MOULTRIE – Julia Okongwu was an outstanding basketball player at Tift County, East Georgia and Albany State.

She’s hoping she can have similar success in another new sport, having been named Colquitt County’s head volleyball coach this spring.

Coach O, as she is called, did not play the sport in high school or college, but got familiar with it while at Albany State and has been the Lady Packers junior varsity coach the last two seasons.

She will put her knowledge to the test for the first time when Colquitt County plays host to Mitchell County at 6 p.m. Tuesday. Two days later, Valdosta will pay a visit.

For the record, athletic director Greg Tillery and head girls basketball coach Rondesha Williams have both said publicly that they believe she can get the job done.

Okongwu has also served as a basketball assistant to Williams the last two seasons.

The young coach said she has felt “a little overwhelmed” at times at having to take over a three-year-old program as the community and the school deals with the effects of COVID-19.

“But I’m excited,” she said.

Having worked as the junior varsity coach for two seasons has helped prepare her for her first head coaching job. And she is getting plenty of encouragement from Williams, who has been Colquitt County’s head basketball coach for 13 seasons.

“She is awesome,” she said of Williams. “She has been mentoring me. She is a great woman.”

Okongwu also has turned to her brother for coaching tips on occasion. Her brother is Israel Troupe, former Tift County and University of Georgia football star who also was an assistant football coach at Colquitt County in 2015.

Troupe is currently the offensive coordinator for the Valwood football team in Valdosta.

Okongwu played basketball for Julie Conner at Tift County, where she also was on the track team. She graduated in 2010.

After two years at East Georgia, she finished her collegiate basketball career at Albany State under Robert Skinner, who helped introduce her to volleyball.

Colquitt County’s volleyball team was led the last two years by the husband-and-wife duo of Ron and Sarah Fowler, who returned to Jackson County, where they had previously coached, after last season.

The Lady Packers went 3-23 in the Fowlers’ first season, but improved to 10-22 last season.

The program is still seeking its first Region 1-7A victory.

Okongwu said her players have been diligent about attending practices, even during this time of uncertainty.

“They are adjusting to the COVID procedures and they’ve been listening and adjusting to new coaches,” she said. “We are all just trying to go with the flow.”

She is hoping the team will be able to play its full schedule this fall.

“The girls really have been grinding and staying positive,” she said. “It will be heartbreaking if we don’t get to play.”

The Colquitt County varsity team includes Autumn Hampton, Ashley Ma, Adrienne Johnston, Azeneth Villalobos, Shadasia Reynolds, My’Eisha Stokes, Sarah Glass, Ginny Cannon, Shelly Azar, Ava Dickens, Takiya Tuff, Lilly Fykes, Kennedy Fillyaw and manager Isela Garcia.

Hampton, Glass, Reynolds, Azar, Fykes and Fillyaw return from the 2019 team.

Playing on coach Katlynne Waldrop’s junior varsity team, which opened its season on Saturday, are Brianna Smith, Jessie Blair, Wynn Kinsey, Jose Wade, Claire Slocumb, Kate Summerlin, Emily Boatright, Stormy Walker, Jaina Turner, Natalie Bryan, Summer Allbrooks, Jewelia Chambers, Melanie Harp, Zoe Grace, Olivia Davis and Heaven Robinson.

The middle school team is coached by Elaine Krivsky. Her roster includes Jessie Eunice, Adriana Melendez, Samantha Miley, Zoie Hampton, Julia Costin, Clara Newton, Ny’Asia Harper, Nyreunia McIntyre, Juliette Turner, Reese Webb, Jaden Ragland, Rose Schwartz, Anna Hiers, Alicea Cochran, Ella Crawford, Layra Neloms and Sadie Saunders.