This season, the volleyball program is welcoming some new faces. The new program director and head coach is now Akia Warrior. The upper school coaching staff also consists of JV coach Abbie Smith and program assistant coach Ryan Thomas. Val Warrior, Akia’s mom,  is the head middle school coach, and helping her is DeAnn Hall, US librarian Sarah Blan, and Alexadendra Cruz. 

Warrior played volleyball at Belmont University located in Nashville, Tennessee for four years, and she played a fifth year at the University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona. 

Warrior loves working with students and athletes, so the idea of coaching has always been a prominent thought in her head. 

“I have probably known that I wanted to be a volleyball coach since I was in high school,” Warrior said. 

Before FWCD, Warrior coached kids in camps and clinics throughout high school and college. She also gave private volleyball lessons starting at the age of 18. Warrior coached her first club team her senior year at Belmont, but the season ended due to COVID-19.  This past season, Warrior was the varsity assistant coach for THESA and am assistant coach for the Texas Image 17 Asics Black team, who made it to nationals. 

Warrior was attracted to FWCD not only by the culture, but also by the team. 

“The first thing that attracted me to FWCD was the team,” Warrior said. “I remember when we played them last season and no matter what happened in that game, the girls still fought and worked as hard as they could.” 

Second to that attraction, is the culture of the community. 

“As I started to learn more about the school, the inclusion statement, staff culture, and core values are what solidified my attraction,” Warrior said. 

Warrior is already enjoying her time here at FWCD because of the faculty and the welcoming environment. 

“I have learned that FWCD is not only a great place to go to school, but also a great place to work. I have never worked or been in a place where everyone is supportive, welcoming, and encouraging,” Warrior said. 

When it comes to coaching, the biggest thing Warrior hopes to bring to the program is relatability. She understands what the girls are going through since she has at this point in her life pretty recently. 

“The ability to be able to relate to them is very important because the girls need to be able to trust, respect, and lean on the coaching staff. It is hard to trust and respect someone if you feel like they don’t understand you or what you are going through,” Warrior said. 

Two more things that Warrior is hoping to bring to the program are knowledge and experience. 

 “I have played for a lot of different coaches, watched a lot of volleyball, and been part of numerous different teams. I think the biggest thing that I took away from all of the different coaches I have had and environments I have been in, playing, teaching, and coaching, is that people will grow and learn the most when they are in an environment that they feel safe, welcomed, respected, and cared for in,” Warrior said. 

She hopes to make the girls volleyball players here feel that same way because she believes that it will make them learn and grow faster. 

“It makes training much easier because the girls understand why we do all of the drills that we do and the improvements happen sooner. At the same time, they feel comfortable asking questions, pushing themselves, and trying new things because they ultimately trust that what we do is to benefit them,” Warrior said. 

Warrior’s goals for the season are to change and improve the culture of the program. 

“That means improving the overall feel of the program, the work ethic, and the mindset of the athletes. I want it to feel like a family because in a lot of ways, it is, ” Warrior said. 

Since many of the middle school girls look up to the upper school girls and the coaching staff, Warrior wants to make them feel cared for, welcomed, and completely respected throughout the season. Warrior preaches the importance of work ethic, accountability, and support. 

“When it comes to work ethic, for me it’s not all about the outcome; it’s about the effort to make the change. ‘Are you giving 100% effort, 100% of the time’? This is the question I ask the girls often because it really is true. You might be having a bad practice outcome wise, but are you still putting in the work that you need to be putting in? That is where the mindset change comes in,” Warrior said. 

Warrior believes that frustrations and the want for perfection can often hinder one’s performance in games. Overcoming these two challenges, can lead to better performances. 

“I think that a lot of coaches get so wrapped up in the mistakes of the players or team that they aren’t teaching the players how to work through their mistakes. For us, it’s not about the mistake that you make, it’s about how you come back from it,” Warrior said. 

Warriors feel as if it is important for one to show that they aren’t frustrated. Whether it’s keeping a positive attitude, good body language, or an encouraging tone, all things can make a substantial difference. 

“The team is your family. Whether you make a big play, or a mistake, they are with you. So every player on the team is responsible for encouraging, supporting, and celebrating but they are also responsible for controlling their body language and reaction to keep the positive demeanor on the court,” Warrior said. 

This season, Warrior wants the volleyball team to maintain their standards and expectations. With these two things, she believes that wins will follow. Focusing on technique and improvements and then moving these two focuses into games is a big thing that the team has been doing. This will allow strategy to take full effect during games. 

Warrior believes that the team has already made a tremendous amount of improvements this season, and she can’t wait to see what the future holds. 

The team has been very excited to welcome Coach Warrior to the program. 

“Coach Warrior is a dedicated coach who puts the team first and always has a positive attitude,” Emily Klein ‘24 said. 

The players feel as if she truly pushes the team to their full potential and abilities. 

“Coach Warrior definitely pushes myself and everyone on the team to be their best everyday. I love her drive to push our program in the right direction and her will to win,” Sutton Howard ‘23 said.