Nick Gonnella
Greensburg Daily News
Westport —
South Decatur graduate Lisa Bennett is returning to her alma mater to coach the varsity volleyball team this fall.
"It's very exciting to come back home," she said of her career move.
Bennett, a former internal auditor in compliance for the Napoleon State Bank, has had a teaching license for five years and looks forward to using it. She will teach U.S. history and AP U.S. history at South.
As a South student, she played volleyball when Holly Bruns and Carol Koester were coaching the team to conference and sectional championships.
"We had quite a few successful seasons," said Bennett.
After getting her masters degree in management, Bennett decided in 2007 that she wanted to pursue teaching. She had also spent time refereeing intramural teams at Indiana University.
Now she will be doing what she has wanted to do for a while - coach. She will have a chance to build the volleyball program back into a force in the Mid-Hoosier Conference and a sectional title contender.
"We're hopeful this will be a good season," she said Tuesday during team conditioning. "The girls show good potential. They get along real well, and that's half the battle."
According to Bennett, a few South girls participated in a summer volleyball league at Edinburgh High School.
"It was a time for me to get to know them a bit," she said.
The wife of Greg Bennett and mother of Elizabeth, who will turn 2 in September, said the team is getting ready to set individual and team goals in the next couple weeks.
"I'm very excited," said Bennett of the upcoming season. "The girls are excited."
