Minerva did not have to look far in its search for a new head volleyball coach.

Selected to take over the reins of this very successful program is Minerva resident Troy Haught.

Haught graduated from Minerva in 2004 and is currently attending Kent State, where he is majoring in communications. He also keeps busy by coaching two travel volleyball teams.

The past two seasons, Haught has served as the volleyball head coach at Glen-Oak High School, where he compiled a record of 23-20.

He started his volleyball career in 2003, playing for the North Coast boys' travel team. In 2004, he was the freshman volleyball coach at Beaumont High School. In 2005, he served as the junior-varsity softball coach at Beaumont and as a junior varsity/varsity assistant coach at Canton McKinley.

During the past five years, Haught has coached nine Junior Olympic travel volleyball teams.

"My interest in volleyball started when my dad was the head volleyball coach at Minerva," commented Coach Haught. "As I grew up, it became a big interest for me. My junior year, I joined a men's national travel team out of Akron and traveled around the country with them. It was a great experience. When I have the time, I still travel around and play.

"This is a great opportunity for me to take over my alma mater. The program is definitely going in the right direction. There is a lot of potential here.

"My father will join me on my staff and that's an opportunity I couldn't pass up. I look forward to this challenge. I feel we are going to have a great season."

Coach Haught has already met with his players. He has scheduled a couple of open gyms in May and will do a little work in June, before hitting it hard in July with a team camp in Tiffin, along with a couple of varsity invitationals and plenty of open gyms.