter or right-side hitter for the 2025 season. Schutz was fifth on the team in kills in 2024 and is the lone player coming back who made a somewhat significant contribution in digs and serve receive.


“Good news is we have a great group of players coming up,” Koch said.


Sophomore Cailtyn Manus is going to get a long look at setter, a position where the Lady Hawks also lost everybody. Junior Ella Spagnolia, who got pulled up late last year, is in the conversation for significant playing time at outside hitter. Eighth-grader Makenna Gallus, who was also pulled up near the end in 2024, will be in the mix at middle hitter. On the back row, sophomore Cydnie Murray, sophomore Payton Bellew and junior Rayne Stoll have potential to start, too.

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First Baptist Hires New AD and Football Coach

By David Shelton • July 30, 2025
By David Shelton Senior Writer Charleston – First Baptist School has new leadership within its football program and athletic department for the coming 2025-26 school year. Kevin Mapp was hired as the new head football coach in the early spring and Jay Godbolt was hired as the new athletic director at the start of the summer. Mapp has extensive coaching experience on both the college and high school levels while also working in law enforcement. First Baptist is his first head coaching position. Mapp last coached defensive linemen at James Island Charter High and has had coaching stints at James Madison, Hampden-Sydney, Georgetown, Marshall, Missouri State and Coastal Carolina. Mapp graduated from James Madison and was a defensive lineman on the 2004 Division I-AAA (now FCS) national championship team. “Coaching has always been my passion,” Mapp said. “Ever since I was playing, I wanted to be a coach. I have always found a way to coach while working in law enforcement. I’ve been fortunate to have had the opportunities to do both.” Mapp has been with the Charleston County police department for the last 10 years. He took some time away from coaching to start a family. “I felt like First Baptist was the perfect fit for me and my family,” Mapp says. “It’s a great opportunity at a great place. The kids here work hard and there is a lot of support from the administration. I’m excited to be the head football coach at First Baptist.” Mapp has hired coordinators on both sides of the ball. Will McCombs , once the head coach of the program, will call the offensive plays. Chris Hart comes over from James Island as the defensive coordinator. “Our numbers are improving and the kids are working hard,” Mapp said. “I feel like we can be a competitive team. It’s year one of the building process.” Godbolt has been a coach and athletic director in the Charleston area for nearly two decades. As the boys basketball coach at Charleston Collegiate, Godbolt coached three state championship teams. He also has been a coach and athletic director at Lowcountry Leadership Academy. Godbolt has more than 450 career victories as a head basketball coach. Current First Baptist basketball coach Antoine Saunders was Godbolt’s assistant at Charleston Collegiate.

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Shaun Welch and his staff have St. John’s Christian on the right path

By Neill Kirkpatrick • July 30, 2025
By Neill Kirkpatrick Special to the HSSR  Moncks Corner – Head coach Shaun Welch begins his second season as the head of the St. John’s Christian football program after a solid first season where the Cavaliers ended the season in the first round of the SCISA Class AA playoffs. Before taking over the head job the Newberry College graduate had been an assistant coach for three years at SJCA. He began putting his stamp on the program last season and looks for year two to see more progress from his team. “Last year was my first year as head coach and I was proud of the way the team responded and played throughout the year. We went 4-6 in regular season and 3-2 in region. Our region losses came from Pee Dee Academy, which on the state championship and Bethesda Academy, which was the state runner up. We also took our first lost a season from Pinewood Prep the 3a state champion,” said coach. Coach continued, “My first goal when I first took over the program was to make sure that our team was disciplined, learn life lessons, give all our glory to the Lord, and get better every day, not just us football players, but as young men.” On the field coach Welch and his staff put in a spread offense that relay’s heavily on RPO’s but stressing the run game. Defensively, the one thing the Cav’s struggle with his size along the defensive front so they play with three down linemen with the rest of the defensive made up of athletic players that can get the football. Returning to coach Welch’s staff are Matthew Myers and Stephen Billiot . Myers handles the offensive and defensive lines and brings a wealth of experience to Cavaliers. Billiot is in his third year at SJCA and is the team’s defensive coordinator and running back’s coach. Ryan Jackson and Christopher Oliver will be in there first year at SJCA. Jackson will coach the wide receivers and the defensive backs while Oliver will handle the quarterbacks as well as help with the receivers and the defensive backs. “We stress to our kids discipline conditioning and getting better every day. Each week we must get better as we make it to our region into our playoff run, of course the first few games matter, but we want to progress every week. We have a veteran group returning so we are expecting a good season but we have a lot of work to do before the season starts,” coach Welch said. .
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