Brycelyn Haughey

GREEN MOUNTAIN — GMG’s new athletic director filled her first varsity coaching vacancy with her first phone call.

As a long-time volleyball coach herself, Michelle Bradley called on a pair of her former players to take the reins at GMG High School.

Brycelyn Haughey, a 2017 South Tama County graduate, and Katie Campbell, a 2019 STC grad, have been announced as the new head and assistant volleyball coaches at GMG.

Haughey and Campbell both played under Bradley at South Tama, sharing the court together for one year before Haughey moved on to Kirkwood Community College and Mount Mercy University in Cedar Rapids.

Haughey will continue her collegiate studies through Buena Vista University online while taking a step she had not yet anticipated for this stage of her volleyball career.

“I was not expecting to come into high school at all, I was actually expecting to take a job in Cedar Rapids and then Bradley messaged me about this,” said Haughey. “I’ve been coaching for Rapid Spikers in Cedar Rapids and that’s what I just kept on planning to do until I got into a (high) school. I did not thing I was going to be able to get into school ball for a while, at least until I graduated, so when she offered me this job I was like ‘wow, I really want to do this.’

“I’m so ready for this and I’m excited to get into the program and start over and give the girls a fresh start and give me a fresh start on the game.”

GMG will try to rebound from a 2-23 record last season after consecutive 18-loss seasons. The Wolverines were previously coached by Adam Bauder, who is also the head boys basketball coach at East Marshall High School.

Haughey was a defensive specialist and Campbell a setter for Bradley, who also accepted a step up the ladder when she replaced Jon Reed as the athletic director at GMG. Her first instinct was to entrust the Wolverines volleyball program to a pair of former players who had experience in coaching as well as the intangibles she was looking for.

“Their passion,” Bradley said, “their passion for the sport. I knew that they would come in right away and try to share that same passion with their girls not ever let it drop. Brycelyn has coached some club volleyball for South Tama and Cedar Rapids, and Katie has been coaching at Tama club ball since she was a sophomore, so their backgrounds are stellar.

“They are ready for it.”

In their senior seasons, Haughey compiled 122 digs in her defensive role in the back row for the Trojans, while Campbell was STC’s primary setter with 6.08 assists per set.

Haughey, who will be a paraeducator, hopes to get into special education and eventually pursue a master’s degree. Coaching volleyball has always been a part of the plan, too, thanks in great part to one of her mentors.

“I look up to Michelle a lot, she’s my role model, she’s my go-to,” Haughey said. “I really strive to be how she was as a coach. She’s amazing, she does a good job in school and out of school and as a teacher. I hope to live up to her expectations as well as mine.”

Bradley was all smiles about her newest hire.

“They were my first call,” she said. “They didn’t even hesitate so that was super exciting for me. They have the passion that I hope I shared with them as their coach and I hope they continue that.”