Jasper High School announced today that the Vikings have hired Kellye Bowen to be their new volleyball coach. Bowen comes to the Class 5A school from Spain Park, where she had been head coach since 2014.

Bowen is a graduate of Curry High School – also in Walker County – where she was all-state in volleyball, softball and basketball. She played collegiately at Mississippi State.

She led 7A Spain Park to the 2021 state volleyball title and took the Jaguars to a runner-up finish, three Elite Eight appearances and five Super Regionals. Spain Park won four area titles. The 2021 team was ranked fifth nationally.

Before Spain Park, Bowen coached St. James in Montgomery to the 4A Elite Eight and to the state tournament semifinals in 2013.

“When we began this process, our goal was to provide the student athletes the very best volleyball coach and person in the state of Alabama to lead them,” Jasper athletic director Jonathan A. Jordan said in a news release. “We believe we have exceeded our expectations with the hiring of coach Bowen. We have a strong history of volleyball success in Jasper and look to build on that past while being fully focused on the future of Viking volleyball.”

Bowen will also serve as an assistant athletic director at Jasper.

She replaces Bobby Daniels, who resigned on Sept. 20 after a dispute with the school administration that he said concerned playing time for members of his team. Daniels led Jasper to Class 5A state championships in 2018 and 2019 with a 6A runner-up finish in 2017. He had been head coach since 2015. Destiny Vice served as interim coach for the Vikings this season.