By Randy Whalen

Life is a process of trying different things.

Just ask Julie Nettles. 

Now the new girls' volleyball coach at her alma mater, Joliet Central, Nettles never envisioned being in this position when she attended the school.

"No," said Nettles, a 2017 Joliet Central graduate, when asked if she thought she would be a Steelmen head coach. "I never would have imagined it."

But here she is, coaching a sport she's very familiar with, though she didn't play at the varsity level at Joliet Central. 

"I did play freshman volleyball at Joliet Central," Nettles said. "But then I played club at G2 Volleyball Club in Mokena. I was very focused on academics and in the ROTC. So I played club to remain active.

"I was also on the speech team. I believed in being a student first, but athletics teaches you so many lessons."

Nettles credited John Garcia, the Director of Operations at G2 VBC, for helping her have the passion for the sport. 

That transferred to a passion for teaching and coaching. She went to Lewis University and soon after switched from being a marketing major to being a teacher. 

“I knew I wouldn’t be able to spend my life doing something I didn’t believe in," Nettles said. "So I switched to education."

She began her teaching and coaching career at Plainfield East. But after two years there was an opening at Joliet Central. So she came back and was Kevin O’Connell’s varsity assistant last season after being the freshman A coach the previous year. She was also the JV boys volleyball coach in the spring. 

O'Connell believes Nettles will do great things. So do her players.

"It's been very helpful that I can keep with her coaching style," junior outside hitter Mickalaynuh Wollenzien said. "I'm excited about the change. Everyone is working very hard this year. We have newcomers and new skills."

Senior libero Camryn Brown will miss the seven seniors who graduated from last season's squad. But she's looking forward to this season. 

"I'm missing them, but I'm excited about the new season," Brown said. "We have a new team and a new coach. There are always challenges, but no challenge is too big for us. I love my team."

So does Cali Judd, a senior middle blocker, who also plays soccer. 

"I've been playing volleyball since seventh grade," Judd said. "I love both sports, but there's a lot of energy in volleyball. You're all on the same side of the court. I like to bring the energy and help my teammates get out of their own heads."

Another senior, Lexi Webb, also returns in the key position of setter.

"I like to be able to choose the plays and build bonds with other players," Webb said of her position. "We have a new coach and some new players. We have high hopes for the season."

The Steelmen were at the UNO Sommer League, which ended on Monday, July 27. The Steelmen lost to Wilmington and Big Rock on the final day, but it's OK. 

"It's summer league," Nettles said. "It's about seeing everyone on the court."

In her teaching role, Nettles instructs both English 2 and AP Language. As a coach, she will have Ryan Vozenilek as her varsity assistant; head boys volleyball coach Nick Ratajczak will be the junior varsity coach; Abby Gentile will coach the freshman A team; and Arena Mariante will be the coach of the freshman B team.

Nettles joins a young, enthusiastic Steelmen coaching staff. In his second season, Miguel Silva doubled the baseball win total this spring. Also this spring, in her first season, softball coach Rachel Spata inspired Joliet Central to a big rally for its first Southwest Prairie Conference victory since it joined the league in the 2016-17 season. Plus, first-year coach Gia Gomez kept the Steelmen badminton success going this past spring as they tied for a second straight sectional championship. 

“It’s all through the athletic program,” Nettles said of the Steelmen. “We have some amazing coaches here, and (athletic director) Kevin Fitzgerald is a Joliet Township graduate, so he understands the saying ‘Once a Steelman, always a Steelman.’"

Unfortunately for the Steelmen girls volleyball team, they enter this season having lost 46 straight Southwest Prairie Conference games. Their last SPC win was 19-25, 25-21, 25-21 at home over West Aurora on October 12, 2021. West Aurora is no longer in the conference. They hope to end that drought this fall.

"We've been close," Nettles said of some of those losses. "My passion is coaching because I love being a teacher. But I believe that athletics teaches you so many life lessons. You need them in conjunction with each other."

To do that,  Nettles knows there has to be a strong mental aspect.

"My focus as a coach is to work on the mental part of the game," she said. "I can be a bit more fired up, but there are times I will have to keep them remaining calm."

Joliet Central will open the season on Tuesday, August 25, with a 5:30 PM match at East Aurora. On Thursday, August 27, the Steelmen will travel for another 5:30 PM match against Bloom Township at Bloom High School.

Tuesday, September 1 brings the home opener, with another scheduled 5:30 PM match, this one against Kankakee in the Joliet Central main gym. Another 5:30 home match follows that, this one on Thursday, September 3 against Andrew. Then, on Saturday, September 5, Joliet Central will host the Peg Bryan Steelmen Invite starting at 9 AM. The matches will take place in the main gym and the entire field house.