Positive Energy

Her six-foot height, leaping ability, and singular athleticism impressed the recruiters who came to call, but they also liked her burgeoning passion for the sport, dedication, coachability, and desire not just to make herself into the best player she could be but to help her Prince Edward County High School teammates improve in the process.

 

“I started volleyball in 8th grade because my best friend at the time was playing it,” said Welton-Boxley, Collegiate’s new head varsity volleyball coach. “I was really clumsy and not very good at sports, but I started loving it and became obsessive about volleyball.”

 

How obsessive?

 

Almost from the outset, she began playing year-round, attended camps, and, despite the grind, became single minded in her pursuit of excellence.

 

She even convinced her high school coach to open the Eagles’ gym on her 16th birthday so she could have a volleyball-themed party.

 

Along the way, she developed a mentality that no task was too challenging and no opponent too daunting to divert her from the course of her chosen journey.

 

“I wasn’t very technical,” she said of her early years as a player. “Athleticism is what got me recruited.”

 

Early in Welton-Boxley’s second of four varsity seasons, Jody Rogers, then Virginia Commonwealth University’s head coach, dropped by to watch her team work out and gauge her interest in one day joining the Rams’ program.

 

“I could grab and hang on the [basketball] rim when I was 15 or 16,” Welton-Boxley said. “She [Rogers] saw me do it before practice. After practice, I was tired. My vertical wasn’t as high anymore. I kept trying for about 30 minutes when she said, ‘You know, Diamond. I’ve seen it before. You don’t have to do it again.’”

 

Once Welton-Boxley caught her breath, they walked into the hallway to talk. Impressed by her drive and resilience, Rogers offered her a scholarship. Welton-Boxley responded with her verbal commitment and never wavered from her decision.

 

After starting four years at middle blocker for the Eagles and earning James River District player of the year honors and first team all-district and All-Region 2A citations, she took her game to the Siegel Center and helped the Rams win the Atlantic 10 tournament championship in 2017 and twice advance to the NCAA tournament.

 

With significant college credit already on her high school résumé, she earned a B.S. in applied mathematics as well as two graduate degrees (Master of Decision Analytics and Master of Business Administration) in her four years at VCU.

 

She now serves as a business analyst for the Federal Reserve Bank in Richmond and indulges her athletic passion as a Richmond Volleyball Club coach.

 

At Collegiate, she succeeds Rose White, who stepped down after five successful seasons and encouraged Welton-Boxley, whom she knew through RVC, to apply for the position.

 

“Diamond brings a lot of positive energy, excitement, and love for the game that the girls will enjoy and appreciate,” said Hannah Curley, Collegiate’s volleyball program leader and head JV green coach. “We already have a strong program, but with her experience, she’ll be able to come in and see what the program needs to get even better. She’s definitely ready to take on the task.”

 

What motivates Welton-Boxley to balance coaching with her professional responsibilities?

 

“I love volleyball,” she said. “If I can be around it, I want to be around it. If I can play it, I want to play it. Volleyball taught me a lot about resiliency. It taught me that I’m stronger than I think. It taught me to be a good teammate. Those are things I need in my personal life and my athletic life.”

 

There’s more.

 

“Because I’m a little bit older,” she continued, “I can’t play as much volleyball as I’d like to, but I still want to impact the sport. I started coaching because I want to empower young women to unlock their potential and unlock their goals.

 

“Volleyball isn’t all about athletic ability. It’s how you know the sport and play the sport and what kind of teammate you are.”

 

The intangibles that she developed in her early competitive years, displayed as she excelled in the classroom and on the court, and carried into her adult years play heavily into her desire to coach.

 

“Hard work pays off, and good things don’t come easy,” she said. “That’s something I’d like to pass on. I’d like to share that knowledge with girls who are interested in playing in college and even girls who aren’t. I just want to take their skill sets to the highest level that they can. That’s what motivated me to start coaching.”

 

How does one so driven and accomplished coach developing athletes?

 

“I would ask what their goals are,” she said. “Everyone is goal oriented. Everyone wants to accomplish something. We would start off with smaller goals. Slowly but surely, we’d start thinking about whether they were more passionate or intense about the sport. If they weren’t, I’d adjust my coaching style to their goals.”

 

That said…

 

“I hold my teams to a high standard and because of that, we will be competitive,” she added. “I wouldn’t pressure you to play in college, but your performance would be excellent because that’s what we’re expecting. After we accomplish the smaller goals, I’m hoping that would light a fire under them to accomplish bigger and higher goals.

 

“I’ll hold everyone to a high standard, but I want everyone to have fun with the sport.

We have all the right resources and tools, and we have a really great group of girls. I’m very excited about where Collegiate’s volleyball program can go.”

~Weldon Bradshaw