Eagan volleyball coach McKenna Melville returns home, replaces her mother as coach

A rainy morning did nothing to dampen the spirits nor douse the excitement of 85-plus girls gathered for the first official day of volleyball practice at Eagan on Monday.

That turnout was no surprise for Eagan, long positioned among the elite high school volleyball programs in Minnesota. The Wildcats' pedigree is golden, with seven state titles amid a dozen appearances in the championship game since 1997.

The energy Monday morning was borne of something new. For the first time in more than three decades, there was a new name leading the team. McKenna Melville, 23, and only five years (and an All-America college career at Central Florida) removed from her high school days at Eagan, is in charge now, bringing youthful energy and buoyant confidence to the position.

The previous coach, Hall of Famer Kathy Gillen, was on hand, too, having moved into the role of Melville's top assistant. That not only makes the transition smoother, it makes perfect sense. Gillen is Melville's mother.

After so many years at the helm, Gillen said it was refreshing to relinquish the reins. She was the only coach the program had until this year. Now, she said, her role has taken on that of trusted advisor, consigliere to the newly installed boss.

"We've talked a lot," Gillen said with a bemused grin. "McKenna doesn't live with us, but she'll be over and my husband will walk in the room. He'll say 'Let me guess: You're talking volleyball right now. Surprise, surprise.'"

Gillen may advise, but she's well aware of her current role. This is her daughter's team.

"She's been doing all of the communication, all of the planning," Gillen said. "We needed a change and she's already brought in a lot of new things. She'll ask me something and I'll say 'In the past we've done it this way, but change is good, too.' "

The players seem plugged into Melville's energy. They easily identify with her. After all, it wasn't that long ago she was one of them.

"I thank God I get to be coached by her," said setter Ava Bertsch the lone returning senior from a year ago. "… She's a great coach and a great person."

Melville's energy was obvious throughout Day One, a running stream of support and encouragement coming out of her mouth, a part of the fresh approach she takes to leadership.

"I still feel like that girl that was playing here," Melville admitted, adding that she hopes her approach will help her connect with the team. "I feel like I have that good connection with the girls because I am so fresh out of college and fresh out of that [volleyball] world. So hopefully that relates to them a little bit so we can work well together."

The vibrancy she brings to the job is vital to her coaching style, said Melville, who turned down numerous opportunities to play professionally overseas to return to Eagan, where she will also teach math.

"What was really prominent in our gym throughout the summer and through workouts is how hard our girls are trying," she said. "Their level of competitiveness has been really, really cool and really hopeful. I fully expect we can bring a lot of pressure into other people's gyms."