H2′s Davis helps give sport a lift in area

Fledgling program has blossomed in a hurry

BY MIKE ELDER
Wednesday, September 30, 2009 3:13 PM CDT

It’s hard to go to any prep or select volleyball tournaments in the St. Louis area these days and not see H2 Volleyball Club director/coach Geoff Davis being hit by an errant spike or two.

“I’m out there,” said Davis.

The 49-year-old Calverton Park resident, who is the founder of the three-year-old club which is stationed in North County, is one of the most dedicated club leaders I’ve come across. As a parent of a young volleyball junkie who played for a different organization this year, I’ve seen Davis at many a game and have respected what he’s done with his young club as well as how he conducts himself.

“Someone told me the other day that it might be the 70th high school tournament I’d been at (this year),” Davis told me after I introduced myself to him at the St. Joseph’s Academy Junior Varsity Tournament this past weekend and later was interviewing him. “I try to make sure I get to a game of each and every girl who played for me. I think it’s important that I show a commitment to their success.”

On the day I met him at St. Joe’s, Davis was again checking out some of his players. He was also looking for future players for his club, which has blossomed in the short time of its existence. This time out, Rosati-Kain 6-foot-3 freshman middle blocker Shayo Oginni, who is playing volleyball for the first time this fall, caught his eye.

“That would be nice,” he said when I asked him if he’d like to sign the North County youngster up for his club. “She’s the type of person who I think would develop very fast if I actually got her in the program, insulated her and allowed her to learn the skills she needs at her pace.”

Davis coached for the Hazelwood Hitters Volleyball Club for a year before taking his team and starting this new club. He had five teams his first season but soon he hopes to have as many as 10 teams from 13 to 17 years of age.

Davis is a current assistant coach for Washington University who also coached at John Burroughs High School for a number of years. He got involved in the game to help his daughter, Ashleigh, who is now out of college, to succeed in the sport, To that end, he left few stones unturned en route to learning the game.

“That experience and exposure helped form the basis of how I run H2 volleyball,” Davis said. “I’ve got kids coming from as far as Farmington to be part of what we’re doing. It’s pretty cool.”

The program’s teams, which have produced players now competing at Rosati, Trinity and Incarnate Word Academy as well as other area schools, practice at different facilities around the North County area. However, Davis said he’s trying to make the North County Recreation Complex the club’s official home.

“I’m trying to work through some things with the folks out there,” he said. “I’ve made a commitment to try to reinvigorate volleyball in North County and I hope they’ll be part of that.”

Any area players interested in playing competitive volleyball can find out more about the H2 club at WWW.H2VBC.ORG.

http://suburbanjournals.stltoday.com/articles/2009/09/30/north/sports/0930nc-column2.txt