PM Volleyball Head Coach Touts ‘Team Unity, Hustle’
After guiding the Parry McCluer High School junior varsity team last fall, Jilane Hall has moved up to become the head coach of the varsity team.
Hall, 24, formerly Jilane Pedersen before getting married last summer, was hired late this spring and replaces Jessie Jolley Moala, who stepped down after three years as head coach.
Moala, 33, who guided the Blues to a 15-12 record last fall and their first Pioneer District tournament title in nearly two decades, chose to stop coaching so that she can focus on earning her master’s degree in administration and supervision from the University of Virginia. She also resigned so that she can spend more time with her 4-year-old daughter, Lea. Moala will continue to teach biology at PM and plans to continue to cheer on the team as a fan.
“I will miss the girls and the relationships that develop leading a team,” said Moala. “I also love this sport and will miss being around it. These girls are special, and I have been honored to be a part of their journey.”
Also stepping down is assistant coach Michelle Mahaffey. Moala said she and Mahaffey “worked incredibly hard to forge a solid program.” Moala added that winning the district title for the first time since 2005, despite going 6-4 in the district during the regular season, “is no small accomplishment.”
“This team has also been a major part of my young daughter’s life for the entire time she’s been on this earth,” added Moala.
Meanwhile, Moala said she was optimistic about turning the program over to Hall, whom she got to work with for one season. “Jilane is very knowledgeable about the game,” said Moala. “She has played most of her life and had a successful college career. Although she is a young coach, she is full of passion for the sport and for making the girls better players. I think she learned a lot last year and will teach the girls even more skills this year.”
Hall played for the Southern Virginia University women’s volleyball team for five years before graduating in 2024. At 6-foot, she used her height to be an effective middle blocker. As a junior, Hall was first in the USA South Athletic Conference in block assists with 62 and second in total blocks with 97, and was named to the USA South Women’s Volleyball All-Sportsmanship Team. During Hall’s senior year, the Knights went 22-12 overall and 15-3 in the conference, winning the conference title before falling to Trinity University in the first round of the NCAA Division III tournament.
Hall was also a member of the women’s outdoor track and field team, competing in the high jump, triple jump, long jump and javelin throw.
She grew up in St. Louis, Mo. and played club volleyball while at Valley Park High School. Hall chose SVU because the school aligned with her Mormon faith. She reached out to SVU head coach Debby Baker while in high school. Baker, now in her eighth year as the Knights’ head coach, watched film of Hall’s club team and saw the team struggled, but she was impressed with Hall and saw potential in her. “I just loved the faith she had in me,” said Hall.
Hall said Baker “helped me grow so much, and she is a really good role model of how to be a good coach.” She said Baker was “a tough love coach. She’s strong with the girls, but pushes them to become their best.”
Hall met her husband, Jayton, while at SVU. Jayton, who graduated this spring, was a member of the men’s volleyball team, which won its first national title in late April. Jayton earned a double major in political science and psychology and is currently job searching.
Jilane, who majored in art and minored in creative writing, is a graphic designer for her mother’s interfaith nonprofit organization. Last year, Jilane applied to be an assistant coach for PM’s JV team, but she wound up becoming the head coach after former JV head coach Carrington Buchanan stepped down.
At the end of the season, to prepare the varsity team for the district tournament, Jilane practiced with them while directed by the other coaches. ‘It was a fun opportunity,” she said.
Following an open gym last Thursday, Jilane said she was getting to know the likely varsity players. “There are a lot that I didn’t see play very much, but we’re focused on hard work, never giving up, being scrappy, going for everything, being fearless, not being scared to hit the ground, not being scared to mess up,” she said. “I want to push them to be the best they can while having fun.”
Jilane has brought along one of her former SVU teammates, Taryn Kartchner, to serve as an assistant coach. Kartchner, who graduated from SVU in 2021, played two seasons with Jilane and has experience as an assistant coach for SVU. “She was a great role model, and I knew that she’d be a good asset,” said Jilane. “I love having her coaching with me.”
The JV head coach will be Sydney Cullen, a 2021 PM graduate who played volleyball for the Blues, while Marcie Carte returns as an assistant JV coach.
Looking forward to the season, which will start in late August, Jilane said, “I’m happy to be here. I’m happy to learn. I’m excited. It’ll be fun. It’ll be different.”
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