Steamboat Springs volleyball coach Wendy Hall wins 500th career match
STEAMBOAT SPRINGS — Wendy Hall joined elite company on Thursday night as she won her 500th career match.
Hall, now in her 27th season as the head coach of the Steamboat Springs volleyball program, earned the milestone when her team swept Summit. She is just the fifth volleyball coach in state history to ever win 500 matches, according to the volleyball records, and is just the fourth to win 500 at one school.
“I don’t really think coaches should take much credit for wins,” Hall said after the match. “I always say: ‘Players win, coaches lose.’ Maybe I get a little credit for when I call a timeout and they missed a serve, but other than that, the kids are the ones that deserve that. Anybody that’s ever played in this program, they’re all a part of that.”
Hall, a Steamboat Springs alum, started became head coach in 1989. She was an assistant prior to that, and is now in her 33rd year as the head coach.
“This place means the world to me,” Hall said. “This program means the world to me.”
Hall’s 27 years as a head coach are the third-most at one school, and are tied for the fourth-most overall.
“It’s been my passion for 30-plus years, and I still love it,” Hall said of coaching. “It’s just an incredible way to make a difference with kids.”
During her career, Hall’s teams have won 10 league titles, and qualified for the state tournament nine times. She has been named coach of the year 11 times.
And yet, even after achieving such a monumental milestone, Hall’s first thoughts were with her players.
“I’m just really proud of the way the kids played tonight,” Hall said right after the match. “We’ve been struggling. It’s so nice to see them learn to fight, and be able to close the deal. To come from behind in that third. It’s just a big step for these girls. I’m much more emotional about that.”
