Volleyball is not a school sport around Calhoun County right now, but a Calhoun native has made a big impact on the sport in Mississippi.
Angel Barfield Greenhill, a native of Vardaman, just recently was part of the fourth consecutive Class 4A State Championship volleyball team at Vancleave High School.
“Volleyball is a growing sport,” Angel said. “I fell in love with the game in 2013 as a first year, first time coach and never looked back.”
Angel grew up in Vardaman the daughter of Billy Joe and JoAnn Barfield. She graduated from Vardaman High School in 1989.
“I played basketball for Coach James Casey. Basketball was the only girls’ sport at the time,” she said. “I remember one game in particular we were playing at home, and Coach had gotten frustrated with us – just sat down on the bench. During a time out, we all decided we were going to play harder than we ever had to come from behind and win – and we did. I also remember us winning the Calhoun County Tournament our senior year. That was an awesome feeling.”
Angel’s decision to enter the field of education had several local influences.
“My mom was a kindergarten teacher back before it was in public schools. My cousin Nancy used to play school with me when I was little. But, the biggest influence was Mrs. Becky Thomas,” Angel said. “I had her for English in high school. She was a firecracker. She did some fun things that I currently do with my own students.”
Angel began her career teaching second grade at Aberdeen for five years, then fourth grade in Amory for eight years. She’s in her fourth year as a senior English teacher at Vancleave.
“I married and moved to Amory in 1992. I worked random jobs (insurance company, doctor’s office) and had two kids. When my oldest started kindergarten I witnessed her love of learning and just wanted to be a part of that for children,” Angel said. “I got my Associates Degree at ICC then transferred to Mississippi State. I had my third child while in college, graduated in 2004, and began teaching.”
“After four years of teaching in Amory, our athletic director (AD) sent an email asking if anyone wanted to coach the volleyball team. I thought why not? I took over a small team with no assistant and no knowledge except what I learned on YouTube and Google. By my fourth year we had over 40 girls trying out and more wins that year than all the other years combined. Amory Volleyball also had its very first college signee that year. One of my seniors signed to play at MUW.”
“Our youngest son was getting ready to go into ninth grade, and we were just ready for a change. We found a job listing for an assistant volleyball and assistant girls’ basketball coach at Vancleave. We love the beach, so we thought why not just apply?”
“I sent a resume, received a phone call, and set up an interview. I knew it was meant to be when I walked into the AD’s office and saw letter jackets that looked just like mine (at Vardaman). Vancleave’s colors are royal blue and white. I felt like I was home.”
“Vancleave is a 4A (5A next year) version of Vardaman. It has a small town feel that is a hop and skip to bigger towns like Ocean Springs and Biloxi.”
The move to Vancleave also came with a move from elementary to high school for Angel.
“I got hired to teach high school English and fell in love with it. After 13 years of elementary, I found one of the most enjoyable jobs ever. I became the new senior English teacher. I truly love it and try to make the last year of high school English the most fun for my students.”
Vancleave volleyball is a force in Mississippi. The year prior to Angel’s arrival they made a run and got beat in the state semifinals. It became a goal to get back and go farther.
“In 2017 with a very young team, we won it all. Then, in 2018 we repeated, which was just insane for us. Our head coach, Haley Chatham, had been pushing the game of volleyball, and she was asked to start a JUCO program at Pearl River Community College. Thankfully, the middle school coach Christina Daigle took over the high school program. She is a former college player and continued to develop the girls.”
“Having a solid program beginning in middle school and a hard-working bunch in the off season by playing club ball both attribute to the ongoing success. It definitely takes a strong work ethic, and that is a requirement for Vancleave Volleyball. We have very high expectations. We aren’t as big as some of the teams we play, but we are fast. We run a quick offense and put the ball down as soon as we get it.”
“We also attribute a lot of our success to playing the more dominant schools in Mississippi – Jackson Academy, Brandon, Clinton, Hartfield Academy, OLA. We travel to tournaments in Jackson and even play those teams during the regular season.”
Vancleave Volleyball has also picked up a couple new, loyal fans from Vardaman.
“My parents have always supported my brother and me and also our kids. They’ve traveled to tennis matches, band concerts, football games, archery meets, and my volleyball games. We look at our game schedule, and they pencil in the trips where the get to see the most games – tournaments in Jackson, tournaments in Vancleave, and they’ve never missed a state championship game,” Angel said. “My dad gets on the floor after the games and takes the group pictures just like the girls’ parents. He always has an encouraging word for them, telling them how great they played.”
Angel said her experiences on the volleyball court have been a great blesing.
“I’ve learned so many things from the two head coaches I’ve worked under. It’s been a dream come true. Not many people can say they’ve been a part of a 4-times in a row state championship volleyball team.”