SCCC Volleyball Great Jelena Cohadarevic Takes Over LHS Program

Jelena Cohadarevic has hit the ground running at Liberal’s volleyball coach.  The former Seward all American is set to begin her first season at LHS volleyball coach in the fall.  The girls have workouts on weekday mornings and play Tuesday nights in Guymon.  Cohadarevic has gone to work on the work ethic and team culture of the Redskins.  Jelena Simic is her maiden name, and she is arguably the greatest Seward volleyball player in the program’s history.  She is the all time leader in kills with 1,380 and is sixth in digs with 1,004.  Jelena is the only player if Seward history to register over 1,000 kills and 1,000 kills.

She takes over an LHS volleyball program in need of a re-boot.  They were 9-22 last season.  Katie Garcia stepped down as head coach after the season.  But the success is recent.  LHS won the WAC and went to state in 2022 going 27-10.  They were 19-16 in 2021 which was their first winning season since 2016.  Garcia stepped in right before school in 2021 for Megan Besecker who is now head coach at Barton. She is trying to continue the upturn in the program. Before Garcia’s 19-16 season in 2021, the Redskins were 14-18, 16-21, 18-19, and 15-20 in 2020, 2019, 2018, and 2017. They were 17-16 in 2016. LHS went 97-57 in four years under Thais Baziquetto from 2010-2013. Their last state appearance before last year was 2008 when they went 29-12 and had last won WAC in 2008 after also winning the conference in 2007(32-7) and 2006 (31-5).