The Lady Sharx Volleyball Club staged two camps at Ceres High School this summer. 

Kelly Heese and her coaching staff provided instruction.

Emphasis was placed on serving, passing, setting, hitting, blocking, serve receive, defense, communication and team work.

“We wanted to thank everyone that came out to support us,” said Heese, Lady Sharx founder and Ceres High volleyball head coach, in a post on Instagram.

More than 70 boys and girls, aged 4-18, participated.

Cost was $100 per athlete.

A four-day clinic for boys and girls, aged 11-18, was held July 15-18.

A four-day clinic for boys and girls, aged 4-12, was held June 24-27.

Each session ran from 6-7:30 p.m.

Heese has coached volleyball in the Central Valley for over two decades. 

She doubled as head coach of Ceres High’s boys and girls volleyball programs for the third year in a row in 2023-24.

Ceres High’s boys amassed a 6-19 overall record and tied for fifth place in the Western Athletic Conference (5-9) this past spring.

Ceres High’s girls finished 5-13 on the season and tied for sixth in the WAC standings at 3-11.

Heese also coached at Central Valley High School in the past. Central Valley’s girls team reached unprecedented heights under her guidance from 2012-16. The Hawks amassed a 30-23 record in WAC action and qualified for the postseason three times.

“It’s a sport that gets overlooked by people,” she said. “There is so much to offer. There are a lot of college scholarships available for boys and girls. Coaches are searching for players. Continuously playing gives you a greater advantage.”