Alum Hope Vinson takes over Henry-Senachwine girls volleyball program

Hope Vinson has been involved in some of the Henry-Senachwine girls volleyball team’s most successful seasons, both as a player and as an assistant coach.

Vinson played on the Mallards’ 18-15 regional championship team in 2010 and was an assistant coach last season when Henry won a school-record 30 matches, won a regional – its first since 2010 – and played in a sectional final.

Now Vinson will have a chance to be part of more of Henry’s success after she was hired as the program’s head coach, taking over for longtime coach Rita Self.

Vinson, who is a talent acquisition partner at Caterpillar, has helped coach junior high volleyball and has coached junior high and high school cheerleading.

“I’m excited,” Vinson said. “Volleyball was definitely something that was my biggest passion growing up. It’s something I’ve always been passionate about, and it’s never gone away, so when that opportunity presented itself to assist Rita last year, I jumped at the chance. Rita is the Henry volleyball program. She’s leaving some big shoes to fill, but I’m excited and anxious to get to work.”

Self, who also is Henry’s athletic director, coached the Mallards from 2003-11 and 2017-24 and won more than 200 matches.

“Coach Vinson is a Henry-Senachwine alumnae and brings a unique blend of experience, passion and pride to the role,” Self said. “As a former player on the last H-S team to win a regional title, she understands firsthand what it means to compete at a high level and represent our school with excellence. Coach Vinson was part of our volleyball program this past year, serving as junior varsity coach. She demonstrated a deep understanding of the game, strong leadership skills and a commitment to developing student-athletes both on and off the court.”

Vinson said she doesn’t anticipate making major chances to the program but will “put just a little bit of my personal spin on things.”

“I really do hope to build on that momentum that the girls have,” Vinson said. “They’re coming off a historic season. It’s been huge for Henry. The excitement is there. The interest is there. I want to keep developing that.

“We’re in a really fortunate position to have so many juniors coming back. Obviously, the seniors will be a big loss, but the juniors have put in the work and they’re excited to come back and push themselves even further.”

Self said Vinson’s familiarity with the program and players will be beneficial.

“The decision was made after careful consideration of what our volleyball program needs moving forward: consistency, vision and someone who knows our athletes and school culture,” Self said. “Coach Vinson has already built strong relationships with our players and has shown the ability to teach fundamentals while also fostering teamwork, resilience and sportsmanship.

“Her energy, passion for the sport and strategic mindset made her the clear choice to guide our varsity team into the next chapter. I am confident she will continue to grow the program and build a competitive, character-driven team that represents Henry-Senachwine High School with pride.”