Aubrey Wilson has come home to Kansas Wesleyan. Literally.
 
Home, though, does not look like it did when she departed.
 
"I don't think I ever left this place," said Wilson, who was hired in January. "I was here for the same amount of hours as my parents pretty much. I grew up in the gym and now I'm living in the gym."
 
Wilson's constant presence from 2001-2003 was the result of her mother Cary's job as the Coyotes' volleyball coach and her father Doug was the assistant. They coached the women's basketball teams during that same span.
 
"It's back home and some familiar faces," Wilson said. "David Toelle (Associate Athletic Director for Athletic Communications) was here when my parents were, so he used to watch me run around the halls.
 
"None of these offices and halls were here. That nice new gym (Mabee Arena) wasn't there and there were wooden bleachers in the old (Muir) Gym."
 
Wilson is once again "running around the halls" and spending long hours on the court in Mabee Arena as a second-generation head coach. She arrives after spending last fall at William Woods (Mo.) and leading the Owls to a 19-12 record, 10-8 in their first season in the rugged Heart of America Conference.
 
Wilson has been busy recruiting and preparing her team for the upcoming season that begins August 21 with first of five matches in three days in San Antonio in the Our Lady of the Lake Halo Classic.
 
"I got a spring with the team and that was fun," she said. "They're super hard workers and they really bought into the program. A lot of new changes for them but I think that they really embrace the opportunity. I've seen a few of them this summer at camps and they're looking forward to moving in and getting started."
 
Before William Woods, Wilson spent three seasons at Seward County Community College, one as an assistant and two as head coach. She also coached for three years at Henderson State (Ark.).
 
Wilson's new team has a handful of returning players from last season, and she is counting on newcomers to step in immediately.
 
"Our two middles will be returning, Avery (Conner) and Camryn (Lewis) along with (setter) Blair (Pennington) who ran some of the offense for them last year," she said. "(Outside hitter) Ryan Pennington and (libero) Tristyn Hedman are also back.
 
"We've got quite a few defensive specialists returning that can compete for that libero job. That's exciting because I've told the girls of all my schools this is probably the best back row that I've ever coached and so that's something to look forward to."
 
A pair of transfers headline the list of new arrivals. Both accompanied Wilson from William Woods – outside hitter Ivi Marcolino and right side hitter Giovanna Ishii, both natives of Sao Paulo, Brazil.
 
"(Marcolino and Ishii) played under me so they understand my expectations. They'll be able to lead in that department a little bit as upperclassmen," Wilson said.
 
Wilson said she plans to use the non-conference schedule to determine who can do what during game situations.
 
"I've had this conversation with the team; we may see a different lineup for a few weeks just until we figure out what's going to work best for us," she said. "The great thing about NAIA volleyball is I have unlimited subs. We'll get to play around with that for a little bit before we get into (Kansas) Conference play."
 
Wilson says the KCAC is much improved.
 
"KCAC volleyball has really come to the top of the NAIA," she said. "You saw McPherson, Oklahoma Wesleyan and Bethel all take a shot at the national tournament last year. Evangel was up there for a bit as well, and so I think that it's exciting.
 
"We're going to have to prep for each team the same. There are no days off for the next few months."
 
The schedule is brutal early on. The Coyotes play their first six matches on the road, play two at home, then seven of the next eight on the road.
 
"I think that traveling is really important at the college level because you play other competition to prepare you for conference. When we get to postseason, they'll know what those hard five-set matches or four games in two days are like," Wilson said. "I also think it's really important for the student-athlete to experience going to those places and playing those tournaments and getting out of this central location."
 
Graduate student Leslie Jerez and men's volleyball coach Brandon Stephenson will assist Wilson. 
 
"(Jerez) played at Alabama A&M and played for me at Seward County. She's from the Dominican Republic," Wilson said. "Brandon is going to help out in places that we need and fill in whenever needed."