Helias volleyball coach David Harris was caught off-guard when he learned in early February he was going to be inducted into the Missouri High School Volleyball Coaches Association Hall of Fame.
"I was actually kind of surprised, because I'm on the committee that recommends people to the board (for the hall of fame), and then they make the final decision," Harris said. "Unbeknownst to me, the other people on the committee put my name in to the board."
Harris was one of six coaches in the Class of 2019 inducted into the Hall of Fame during a ceremony March 15 in Columbia during the annual MHSVCA clinic and awards night.
Harris was joined by Holden's Julie Carver, Winnetonka's Mike Espinosa, West Plains' Trish Knight, Lutheran South's Carol Reinitz and St. Louis University High's Paul Scovill in this year's class.
"It was surprising because I didn't know it was happening," Harris said. "I still felt like there were some people that deserved to be in before me.
"There are some very legendary coaches in the hall of fame, and to be part of that group is very humbling."
What makes Harris' hall of fame induction even more notable is he did not begin coaching volleyball until he was around 40 years old, when he began coaching with the Central Missouri Volleyball Club.
"They asked me several times if I wanted to coach, and I kept turning them down," Harris said. "Finally, I said yes. I've been coaching with the club 23, 24 years."
A few years later, Helias asked if Harris would like to coach the Lady Crusaders. Just as he did with the CMVC, he initially turned the job down.
"Three years later, they came back and asked me again, and that's when I accepted," Harris said. "I feel very fortunate I got a second chance to coach at Helias."
In 18 seasons with the Lady Crusaders, Harris has put together a record of 526-106-26 for a .819 winning percentage. Helias has a current streak of five consecutive district championships, which includes winning the Class 3 state championship in 2014 and 2017 in the program's only Final Four appearances.
When Harris won his 500th match this past season at Helias, he deflected all of the credit to the players.
"I've not had a single kill, ace or block," Harris said. "The players have to go out there and do it. To sit back and watch them and their reactions was one of the most satisfying experiences for me."
The 2014 team finished with a 43-0-1 record to give Helias its first volleyball state title.
"We had knocked on the door a few times in Class 4, and that was the first year that we dropped back into Class 3," Harris said. "Around the state, people realized that Helias was a strong program, but for me personally, it was like a weight was lifted off my shoulders. We were finally able to do it."
Harris said winning the state title again three years later had a similar feeling.
"It was so neat watching the joy and the passion that those girls played with," he said. "And then the celebration afterwards, it was just amazing to watch them and the joy that they felt after winning that."
The 2018 volleyball team began the season ranked No. 25 in the nation by MaxPreps, getting as high as No. 7 before finishing the season with a 36-2-2 record.
With Harris at the helm, Helias has become one of the most prominent volleyball programs in Missouri.
"It's the result of a lot of hard work," Harris said, "especially the players. They have to buy into the program and what we're trying to do.
"They've got to understand what it takes to be successful. They have to set the goals, and then they have to put the work in to make sure those goals are achieved. If we don't have that, then we don't have the success that we've been having."
And the players' successes have extended beyond high school, as year after year, Helias volleyball players have continued their careers at the college level. The 2018 team's senior class had eight players, and seven have plans to play college volleyball this upcoming fall.
"It is very satisfying to see them go on and have success at the college level," Harris said, "not only playing but in academic pursuits as well.
"If I had some small part in helping them learn how to set goals and what it takes to reach those goals, then that's the ultimate part of coaching, to see the future successes of players once they leave the program."
Some of Harris' former players have even gone on to become volleyball coaches.
Lisa Hoffmeyer, head coach of the Jefferson City Lady Jays, and McKenzie Bennett, head coach of the Blair Oaks Lady Falcons, played club volleyball under Harris. Nicole Murphy, who led Calvary Lutheran to a Class 1 runner-up finish last fall and on Friday accepted the head-coaching position at Rock Bridge, played at Helias under Harris.
"One of my goals is that they had a good experience while they were in high school and they want to continue being involved, playing or coaching, once they leave (high school)," Harris said.
A hall of fame enshrinement often comes toward the end of a coach's tenure. Even though Harris got a late start in the game, he said he has no plans of leaving coaching anytime soon.
"There are times during the summer, when we've got summer camp and you're doing something all day long and you think, 'Man, I'm getting too old for this,'" Harris said. "But especially with the teams we've had the last few years, they've been so much fun to coach. When you've got teams like that to coach, they help me stay young.
"As long as I'm having fun and the girls are having fun, I don't have any plans right now to step aside."