The Lineup: With Volleyball Coach Jason Skoch

The Lineup: With Volleyball Coach Jason Skoch

David Ezell, Sports Editor

Jason Skoch is entering his eighth season as head coach of the WT Lady Buffs volleyball team and thirteenth season overall. Before becoming a coach, he did leukemia research at St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital. He earned his bachelor’s degree in statistics from Oklahoma State University and his master’s in statistics from Penn State University.

Growing up in Yukon, Oklahoma, Skoch fell into the game of volleyball by chance.

“Things just lined up; there were some ex low-level semi-pro players that I trained with, and then, at Penn State, I really fell in love with volleyball,” Skoch said.

He began his coaching career in 2003 at University of Central Oklahoma as an assistant coach.

“Things just really lined up for me,” Skoch said. “That’s I why really believe in following your passions, because once I have, things have just fallen into place.”

Skoch became a head coach in 2005 at Truman State University before heading to WT in 2009. His teams have all been perennial contenders. Last season was an anomaly for the Buffs, as a lot of things happened that was out of their control. The Lady Buffs finished with a losing record for the first time under Skoch, going 16-17 and 5-11 in Lone Star Conference play.

“Sometimes, it takes a lot of chance and luck to win it all,” Skoch said. “Our top three recruits got hurt last year before they stepped on campus. We lost our edge and our fight as a team.”

Skoch said he decided to change things up a little bit before this season, getting back to the fundamentals and doing stuff the right way, so that the team could back on the right track.

“It sounds cheesy, but if you look at it like a family, with sacrifice and personal accountability,” said Skoch, “let’s make this special. If we don’t win at the end, at least we did it right, and we’re not going to have regrets.”

Coach Skoch has left his mark on the program as well as on its players during his tenure at WT. He has worked to teach his team lessons that they can utilize on the court as well as values that will help them throughout their lives.

“I’ve played volleyball all of my life,” said Lauren Britten, a senior business and management major and libero for the team. “I figured out more in my first week here with mechanics and how to do things then I ever did before.”

Others felt he provided a unique learning experience.

“Playing for Coach Skoch is interesting, in a good way,” said Kyli Schulz, a senior communications disorder major and a setter on the team. “You get pushed in ways that you never knew you could be pushed and become a better player for it.”

Some felt that he gave them strengths that they will be able to take with them once their playing careers are over.

“He has taught us not to get pushed around,” said Cori Haley, an outside hitter on the team as well as a graduate student going for her master’s in business and marketing. “I’m a stronger person because of Coach Skoch, even outside of athletics I’m going to stronger person because he has taught us to stand up for ourselves.”

Sometimes his methods are tough, but he does it to make them better players and people.

“Coach Skoch provides us with tough love,” said Libby Strickland, a senior health science major and an outside hitter on the team. “When I say tough love, I mean the realest tough love. Sometimes it doesn’t feel like love at all, but then you look back at your own improvements, not only your improvements on the court, but your mental toughness, you realize that he’s doing it all for the betterment of you.”

Britten, Schulz, and Haley have all played for Skoch since they were freshmen, which gives them unique insight into what type of coach that he is.

“I can see where he comes from now,” said Britten. “He sees way more than we do; we always joke that his mind runs way too fast.”

“He doesn’t do things just because he thinks it’s fun,” Haley said. “He has a purpose behind what he does. Now that I’m older, I see that he has high expectations for all of us, and he wants to push us to our limits to get us there.”

“I actually like him now as a senior,” said Schulz. “As a freshman, I didn’t understand the toughness aspect and now I have an appreciation for it.”

The players had some parting advice for future members of the Lady Buff volleyball team who will play for Coach Skoch.

“Get as much information as you can so you know what to expect,” Strickland said. “Prepare yourself in every way that you can, but it’s still going to be a lot to deal with. Stick through it and it will be worth it.”

They say that his style will win the future players over.

“Even though he’s crazy, he is amazing and we love him,” said Schulz. “He’s the best and it will be the best years of your life.”

The players also believe that future players should fight through the tough times so they can enjoy the good times.

“Take the positives out of everything that happens,” said Haley. “When they come to WT, they need to stay positive and stick through it because it will be worth it in the end.”

Mainly, they think that future players should know he wants what is best to improve themselves, on and off of the court.

“It’s worth it in the end, you’re going to go through a lot of bad days but it’s also going to be your best days,” said Britten. “Understand that he wants what is best for you, on and off the court. Everything he does, there is a reason behind it.”