Ellyn McIntosh’s summer just got a little bit busier.
McIntosh, who has been junior varsity volleyball coach at Columbus East the past three years, is expecting her first child with husband Hunter McIntosh in late July. On Thursday, Ellyn was promoted to head volleyball coach at her alma mater.
“I’m super excited, not only because of being able to get together after all this COVID stuff, but to be back at my high school with all these coaches and players,” she said. “It’s just a really cool opportunity for me.”
The former Ellyn Jones was a four-year letterwinner for the Olympians from 2007-10 and a three-time All-Hoosier Hills Conference and two-time All-State and two-time The Republic Volleyball Player of the Year selection. She led East to four consecutive sectional titles and a final four appearance in Class 4A her senior year and graduated as the school’s all-time and single-season assists leader.
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Ellyn played two years at IUPUI before transferring to Alabama State, where Hunter, a Columbus North graduate, was playing baseball. The Hornets won Southwest Athletic Conference titles and advanced to the NCAA Tournament both years Jones was there, and she was the SWAC Setter of the Year in 2014.
After majoring in pre-chiropractic at IUPUI, Ellyn switched to elementary education at Alabama State. She then picked up a math endorsement so she could teach that in high school.
Ellyn taught sixth grade at Clifty Creek Elementary for two years and has taught algebra and geometry at East High School the past two years. She spent one year as eighth-grade assistant volleyball coach at Central before coming to East as JV coach.
“(Becoming a head coach) always kind of been in the back of my mind,” she said. “My husband actually asked me the other day if I thought this would happen when I was in high school. But I started coaching a few years ago, and it became more plausible that I might become the head coach, so that was pretty exciting.”
East athletics director Pete Huse tweeted, “Very proud to have Ellyn on board, who understands and is part of the rich volleyball tradition at East.”
Teams can begin official practice on Aug. 3. The Olympians are scheduled to scrimmage at Carmel on Aug. 13 and open the season Aug. 18 at Bloomington North.
Hunter, who is an assistant baseball coach at North, and Ellyn are expecting a boy in late July. Assistant coach Terry Sweasy will lead the East volleyball program when Ellyn is away.
“I’ll be in the gym with them as long as I can,” she said.
Ellyn takes over for Stacie Pagnard, who left after five years at East to take the coaching job at three-time defending state champion New Castle. Since then, Ellyn has given the returning players weekly workout challenges as a team to keep the motivated, started a “Secret Sis” gift that is going around the team through the mail and sent out a workout packet that the girls have been doing to keep themselves in shape.
Teams across the state will be able to begin in-person training and workouts on July 6.
“I think it’s always exciting when we can get back in the gym and work with the girls, especially after having so much time off,” Ellyn said. “July 6 is a date we’re all looking forward to. The group that we have right now, they’re super talented. I’m excited to take over this group because of the talent level they have. I’m very confident of this group and the future.”
