TJC VOLLEYBALL: New Tyler Junior College volleyball coach Ronda Shirley (right) has four sophomores on the team - (from left) Paty Diaz, Darya Dziatchuk, Chelsie Shackelford and Kylie Court.

By JOE BUIE
Staff Writer, Tyler Morning Telegraph

A new era in Tyler Junior College volleyball begins today with a nod to the past, when the Apache Ladies play host to the Coach Dana Hatch Invitational.

Hatch coached the TJC volleyball program for the first 14 years of the program before retiring last spring.

The new coach is Ronda Shirley, who guided Hutchinson (Kan.) Community College to five national tournament appearances in 12 seasons.

TJC opens against Southwestern Christian College at 3 p.m. and also plays Wharton County at 7 p.m. The tournament will be played at the Ornelas HPE Center since Wagstaff Gymnasium is being renovated.

The Apache Ladies will face Richland College at 11 a.m. Saturday and then Redlands (Okla.) at 5 p.m.

TJC has three returning lettermen -- outside hitter Kylie Court (Houston), setter Darya Dziatchuk (Belarus) and middle hitter Chelsie Shackelford (Paris) -- off last year's team that went 19-15.

Shirley brought one player off last year's Hutchinson squad -- outside hitter Paty Diaz (The Colony), and two freshmen who originally signed with the Kansas school -- middle blocker Haydn Beatty (Oklahoma City) and setter Bridget Hanafin (Missouri).

Local players on the team are outside hitter Taylor Fisher (Flint), outside hitter Elisia Coleman (Bullard) and outside hitter/libero Sadie Hilburn (Whitehouse).

Rounding out the roster are freshman middle blocker Alysha Rogers (Franklin), freshman middle blocker Taylor Stovall (Cleveland) and freshman outside hitter Shataylor Moore (Paris).

Shirley said TJC was one of only two community colleges that could have lured her away from Hutchinson, where she compiled a record of 346-158.

"We would come down to tournaments here when Dana was here, and I just always loved the atmosphere," said Shirley, whose assistant coach is Aundrea Parker. "I liked the community of Tyler. I liked the size of the college and campus. To me it didn't even feel like a community college. It had that bigger feel."

Shirley and husband Jeff have six children -- Marcus, 11; Aliyah, 8; Isaiah, 6; Olivia, 4; Josiah, 2; and Makiah, 8 months.

Aug. 27-28 ^Dana Hatch Invitational TBA

Sept. 3-4 at Redlands Tournament TBA

Sept. 6 Northern Oklahoma 6 p.m.

Sept. 10-11 North Central Tournament TBA

Sept. 14 at Temple Coll. Tri-Match TBA

Sept. 17-18 North Central Tournament TBA

Sept. 22 North Central Texas 6 p.m.

Sept. 24-25 at Panola Tournament TBA

Sept. 27 *Paris 6 p.m.

Oct. 2 #vs. Wharton County TBA

Oct. 4 *at Blinn, 6 p.m.

Oct. 6 *Lon Morris 6 p.m.

Oct. 7 Lee College 6 p.m.

Oct. 8 *at Trinity Valley 6 p.m.

Oct. 11 *Panola 6 p.m.

Oct. 13 *at Navarro 6 p.m.

Oct. 15 *at Paris 6 p.m.

Oct. 20 Blinn 6 p.m.

Oct. 22 *at Lon Morris 5 p.m.

Oct. 25 *Trinity Valley 6 p.m.

Oct. 27 *at Panola 6 p.m.

Oct. 29 *Navarro 6 p.m.

^at TJC (Ornelas HPE Center)

#at Frank Phillips College, Borger

*conference

Link to Original Article:  http://tylerpaper.com/article/20100827/SPORTS06/8270332