By Rubin E. Grant
Justin Kisor wasn’t just dealing with heat this summer but also a whirlwind.
That’s how he described what his life has been like since early April, when he was named Spain Park’s new volleyball coach.
Kisor spent almost four months traveling back and forth between Hoover and Fort Payne, where he had been head volleyball coach the past four years, until his wife, Ashley, and their 1-year daughter, Millie, found a home in the Birmingham area the next-to-last week of July.
“It was a lot of driving,” Kisor said.
But trips were well worth it, considering Kisor and his wife are taking over a program they admired. Ashley Kisor will be an assistant coach, a role she also had at Fort Payne.
“As a coach it’s certainly one of those schools that catch your eye,” Justin Kisor said. “It’s one of those schools that if they call, you have to listen.
“It was a very tough decision to leave Fort Payne. I loved the area, the players and the people, but it felt like (this was) the right move for us. We’re at peace about coming here.”
Kisor replaces Kellye Bowen, who left Spain Park following the 2023 season to take over as head coach at Jasper High School in her hometown. In 10 seasons with the Jags, Bowen led Spain Park to its first volleyball state championship in 2021 after finishing as the runner-up in 2020.
“Kellye and I are very close,” Kisor said. “We talk all the time. It’s going to be tough to follow her because she made it into the one of the premier programs in the state.”
In his four seasons at Fort Payne, Kisor turned the Wildcats into contenders. He inherited a team in 2020 that had a 9-21 record the previous year and led them to consecutive 30-win seasons in 2022 and 2023. Fort Payne reached the Class 6A Elite Eight state tournament in 2023 and finished with a 38-17 record.
In Spain Park, Kisor takes over a team that finished 21-21 in 2023 but reached the Class 7A state tournament.
The Jaguars return several talented players, including seniors Reagan Gilbert, an outside hitter; Alexa Benda, a 6-foot-1 middle hitter; and Grayson Hyde, an outside/middle hitter.
Gilbert recorded 316 kills, 264 digs and 92 aces last year and was one of three Spain Park players to make the All-OTM team. The others were outside hitter Megan Ingersoll and setter Cailyn Kyes, who are juniors this year.
Ingeroll had 536 kills to lead Class 7A for the 2023 season and 286 digs. Kyes had 865 assists, 153 digs and 52 aces.
The Jags also have two key juniors returning in middle hitter Ja’Niyan Mosley and right side/setter Bea Wiggins. Camdyn Kyes, an eighth grade defensive specialist, also figures prominently in the rotation.
“I love the girls we have here,” Kisor said. “The players who played last year have had a pretty good summer. The main thing is building relationships and them learning our way of thinking.
“I am not trying to redo what Kellye was doing, but I want to take what she was doing and keep it going.”
Spain Park opens the season on Aug. 22 against McGill-Toolen. The Jags have dropped down to Class 6A this year and will compete in Area 8 along with Chelsea, Helena and Pelham.
“Class 6A is a different challenge ‘cause it’s so deep with a lot of good schools,” Kisor said. “Our main goal is to get better every day and be playing our best in late September and October.”
