FAIRLEA- After 20-plus years and 600 wins on the East volleyball sideline, (former) Greenbrier East volleyball head coach Matt Sauvage decided it was time to hang his gear in his closet and resign from his position of leading the Lady Spartans on the court.
Recently, the Greenbrier East volleyball program found the perfect replacement for Sauvage in new head coach, Dawn McClure.
McClure, who played volleyball at Greenbrier East under coach Nancy Miller and in college at Salem-Teikyo (now Salem University), spent the last few seasons coaching the EGMS Knights and feels the step up will definitely provide some challenges, but the familiarity with the sport and the roster may make for a rather seamless transition to the high school level.
“I think as far as coaching style the transition will be smooth. However, there will definitely be more responsibility and challenges. To compete at this level, we will need a more complex offensive and defensive scheme, and the athletes will need to be stronger for example,” McClure said.
McClure is bringing assistant coach Kerri Arbuckle with her to East and the two are familiar with one another. At this time, Arbuckle is the only assistant on the staff and coached at the Middle School with McClure.
The Spartans made it to regional play last season before falling just shy of the state tournament and brings some solid players back to their 2025-26 roster. For McClure, the plan is simple in her inaugural season.
“Build on the team’s strengths and minimizing the weaknesses in hopes of peaking during tournament play,” she said.
“Build a good team culture and make each player feel important and appreciated, be competitive and continual improvement game to game,” she added.
One of those returning players is her daughter McKenna, a highly successful athlete who suffered an injury last basketball season but should be ready to perform on the volleyball court for her mom at 100 percent.
“I am very excited and happy that I will get to be coached by my mom one last time,” Mackenna said.
“I’m looking forward to my last high school season and couldn’t imagine it any other way,” she exclaimed.
The new coach knows the expectations that come with the program Sauvage built over the years, but with confidence and humility, McClure is excited to continue the program’s success and instill her own values and coaching methods.
I would not look to compete with Matt’s success but rather look to build on the foundation in place,” she concluded.
