The Emmaus High School boys volleyball team will have a different look at the top of the program when the team takes to the court for the 2022 season. After six seasons at the helm, longtime head coach Ken Dunkle stepped aside, but will still remain with the program and help out. The new head coach is Jeff Elsea and he will look to pick up right where the Green Hornets left off after 2021, winners of the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference championship and District 11 runners-up, finishing with a 24-4 overall record and 14-2 mark in the EPC.

Elsea is excited to take over the program and he sees a very athletic group that can do many different things on the court to help win matches.

“We have a great deal of diversity with our players in that many are multifaceted playing different spots on the court,” said Elsea. “Multiple players can play multiple positions, which gives us the ability to have various options at our disposal.”

Some of the top returning players that Elsea will have are seniors Benjamin Maskiell and Noah Parker, juniors Logan Dougherty and Lord Henry and sophomore Jametric Harris. Some key newcomers entering the fray for Emmaus includes juniors Zach Baus and Johnny Cannone and sophomore Cooper Henseler.

“Although we still have a majority of the original coaching staff on board, it will still be a challenge in helping me being a new coach and learning the players and them learning about me,” Elsea said. “Players having confidence in themselves as well as in me will be crucial for us to have immediate success this season.”

With a new team, Elsea has similar goals as Emmaus has had in recent years, especially with the returning roster coming off an EPC title and within one set of a district championship.

“I would like to see our team develop and become a dominating force in the conference,” said Elsea. “I think we have the talent, we just need to get them all working together.”

Emmaus begins its 2022 regular season against EPC opponent Easton on the road on Friday. The Hornets’ home opener is set for next Monday against Pocono Mountain East.