Ashley Hall Tabs Charlotte Strickland As Athlete Of The Year
Ashley Hall has won a dozen state titles over the years, due in part to having talented, dedicated athletes to shoulder the load.
By David Shelton
Senior Writer
Charleston – Ashley Hall athletic director Christian Alcantara reports very little change within the 2026-27 varsity coaching roster.
Franny Slay, with 12 state titles and more than 800 career wins, will return as the volleyball coach. Madeline Gill Baldridge will head up the sailing program and Cyndi Simpson is the equestrian coach.
Cassidy Rindge is the swim coach and Grant Vatter is the golf coach. Jeff Word coaches cross country and track, and Charlotte Hartsock is the tennis coach. Madi Foti is the lacrosse coach while Marc Simpson coaches the soccer team.
Bryan Bednar returns as the basketball coach, while Kathleen Klinzing and Ellen Rieber head the archery program.
“When evaluating a coach, the first things you should notice are the intangibles,” Alcantara says. “Positive energy, high standards, and a genuine passion for both the sport and their role. Strong communication skills are equally important because a coach’s primary responsibility is to effectively teach, guide and communicate with our student/athletes.
“Finally, its essential that a coach has a deep understanding of the female athlete, whether through personal experience as an athlete or through extensive experience coaching and mentoring women. I am proud to say that these core qualities have served us well in identifying and bringing outstanding coaches into our program.”
2025-26 sports awards
The Ashley Hall volleyball program is one of the state’s best, led by coach Franny Slay.
Ashley Hall has won a dozen state titles over the years, due in part to having talented, dedicated athletes to shoulder the load.
One of the best to ever wear a Ashley Hall jersey was setter Charlotte Strickland. As a five-year starter, Strickland never had less than 500 assists in a season. As a sophomore and junior, the Tulane University signee had 1,415 assists. For her career, she has 3,137 assists in 450 sets played. She also had 283 kills, 993 digs and 276 service aces.
For her efforts, the school recently honored Strickland as the 2025026 Athlete of the Year. She also was named the most valuable player of the volleyball team.
In addition to Strickland, the school also honored several other athletes with various accolades. Ella McCall received the Slay award and Gemma Williams received the Comeback award.
Gretchen Dawson was the Breakthrough athlete of the year and Natalie Bennett received the award for best individual performance. Girls tennis coach Charlottle Hartsock was named the Coach of the Year and Penny Rose was named Teammate of the Year. Harper Riley was the junior varsity athlete of the year.
In each sport, a Most Valuable Player was recognized. Reves Sidebottom earned the award in swimming and Tate Erwin was the MVP of the golf team.
Lily Sloan was MVP in girls tennis and Bennett was the cross country MVP. Pippa Taylor was the MVP in sailing and Gretchen Dawson was MVP in equestrian. Penny Rose was the MVP in archery and Molly Mettler was the MVP in basketball.
Kate Murphy earned the award in lacrosse and Catherine Clark was the MVP in soccer. Madison Middleton was the MVP in track and field.
