3A and below Volleyball Coach of the Year: Melissa Sweeney of St. Mary's

In 13 years at St. Mary’s, Melissa Sweeney certainly has seen her share of talented players, great teams and could write personal stories that could become a large novel.

The 2012 season will stand alone, and not only because her Pirates won 26 of 28 games and reached the 3A state tournament for the 11^th time.

“We talked about this season being a journey,” Sweeney said. “I’ve been coaching for 18 years, and this was a journey that made an imprint on my heart.”

Through injuries to key players, going through regionals with five players battling the flu and grieving through personal loss in the days leading up to the state tournament, her team soldiered on to do great things.

“We went through a lot, and it has been a journey,” Sweeney said. “There will always be a special tie with this whole program, one that’ll continue through time. Even when they’re in college and when they’re moms, they’ll remember the journey we went through.”