When Oak Park and River Forest High School athletic director Nicole Ebsen needed to find a new varsity girls volleyball coach, it turned out she didn’t have to look far. Symone Speech, a 2015 OPRF graduate, was hired this summer to replace Kelly Collins, who stepped down for family reasons.
“I’m super-excited to be back,” said Speech, who was an assistant to Collins the past three seasons, “and grateful just to have a chance to give back to the program that helped me throughout my volleyball career.”
While Speech dreamed of one day leading the OPRF program, she didn’t anticipate it happening so quickly.
“I didn’t know when it would happen,” she said, “didn’t know it’d be on the 10th anniversary [of graduation]. I look forward to continuing to grow the program.”
Speech made her head coaching debut in OPRF’s season opener versus visiting Benet Academy, Aug. 26. Against one of the state’s top teams, the Huskies put up a good fight, but lost in three sets: 25-22, 16-25, and 13-25.
“I’m super-proud of them. They came out swinging,” she said. “But at the end of day, we’re definitely missing a few senior leaders. They would’ve carried us, but either way, they showed up and showed out.”
Speech was alluding to the fact that three of OPRF’s top players, including seniors Samantha Shelton and Channing Smith, were out due to injuries. Still, she felt the Huskies put forth a valiant effort, despite being shorthanded and having multiple players playing out of their normal positions.
“This was the first varsity game for a lot of kids,” Speech said. “They’re hungry, which is exactly where I want them to be.”
OPRF returns seven players from last year’s 21-17 team that reached the sectional round for the third consecutive year. Shelton, an outside hitter committed to Seton Hall University, had 265 kills and 40 aces in 2024, and Smith, an outside position player, is committed to Macalester College.
Other returnees are senior libero Kate Bailitz (240 digs last year), junior outside hitter Emmi Bozarth (220 kills), senior setter Erin Dwyer, junior outside hitter/defensive specialist Devyn Kleidon, and senior middle blocker Laila O’Connor.
The Huskies’ top newcomers are all juniors: setter Edie Carroll, middle blocker Jaida Garland, outside hitter Celia Jackson, and outside position player Lily Kinzler.
“Not only do we have some seasoned players coming back,” Speech said, “but the energy and love this group has for the game and each other makes coaching them so much fun. I wouldn’t have it any other way for my first season.”
At the Mizuno Crimson Classic, Aug. 29-30, OPRF went 3-2 and was runner-up in the Bronze bracket, finishing 18th overall among 32 schools. The Huskies defeated Minooka, Plainfield Central, and Wheaton-Warrenville South, and lost to Lincoln-Way West and Normal Community. Dwyer was named to the All-Tournament team.
The West Suburban Silver has long been one of the top volleyball conferences in the area. Speech sees Glenbard West and York as the top teams.
She adds that while wins and losses are important, she wants to build a foundation that establishes trust and accountability, and also fosters an atmosphere where each player feels valued and appreciated.
“My focus is on instilling confidence, grit, and pride in every athlete who puts on an OPRF jersey,” Speech said. “I want our players to leave this program not only as stronger volleyball players, but also as young women who feel deeply loved, supported, and proud of the work they’ve put in. We’ll reach these goals by living out our five rules — Think, Listen, Don’t Follow, Try Your Best, and Never Give Up.”