Adena Volleyball Hands Coach Laura Smith Her 800th Career Win

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Adena’s (3-3) volleyball team is off to an unusually slow start for 2023, but they bounced back with a (2-1) day Saturday for third place in the Lehman Catholic Invitational, while also handing Coach Laura Smith her 800th career victory.

Smith credited the players for the milestone. “I’m thankful to have had so many great athletes to be part of this program, as they are the ones who work to get the wins.” Many of her players have attained high accolades, with 34 of her players being named All Ohio and many more receiving All Conference and All District status. “Everyone who has played or coached in our system share this honor, as it all comes down to being about the team.”

This is Smith’s 39th year coaching, all of them at Adena, which is an OHSAA (W-L) record at one school. She becomes the second volleyball coach in OHSAA history to crack the 800 win barrier, with all-time leader Dan McKinstry of East Liverpool currently sitting at 814 wins, as of 9/2/23. McKinstry is in his 45th season as a volleyball coach, with other coaching stints at East Palestine and Wellsville.

Adena’s third place finish at Lehman’s Invite, saw them open with a (25-7, 25-10) win over Lima Central Catholic, then fell in the semifinal to Fairlawn (25-22, 18-25, 25-18). The 800th win for Coach Smith came in their finale victory over Lehman (25-18, 23-25, 25-11).

Showing the decades volleyball tradition continues at Adena, four players on Laura Smith’s 2023 team, have mothers that also played on championship teams for her. They are Eva Kruger (Layne “Rowland” Kruger), Brinlee Preston (Megan Bethel), Grace Townsend (Sarah “Wayland” Wood), and Katie Burns (Cindy “Barnhart” Burns).

Smith coached Adena volleyball squads have won 26 SVC championships, 35 sectional crowns (34 straight), 30 district titles, and 7 Final Four appearances- which include two state runner-up teams.