Hornung coaches for the love of the game
For new Siuslaw Vikings volleyball coach Jon Hornung, love is all around him.
He loves Florence, he loves Siuslaw High School, he loves his job and he loves coaching.
Most of all, he loves his wife, Brittany, whom he married July 16 in Eugene.
And she loves him. She must. He took her to Iceland for their honeymoon.
"We talk a lot about the issues that surround the Siuslaw community, but we often forget about how great things really are," Hornung said Friday, as he wrapped up his first week of practice.
"We have kids who are so cool. I love being in classes with the kids. They're fun. They're nice. They're respectful."
He also enjoys sharing his love for volleyball, which he played at a high level in high school, at the Junior Olympics level and at the intramural level in college at Minnesota-Duluth.
That's where he continued his love for education and for science. He did graduate work at Oregon State, where he was on track for a doctorate in oceanology before catching the teaching bug as a volunteer.
Hornung settled for a masters in oceanology, added a masters in education and then joined the Siuslaw High School staff in 2012, where he was immediately recruited as a line judge at volleyball matches.
"Bob Severy and I did every home game for four years," he said. "We were the dynamic duo."
ROSTER
- No. — Player, position, year, height
- None — Jordan Long, OH, 10, 5-6
- None — Brittany Long, S/RS, 12, 5-8
- 1 — Sami Scheer, S/DS, 10, 5-1
- 3 — Maci Wells, L, 11, 5-1
- 4 — McKenzie Colton, OH, 10, 5-4
- 5 — Mia Collins, OH, 9, 5-11
- 6 — Abby Watkins, S/DS, 12, 5-3
- 7 — Emma Collins, OP/S, 11, 6-0
- 9 — Elyssa Rose, MB, 12, 6-1 (co-captain)
- 10 — Claire Waggoner, OH, 12, 5-7 (co-captain)
- 12 — Alyssa Richards, OH/OP, 10, 5-9
- 14 — Makenzie York, MB/L, 10, 6-0
From his dual roles as teacher and as game official he got a good view of the volleyball talent in Florence.
"I had four starters from last year's team in my chemistry classes," Hornung said. "I could see their dedication to getting work done and their work and just their respect for each other and others.
"To see those attributes on the court is just real cool."
Angie Herring was the Vikings coach the past two years, and she passed along a solid team, especially on the front line, where the Vikings boast four 6-footers.
"We're a deep team and we're a big team," Horning said. "We have a lot of tall girls. If we start clicking on all cylinders, I don't foresee many teams who can compete with us."
The Vikings boast three all-league players up front, including first-team middle blockers Elyssa Rose, a senior, and Makenzie York, a sophomore.
Junior outside hitter Emma Collins was an honorable mention all-league as a sophomore.
Senior Abby Watkins likely will replace four-year starter Hannah Bartlett at setter, although senior Brittany Long, who returns to Siuslaw from Reedsport, will see some time at the position.
Junior Maci Wells, a defensive specialist, likely will replace the graduated Ali Scheer at libero.
Other solid returnees include seniors Claire Waggoner and sophomore Samantha Scheer.
"We haven't set the starting lineup yet," Hornung said. "We have five outsides who are really good. We have some decisions to make, which is good."
The choices may be made for him, from those players who adapt better to his more up-tempo style.
"I play a lot of fast offenses, quick sets," Hornung said. "That's what we're trying to push at the girls this year. Like Elyssa (Rose) and Mak (York), push for the quick one sets.
"Quick middle sets. And the outsides hitting quick sets, running plays from transitions."
The Vikings benefit from year-round dedication to the sport from such players as Rose and York, who played both varsity and club volleyball this past year.
"You can tell that Elyssa Rose and Mak York played all year," Hornung said. "Their improvement from last year to this year is astronomical. You can tell the difference.
"Everyone is stepping it up. They see the competition. They see how good Makenzie has gotten, and how good Elyssa has gotten. And the elevation of their game for those two has brought everyone else up."
Hornung also sees how the school and the community have impacted the team in a positive way.
"It has been real nice to see the support structure within the school," he said, "from the coaches to (vice principal) Mr. (Corky) Franklin and (principal) Mrs. (Kerri) Tatum to (new athletic director) Chris Johnson. All have been really supportive.
"If I have questions, I can text Chris and he'll get back to me in like a minute."
You gotta love it.
Jon Hornung does.
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