At week six of nine in the season, Hillcrest High volleyball is even in the standings, 10 wins and 10 losses. They’re also at a similar level 4-4 in 4A region 10 play, with three teams ahead of the Huskies and three behind.

It’s a steady start for new head coach and former Hillcrest player, Cassidy Adams.

“From the start of the season to now the team has really improved and are becoming mentally tough,” she said. “The resilience has just grown so much in the past couple weeks and the team is getting better, working hard and working together.”

The Hillcrest alumna, who graduated in 2021, played volleyball for the Huskies for four years serving as captain her senior year. She was named first team all-region, academic all-state and was the school’s scholar-athlete of the year. 

She replaces three-year head coach Melissa Guymon, who was over the program when Adams was on the team.

Currently on an academic scholarship at the University of Utah, Adams continues to play volleyball recreationally and coaches a Draper club team of 14 year olds who competed at nationals last year in addition to overseeing the Huskies program.

Joining her on staff is her club assistant coach and mother, Hilary Adams, a 1998 Hillcrest alumna who played volleyball, basketball and softball and coaches the freshmen/sophomore team; and JV coach and varsity assistant Leandra Ashworth, who played high school volleyball in Las Vegas and has studied human movement science at Utah State University. 

Adams wants to build the program to make it an upbeat and encouraging environment.

“Our varsity captains (juniors Meia Larsen and Dayana Mulamba) are really doing a great job, being positive and being inclusive on top of being amazing players,” she said.

In mid-September, Hillcrest has two players ranking in the top 20 in the state, with Larsen ranked 14th in assists, and junior Ana Moleni, 16th in kills.

Adams also wants to extend opportunities to the middle school programs that feed into the high school.

“We include all the age groups and make it fun for everyone. We include everyone in all the fun stuff that we do. Next week, we’re going to the University of Utah volleyball game, and we’re taking all the high school players, all the junior high players and all the coaches and we’re having a big team night together,” she said.

Those younger students, primarily from Union and Midvale middle schools, are helping to boost the program at Hillcrest.

“I have a lot of sophomores who started in the junior high league two years ago and a lot of them are playing JV and varsity this year because they’re coming in much better because of playing earlier,” Adams said. 

The varsity team, with only three seniors, faces three region opponents in late September before four early October games to end the regular season. First-round state playoffs for the top 24 teams begin on home team sites Oct. 21.

“We want to play our best, be the most hyped, the most supportive, and have the most fun on the court,” Adams said. “We’ve got to keep that momentum up.” λ