SYRACUSE — Wawasee athletic director Steve Wiktorowski announced a new volleyball coach for the high school Thursday afternoon.

Kayla Riportella, a 2012 graduate of Illinois’ Maine West High School, has been hired as both the new volleyball coach and as a full time language arts teacher starting for the next school year. Riportella was an assistant coach on staff last season for Wawasee and played in college during her time at Goshen College.

“Kayla clearly distinguished herself in the interview process as a very mature and intelligent young coach with a strong background in the sport,” Wiktorowski said in a statement to local media. “The hiring committee definitely felt she showed she is ready for the position. Having been an assistant here, she is already familiar with our players and it is always a real positive to have a head coach teach at our school.

“She has impressed many people in the short amount of time she has served here with work both on the court and in the classroom. We are excited to see what she will do in our program and school now that she will be here on a permanent basis.”

Riportella takes over a program that went 3-27 between coach Chris Cole and interim head coach Ryan Edgar.