O n the surface, it’s a unique pairing. Co-head coaches. One is a first- time head coach of any sport. The other is a seasoned head coach who is dipping her foot into the deep end of the pool in a new sport. A head-scratcher, right? Well ... All you need to do is watch Jen Schnormeier and Staci Sniezek interact for 30 seconds and — like the click of a light switch — it just makes sense. They trust each other. They believe in each other. And they have no doubt they are taking on their roles for all of the right reasons. They truly are the yin and the yang of Gilbert volleyball — two individuals who compliment each other well and who give the Tigers their best chance of success this fall. “We felt that, together, we could provide these girls with an experience they were look- ing for,” Sniezek, who has 21 years of head coaching experience on the softball diamond, said. “They’re looking for coaches who are going to make them competitive, who are going to let them have fun, and who are going to help them make great memories in high school.” Schnormeier has coached volleyball at the middle school and high school levels, but she’s never been the person in charge. And that’s why it was so important to have Sniezek at her side. Sniezek may not have as much knowledge about the sport of volleyball, but she certainly understands the administrative duties that need to take place to have suc- cess at the varsity level.
“It’s just really helpful that we have similar philosophies about what the high school ex- perience should be like,” Schnormeier said. “We’ve both had high school athletes, we’ve both had highs and lows from the coach and parent side, and we care about more than what happens on the court for these girls. “Staci compliments me so well. She brings the calm ... she’s just very even keel and that’s something I need from her.” Very good friends outside of their coaching duties, that trust they’ve built over years of knowing each other allows them to be honest at all times.
38 GAME ON | FALL 2025
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