Volleyball Season Starts Without A Coach

Thursday was the first day of tryouts for the girls volleyball team at Framingham High School.

Dozens of girls were at the gym looking for a spot on the freshman, junior varsity, and varsity team, but the Framingham Public Schools district is still looking to fill the head coach position.

After parents became concerned that the season might not happen, Framingham High Principal Elyse Torbert stepped in and asked freshman volleyball coach Stephanie Olivera to run tryouts on Thursday.

Torbert said yesterday she would like to have a coach in place now, but she is waiting on Superintendent of Schools Stacy Scott to make a decision on the position.

As of yesterday, Aug. 28, the head coaching position has not been posted as an opening in the Framingham Public Schools, and it appears that last year’s head coach has not had her contract renewed.

Last season’s head coach was Emily Viti, who is employed at Framingham High in the Resiliency For Life department.

Viti was both the girls volleyball head coach in the fall and the boys volleyball head coach in the spring.

Scott told Framingham Patch he plans to advertise the coaching position next week.

That implies that Viti, who was in her 10th season as boys volleyball head coach and led that squad to the MIAA Division 1 Central finals last year as the #9 seed, may not be back as head coach for either team.

Scott said he could not discuss a personnel matter to Framingham Patch yesterday, when he was asked if Viti‘s contract was not being renewed.

Framingham Patch has learned that human resources and central office had been looking at the volleyball coaching position over the summer. Viti was visibly pregnant during the boys playoff run in May and June and in the photo attached to this report.

Scott said he wants to assure parents he is “doing everything possible” to get a coach in place by the first match of the season.

The girl volleyball team is scheduled to start the season on the road on Sept 9 against the Wildcats of Weymouth.

The squad has no scrimmages on their schedule, according to Schedule Star, as of Aug. 29.

The volleyball team is the only fall team with no scrimmages on the schedule. Framingham Patch has heard that the Weston coach has been trying to get a scrimmage with the Flyers but has been unable to do so.

On Friday, Torbert attended day two of tryouts and spoke to the players, about the unorthodox start of the season.

Scott said he is “moving quickly” to fill the head coach position and to “make sure a coach is in place.”

He said “something has been done temporarily, to allow the girls to practice.”

Scott said he anticipates the program will continue to have three teams this season - freshman, junior varsity, and varsity.

Parents and players on the boys volleyball team last season have already started campaigning and contacting Framingham Public Schools and Framingham Patch advocating for Viti to return as head coach in the spring.

While the girls volleyball head coach is up in the air in the Framingham High Athletic Department, so is the athletic director position.

Former athletic director Gary Doherty will only be football coach this season. Doherty also will begin teaching at Framingham High, in the physical education department. Framingham Patch was the first media outlet to report that Doherty would be leaving the director position he has held since 2002, on Aug. 21.

School started on August 26.

Tryouts for all fall sports began on August 27.

The position of interim athletic director was advertised on August 25.

Scott said he hopes to have someone in place as interim athletic director “as quickly as possible.”

It is unclear if the athletic director change and the volleyball coach positions are related, but the decisions on both positions came from “Central Office” and not within Framingham High.