Iron Horses’ boys volleyball finishes runner-up in first state title bid

You might think of Amanda Newell as the Joanie Appleseed of boys high school volleyball as she traverses the Palmetto State, spreading her seeds to help introduce the sport she loves.

 

This past weekend was the perfect example of Newell’s passion for the sport. Oct. 15, she coached the Philip Simmons High School boys’ volleyball team in the Class AAA-AA-A state championship against Bishop England in a match played at Keenan High School. The Bishops won the title with a 3-0 victory over the Iron Horses.

 

On Sunday, the seventh day, she finished a full day of club sport tryouts. Newell, who coaches the SC Elite club team, said there were 30 boys in attendance.

 

“No rest for the weary,” said Newell, who was a standout at Buford High School and Wofford. She’s an experienced coach, whose resume included a stint at The Citadel.

 

There should be no worries if you are a supporter of the Iron Horse boys’ team. Newell is focused, works her players hard and espouses volleyball.

 

“I just want to get the sport out there,” Newell said. “I want to introduce the boys to a sport that can help them in other sports.”

 

The S.C. High School League sanctioned boys volleyball in time for the 2022-23 academic year as about 40 schools around the state fielded teams. However, the state playoffs were not hosted by the SCHSL. Those matches were sponsored by the Palmetto Volleyball Association.

 

“We wanted to do something special because this was the first year,” Newell said. “We wanted this season to get off to a good start, and the playoffs were a reward for the teams’ and players’ effort and hard work.”

 

The Iron Horses posted an 11-7 record during the regular season according to MaxPreps and went 2-1 in the playoffs. The Iron Horses defeated Hanahan in the opening round and topped Oceanside Collegiate in a Class AAA-AA-A state semifinal before losing to BE for the biggest trophy.

 

Newell’s recruiting approach at the school was that if a boy was interested in playing, she could coach him and develop him into a good player.

 

This year’s roster included three seniors, two juniors, five sophomores and a freshman. One of the Iron Horses’ top players, Owen Jenkins, also stands out on the basketball court because he is 6-feet, 5-inches tall.

 

“Give me a player who is 6-5, and that’s a good start,” Newell said. “If you are 6-5 and have an inch of talent, I can coach you to become a good player. Owen was a sponge, he wanted to absorb everything about volleyball.”

 

Frank Jannuzzi, a 6-3 standout on the volleyball court at Philip Simmons, also had an impressive season.

 

The two most experienced players on this year’s team are club-sport standouts Huston Tosh and Ian Newell, the son of coach Newell.

 

“They come with experience and experience is what you build on,” Newell said. “Experienced players, they are the foundation of any program.”