Club Unite slots Erika Waycaster into a specialized role for the program as Director of Recruitment for Student/Athletes. “Although our club is young, we have seen much success from each senior class that has graduated from Club Unite” adds Shannon Mincey “This past year all seniors who desired to play volleyball on scholarship in college achieved that goal. We walked alongside 7 players who received a volleyball scholarship to a college fit which is a rewarding achievement for all of us. We want to celebrate the “fit”, not the “size.”

Coach E. duties will include but not limited to meeting one on one with our upperclassmen players/parents to kick start a college vision board followed by guidance on the process of marketing and communication. We understand how overwhelming the process is for parents and want to provide a personalized experience for those who desire to play at the next level. Our desire is to intensify the relationship between the Director of Recruitment and the family.

“I will continue to stay involved in the big picture of the recruitment (marketing, communicating with college coaches, helping players better understand what they need to do more of in training to reach their desired college fit and being honest. Honestly is a huge factor for kids when it comes to recruiting. Spending too much time in the wrong arena can cause the player to miss out on better-suited opportunities so it is very important for myself and Erika to provide straight forward feedback for the parents and players.” adds Shannon

Coach Erika Waycaster was a part of the inaugural volleyball team at Walters State in 2012. After one year at Walters State, she transferred to play at Virginia Intermont College.

Coach E coached high school volleyball for 3 years prior to returning to Walters State in 2017. She assisted Coach Meg and the Lady Senators to a 22-3 record and first-ever Region 7 Championship during her first season as Assistant Coach. In her second season with the Lady Senators, they upheld a 22-9  record and were reigning Region 7 Champions. She has coached travel volleyball for 7 years and worked several summer camps and satellite camps for local colleges and high school teams. 

Before college, Coach E played her prep volleyball at Chuckey Doak High School in Greeneville, TN as a setter. While playing, she was named Defensive Player of the Year, Setter of the Year and Player of the Year. She also had all-conference and all-region accolades during high school.

Coach E is excited to take on a new role as Recruiting Coordinator at Club Unite this ‘19-’20 club season. 

“The intention of this position is to provide an intimate experience for both player and parent who have questions about and desire guidance in recruiting and also most importantly to be that liaison between college coach and player.”

An all-inclusive recruiting meeting will be taking place each month starting in September 2019 and going through the month of June 2020  to provide tips and feedback for interested players. Alongside the full house meetings, Erika will be providing one one one kick start meetings with families and players. 

"I am thrilled Erika is passionate to accept this role for our club. I love the recruitment process for our athletes and having someone solely focus on that will elevate the needs of our families." says Shannon