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"Jena is now our lead senior counselor and is very focused on doing that," Enyart said. "She didn't want to cheat on her duties as a counselor with her duties as the volleyball coach, so decided it was best to give up volleyball."
The pool of applicants to replace Carroll as head volleyball coach was minimal.
"Our best applicant was Katie Schupp, who's a young coach. We're very thankful to have her as our junior varsity coach," Enyart said. "I'm going to rely a lot on Katie this season. She's a big asset to the program. We want her to have as much strength in the coaching profession as possible."
Enyart, who has 28 years of volleyball coaching experience under her belt, decided to throw her own name in the ring.
"This is a transition time. It's going to be one or maybe two years for me coaching volleyball," Enyart said. "The program has come so far, I just want to make sure it continues to move in the right direction."
Enyart's previous high school volleyball coaching experience has included stints at St. Mary's, Kan., Kickapoo, Cabool and Southwest.
"I've definitely put in my time," Enyart said. "The game has changed quite a bit over the years. I'm excited to get back into it."
So, how will Enyart find the time to be both the high school principal and the head volleyball coach?
"I've done it before. I'll find the time. I've found that the busier you are, the more organized you are," she said. "I don't have a family. These kids are my family. I'll be able to do it."
Enyart said she expects a lot from the players on her team.
"I'm a hard-nosed coach. My advice to the players would be not to screw up my drills," she said. "I want our players to get after it and be aggressive."
Enyart has preached mental toughness to her team.
"Our kids have got to get stronger, not only physically, but also mentally. We've had good seasons in the past, but we haven't been able to overcome the really great teams like Hermann," Enyart said. "Mental toughness plays a big role in overcoming those kinds of things. Maybe I can share a few things with our girls to help in that area. We'll be a tougher team mentally. I can guarantee that."
St. Clair returns a number of varsity returners from last year's team that went 25-9-2 overall and 6-1 in the Four Rivers Conference.
Some of the top varsity returners include hitters Courtney Pursley, Bry Pierce and Lindsay Hinson and setter Drew Kamper.
"The biggest thing for us is to develop our volleyball skill. I like the athletes we have," Enyart said. "It will be a team-first mentality for us. Your team better come first. That's the attitude you have to take."
Enyart was pleased with the opening week of practice.
"We'll keep anywhere from 24 to 26 for the three teams," Enyart said. "It's been good so far. The girls are enthusiastic. They want to learn."
St. Clair opens its volleyball season Sept. 3 at Potosi. The home opener is Sept. 8 against Waynesville.
