The Wright City volleyball team will be under the direction of new leadership when it kicks off the season at home on Aug. 28.James Baker, who served as middle school volleyball coach last season, has been promoted to the varsity role. He replaces Todd Gambill, who resigned after amassing an 18-30 record over two seasons.“In the end his energy and passion for wanting to coach made a pretty big impact,” said Athletic Director Doug Smith. “I’m excited about the job he’s going to do.”Baker says he is eager to take over a program that has been on the rise in recent years. The past three seasons have seen a progression from one win to five and finally to a winning record in 2013.“I feel like the varsity and junior varsity are both going to be real good teams, because we’ve got some solid players who play club all year round, which gives us an advantage,” said Baker, a special education teacher in the district.Smith says he has been pleased with the direction the program is heading in and is optimistic“We’ve made a lot of progress in volleyball in the last few years,” said Smith. “It’s definitely ascending, and we want someone who is excited and passionate about it.”Baker, who played hockey for 18 years, is a graduate of Hazelwood Central. He earned his degree from Southeast Missouri State University, where he says he developed a passion for volleyball while playing in the intramural league.“I coached middle school and had a fairly successful season and learned a lot,” said Baker. “I’m looking forward to learning a lot more about the game and being in more of a competitive atmosphere compared to middle school.”Baker has been hosting open gyms twice a week and has seen an increase in numbers.“I’m excited about this season and I think we’ve got a chance to be pretty solid,” said Smith. “We didn’t lose a lot in terms of seniors, and have a lot of underclassmen coming in.”BAKER TAKES OVERDerrick Forsythe photo.