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For years, Jessanna Schumann watched from the stands as the girls she once coached in middle school grew into high school volleyball players.

She never lost interest in their development. Even after they moved beyond her team, Schumann kept cheering them on, imagining what they might someday accomplish.

What she didn’t know was that she’d get another chance to help them reach that potential.

Now, years after their first stint together, Schumann is back on the sideline with those same girls. Only this time, they’re playing for something much bigger.

The reunion has turned into a dream season, with Schumann guiding Hesston to a 35-3 record, 27 consecutive victories and a return trip to the Class 3A state tournament in her first year as head coach.

And the Swathers aren’t satisfied with simply getting there.

They’re chasing something no Hesston volleyball team has ever accomplished: a state championship.

“As a spectator since they got to high school, I was still invested in their growth and their potential,” Schumann said. “So when I took the job, I already had ideas of things I wanted to work on specifically with each of them. I knew them and they knew me, so we were able to get right to business.”

For senior Kylie Warden, having her former middle school coach back in charge has made this final season even more meaningful.

“It definitely did help us,” Warden said. “Everyone was hoping that she was going to step into the position. All of us were used to her and how she coached, so that made it easier to get used to it again. We’re glad she’s back.”

A special homecoming for Hesston’s new coach

In many ways, Schumann’s return brings the Hesston volleyball program full circle.

The former Jessanna Nebel graduated from Hesston in 2013 after playing for longtime coach Jason Peters, who helped establish the Swathers as a consistently good program. He guided Hesston to five consecutive state tournament appearances from 2014-18, with top-four finishes in each of the final four trips.

After Peters retired following the 2024 season, Hesston turned to former college coach Delice Downing, who guided the Swathers back to state last season for the first time in seven years.

But Downing departed after one season for a coaching position in Missouri, creating another vacancy and leaving Hesston facing its third head coach in three years.

This time, the answer was someone the players already knew.

Schumann, who had coached the current Swathers as middle schoolers, was ready to return to her alma mater.

“As soon as the position came open for this season, I knew I wanted it,” Schumann said. “This is just a great group of girls and I’m so proud of them for all of their hard work.”

That existing relationship made the transition unusually smooth.

The players knew Schumann’s expectations, understood her coaching style and felt comfortable communicating with her. She already knew their personalities, strengths and areas that needed improvement.

Perhaps most importantly, she brought a reassuring presence to a team adjusting to yet another coaching change.

Warden said Schumann rarely allows the emotions of a match to change her demeanor on the sideline.

“She stays calm, so she keeps us calm,” Warden said. “That helps us play our best.”

Hesston seniors finally get their moment

That trust has been particularly meaningful for a senior class that has demonstrated remarkable patience.

Of Hesston’s four seniors, Warden was the only one who entered the season with an established varsity role.

For the others, reaching this point required years of practices, limited playing time and the determination to keep improving without knowing when their opportunity might arrive.

Schumann has been especially proud of how those seniors refused to give up on earning a place in the rotation.

Taylin Frick is a prime example. After recording just 31 kills last season, the outside hitter has already contributed 133 kills this season.

Sophia Hickman has experienced a similar breakthrough. Once a setter, Hickman has developed into a dependable defensive specialist and passer. She has notched 128 digs after after finishing with just 27 last season.

Fellow senior Kaelyn Curran has contributed depth at middle hitter, while Warden has continued to anchor the team as its leading attacker.

None of those opportunities were simply handed out because the players were seniors. Schumann has emphasized that they earned their roles through persistence and improvement.

“It’s the encouragement and the respect we have for each other,” Warden said. “Every mistake, we know we still have that trust in our teammates. I think that helps a lot.”

And Warden has certainly done her part to reward that trust.

Despite standing just 5-foot-8, the outside hitter has been Hesston’s most consistent offensive weapon, leading the team with 255 kills. She’s also second with 278 digs and has impressed Schumann with her ability to handle difficult passes.

“As a coach, to have a player on the court that looks that comfortable and is that reliable is a huge asset to have,” Schumann said.

A team that keeps getting better

Schumann inherited plenty of talent, with Hesston returning more than 80% of its kills from last season among Warden, Maci Rhodes, Jacy Proctor and Tessa Martin alone.

But the Swathers have taken their performance to another level.

Rhodes, a junior opposite hitter, has developed into a dynamic offensive option with 226 kills and a .311 hitting percentage, while Proctor, a junior middle hitter, has supplied 185 kills.

The 6-foot Martin has made one of the team’s biggest leaps as a sophomore, emerging as Hesston’s leading blocker while contributing 150 kills.

Directing the offense is junior setter AJ Reiff, a 2025 Class 3A all-state selection who has distributed 791 assists this season and has more than 2,000 for her career.

With so many options at the net, opponents have struggled to predict where the next attack is coming from.

“Our block definitely sets us apart,” Schumann said. “We have a lot of height at the net and then our defense is just very good at giving good passes, so that we can set any of our hitters. So that makes us a hard team to read.”

Junior Melody Carson has been central to that defensive improvement, emerging as the team’s leader with 326 digs after recording just 79 last season. Sophomore Jenna Nelson has added 181 digs, giving Hesston another dependable back-row contributor.

Simply put, the Swathers are a more efficient team in just about every statistical category this season.

Their progress has been reflected in the win column.

After suffering all three losses early in the season, Hesston hasn’t lost since Sept. 12.

The Swathers have avenged early defeats to Halstead and Cheney, swept Class 5A state qualifier Kapaun Mt. Carmel and turned what began as a promising season into a 27-match winning streak.

One more chapter to write

Now, the Class 3A state tournament awaits Friday at Hutchinson Sports Arena.

Fourth-seeded Hesston opens pool play against No. 5 Galena (37-4) at 10 a.m., followed by No. 8 Frontenac (33-10) at noon and top-seeded Lakin (39-1) at 3 p.m.

Hesston entered the postseason ranked No. 2 in Class 3A in the final Kansas Volleyball Association rankings, further cementing its place among the state’s championship contenders.

The top two teams advance to Saturday’s semifinals, where the Swathers hope to compete for the program’s first state championship.

It’s an opportunity generations of Hesston players have pursued.

The Swathers have reached four state championship matches, finishing runner-up in 1992, 1994, 1996 and 2016, but have never captured the ultimate prize.

Schumann knows that history better than most.

She grew up playing in the program, learned from the coach who helped build its tradition and eventually found herself teaching the game to a new generation of Swathers.

For years, she could only watch from the stands as those girls grew into the players she believed they could become.

Now, she gets to stand beside them again.

And together, they have a chance to write a chapter in Hesston volleyball history that neither the coach nor her former middle school players will ever forget.