The start of the Edison volleyball season has brought old and new faces into the midst. Following Mrs. Denise Morrow’s retirement, Mr. Jason Wernlund and Mrs. Kari Spiess assumed new roles in the girls volleyball department as head coach and junior varsity coach. In addition, the two returning coaches were joined by a new coach and teacher to the school, Ms. Tatiana Yourstone. 

Despite his new role as head coach, Wernlund is not new to the Edison High volleyball environment. For the past three years, he has coached both the girls and boys volleyball teams. Wernlund is also the head of the volleyball department. 

Wernlund credits his love for coaching to his athletes. The combination of assisting his athletes and watching them readjust on his own fulfills him. Ultimately, he enjoys spreading his love for the sport to new players and invigorating returning players who share that same passion. 

Wernlund, a member of the physical education and health department at Edison High, spends the school day teaching First Aid and Drivers Education. After the bell rings, however, he is in the big gym preparing for matches. 

“What I enjoy most about being a volleyball coach is that I get to continue to spread a love for the game that has been so rewarding in my own life,” Wernlund said. “My athletes allow me to enjoy being a volleyball coach since they are all coachable players that want to continue to grow and level up in the sport of volleyball.” 

Additionally, Yourstone, previously a softball player, made her volleyball debut this season as coach for the freshman girls volleyball team. 

Members of the EHS volleyball team have emphasized her excellent coaching skills and open-minded attitude in spite of her lack of experience with the sport. Jia Patel ‘26, who plays libero, said, “Something that I find very noticeable about our new coach is her adaptive mindset. Even though our coach has never played volleyball before, she puts her whole commitment and effort into giving the freshmen team the best style of coaching.” 

Additionally, Patel said that she likes Yourstone’s coaching. “She sets boundaries while also giving us a fun way to practice. She gives us the best effort and opportunity to win games and teach us life lessons along the way.”

Yourstone attributes her passion to be a coach to the atmosphere created by the players. She feels rewarded by watching her athletes overcome adversities and celebrate achievements. 

“In my first year coaching volleyball, I’ve really enjoyed the atmosphere. Having the girls get pumped up for each other has been an awesome sight to see. It’s also great to see how each player improves every day and gets more confident as the season goes on,” said Yourstone.

Yourstone’s style of coaching focuses heavily on athletes learning to find a balance between fun and hard work. 

“I find having a good balance between having fun and knowing when it’s time to be serious is an effective method of coaching,” said Yourstone. 

As a previous high school athlete, Yourstone understands the importance of creating lasting memories and impacts when athletes are on the court. She credits her desire to coach to her love of everything sporty. During the time she spends with her players, she hopes to impact the way that athletes see themselves on and off the court.  

“Being able to share my passion for sports is what inspired me to coach; having my coaches impact me growing up made me want to impact players the same way,” she explained. “Seeing a player get hyped up when they do something good or watching them work hard to get better is a very rewarding part of the job.”