FARMINGTON -- As early as October 2019 predictions emerged forecasting great change for 2020, but few if any anticipated how vast changes would combine to create Farmington volleyball's perfect storm.
One thing was a given -- the Lady Cardinal varsity roster would be diminished by graduation of eight seniors, which formed the core but not all the stars on a 2019 team that won the school's first conference championship by going undefeated (12-0) in the 4A-1 and advancing to the State Class 4A quarterfinals finishing with a 21-5-1 record.
One by one numerous other variables created diverse impacts upon a program considered on the upswing qualifying for state in 2015, 2016, 2018 and 2019. Long-time Farmington athletic director Brad Blew retired Jan. 31 with superintendent Bryan Law also resigning effective June 30. High school principal Jon Purifoy was named interim athletic director and former volleyball head coach Mike Howard left, followed by the resignation of long-time assistant coach Diandre Sharpe, who served in the role under three different head coaches, Jessica McCullough, Marshall Ward and Howard.
Fortunately for the program one person maintaining continuity at Farmington High School remained in Jon Purifoy strategically positioned to influence the future of the program through a vested interest supporting his daughter, Brooke, who is now a senior. Jon Purifoy was also aware of a person on staff with previous volleyball head coaching experience, Greg Pair, who served as an assistant football coach for the 2018-2019 seasons at Farmington.
In three seasons as Lavaca head coach, Pair accumulated an overall record of 40-36-2 including a 17-11-1 mark while competing in a blended conference during 2017.
"I think the [football] coaches that I've coached with and Mr. Purifoy being an administrator, they knew my background and he said I was the first person that came to mind and I appreciated that," Pair said.
The administration contacted Pair in the spring informing him the head volleyball coaching position was going to be opened up and asked if he would you be interested in talking about it.
Pair immediately responded, "Yeah, I would be most definitely interested in talking about it."
Pair met with Jon Purifoy, who was serving as interim athletic director, and after a couple of conversations was offered the position. Pair didn't think twice when Jon Purifoy said "It's yours if you want."
"I want it, let's go," Pair said. "I feel like the good Lord worked it all out and opened doors and put me where I'm at and I'm excited about it."
However, there were more hitches.
Schools were closed to on-site instruction in the spring due to concerns over covid-19 and the Arkansas Activities Association implemented a "dead period" closing all school facilities to athletic training which left Pair both chomping at the bit and sort of chewing on his nails simultaneously.
"So, I was really excited to get started, and then we get excited to sit and wait. Finally, I think it was July when we actually got started working together at all," Pair said.
With the school closures and prolonged athletic dead period Pair had no opportunity to meet any of the returning student-athletes in person who would make up his 2020 team.
"The first time I met the girls was on a Zoom meeting and you know I really didn't get to meet them in person until July. That all happened in April or May, somewhere in there so we're still getting to know each other," Pair said. "I'm getting to know them and still figuring out what their abilities are and they're learning me as a coach and my personality and what my expectations are."
Bringing in an all-new coaching staff added to the learning curve for both players and coaches, especially so with the junior high competing as a member of the 6A West Conference.
"We're all new. We have three all new coaches. Coach Anna Johnson is brand new. She's the head junior high coach. Coach Angie Browning is our new seventh grade coach," Pair said. "So, really with our schedule and junior high being in the 6A West and they're gone somewhere different every night that I play, I really haven't had the chance, I don't have an assistant. They're not in the same practice time as with me and me not with them so we're all kind of doing it on our own right now and we hope there's some change with that in the future."
With no coaches returning from the 2019 season, Pair relied upon returning players for scouting reports on opponents.
"That's been unique to it, too, because I had no idea what anybody had," Pair said.
He coped by coming in a day or so before each match and admitting to his team, "Hey girls, I don't know anything about them. What do they have?"
Pair and the returning players talked about each opponent trying to figure out who graduated and who hadn't on the opposing teams to build strategy and develop a game plan.
Following seventh grade and junior high matches against Bentonville Fulbright Junior High on Monday, Sept. 21, Pair noted the Lady Cardinals have weathered a storm within a storm.
But we're exactly halfway, we've played everybody once. We're sitting at 4-4 in conference in fourth place. It's not where we want to be, it's not our expectations, but we've got the second half to go. We've got eight more conference matches and we're looking forward to it.
