The Lower Columbia volleyball program needs a new head coach.
Coach Carey Smith announced her retirement on Friday after 11 seasons at the helm of the LCC program.
FILE – LCC’s second-year volleyball coach Carey Smith, left, offers advice during the offseason. Freshman Madison Studer, right, listens with her teammates. In her 10th season, Smith earned her 200th win with the Red Devils in a four-set win over Pierce at Michaelpost Gymnasium, Friday, October 14, 2022.
Bill Wagner, Daily News File
Smith led Lower Columbia to four West Region titles and one NWAC championship in her eleven seasons. She finished her LCC career with an overall record of 231-142, representing a .620 winning percentage. The Red Devils won 20 or more games seven times under Smith while reaching the playoffs in nine of her eleven seasons.
Red Devils assistant coach Josh Smith and Curry’s husband also resigned from his coaching role. The two have been solid leaders of the LCC volleyball program for more than a decade.
“We have had a lot of success on the field and made a lot of great memories,” Coach Smith said in a statement. “Being a part of our players’ lives has been the most rewarding thing we have done as coaches here at LCC. ‘Daughters of Satan’ means the world to us and we hope we have effectively communicated that to all of them.”
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The pinnacle of Smith’s coaching career with LCC came in 2016 when he upset the Red Devils’ Len Benton to win the NWAC Championship in come-from-behind fashion.
The Red Devils finished the 2023 campaign on November 17 with a four-set loss to Yakima Valley in the quarterfinals of the NWAC Tournament after outscoring the Western Conference with an 11-1 record.
“This is a bittersweet time for LCC volleyball,” LCC Athletic Director Kirk Rowland said. “I’m glad Carrie went out as one of the greatest coaches in school history, but I’m so sad to see her and Josh go away. They are the epitome of what you look for in a coach. Smart, talented, driven to win and compassionate.”
The search is on for a new leader for the Red Devils volleyball program. Rowland said he would look for a coach with similar traits to those Smith held.
“We will use Curry’s qualities to evaluate new leadership,” Rowland said. “Coach Smith has set the standard.”