As the Girls Volleyball Team begins a strong season, with a 5-3 record and impressive wins against York and Wheaton-Warrenville South, fans have seen a new face on the sidelines. Oak Park and River Forest High School has appointed Symone Speech as head coach for the 2025-2026 season and beyond.
A 2015 graduate of OPRF, Speech went on to play Division I volleyball at Georgetown University and later played professionally in Italy and Germany. Speech recorded 1,358 career kills and had 373 career blocks while at Georgetown University, according to the Concordia University Athletics.
At the professional level, Speech was a key contributor to her team’s victory in the German Cup and German Supercup in 2022. Now back at OPRF, Speech says that she “definitely want[s] to win conference and go as far as possible.”
Speech described her coaching style as “patient but very firm,” stressing that it is important for her to stay calm when coaching. “I’ve found that consistency matters more than emotion. When emotions lead, kids can miss the message. But when I’m steady, they’re able to listen, trust and grow from what I’m saying,” she said.
Speech’s coaching style, as well as her personality off the court, has been a subject for praise by many of her players. Senior Channing Smith, a key outside-hitter for the Huskies and a Macalester College commit, said, “She has this really invitational personality. She never makes you feel like you’re less than someone.”
Smith added, “Symone doesn’t only coach skill…she helps us with our focus, confidence and mental strength on the court during tough games.”
Senior Samantha Shelton, a two-year returning varsity player and Seton Hall University commit, reiterated Smith’s point, also saying that Speech is a “very positive person and she always believes in you…Having your coach believe in you and help you to want to reach your highest potential will really help us get to a higher point than people will expect us to.”
Speech said she values her OPRF background, noting that because she grew up in Oak Park, she can connect with her team about what it’s like to live here. “Oak Park is a special place, but growing up here as a teenager gives you a different perspective. I know firsthand what that is like,” she said.
Players draw inspiration from Speech’s story. Smith said, “I think it’s really inspiring to have a coach that played at the professional level and also that went through the same high school program that we did, so she knows firsthand how to succeed at every level.”
Speech and the Huskies will now focus on building on the success of last year and reaching even higher levels this season. Last year, the Huskies were 3-3 in conference and beat Lyons Township High School in the regional round, before eventually going out to the Downers Grove North Trojans in the first round of sectionals. This year’s roster consists entirely of juniors and seniors, bringing experience to the lineup.
Key players on the team include senior setter Erin Dwyer, senior libero Kate Bailitz and junior outside hitter Emmi Bozarth, as well as Smith and Shelton. Regarding the returning players, Shelton said, “It will help us to connect on the court and off the court…I just think it will create a tighter culture.”
Speech and the team are aiming to win the conference this year and go down to state. But Speech said her main goal is to leave it all on the court: “I just want to come out of it knowing that I did everything I could for the program and for the girls.”
