Rob Graham is Grandview’s next volleyball coach. (Matt Daniels/MattDanPhoto.com)
Grandview has hired Ponderosa coach Rob Graham to lead its volleyball team.
Wolves athletic director Jamee Ulitzky announced the move on Friday afternoon. Graham has been Ponderosa’s volleyball coach for 16 seasons, and built a powerful program at the Class 4A level. The Mustangs were runner-up two seasons ago, and have won at least 20 matches four times in the past seven seasons.
Ponderosa went 20-8 last season, and lost in the 4A semifinals.
He’ll take over another power program in Grandview, which won back-to-back titles in 2014 and 2015. Longtime Wolves coach Patty Childress, one of the state’s best volleyball coaches, retired after the season. Childress was 493-169 in her career.
“Coach Graham brings with him an extensive background in coaching,” Ulitzky said in announcing the hire. “We look forward to the future of the Grandview Volleyball program under his leadership.”
The Wolves lost six seniors after the 2015 season, but return an experienced roster that includes Libero and captain Raychel Reed.
The Wolves got through regionals in their hunt for a three-peat and were one of three teams locked in a crazy 5A tie-breaker to get out of pool play in the state tournament.
It would be Denver East who came out of the tie-breaker and Cherokee Trail was the team who eventually walked away with the 5A title.