Olympia volleyball coach gets win No. 150 -- Observer Preps

Perhaps more than anything else, the significance of Mitch Sadowsky's 150th win as the head coach of Olympia High's volleyball program is that it hammers home two truths.

First, that the veteran coach has had some talented players and memorable teams come through his program.

Second, that he is, in fact, a veteran coach — with this fall representing his ninth season, he has one of the longer single-school tenures in all of Central Florida.

“I think if you’d told me nine years ago that I’d have 150 wins, I’d probably have laughed a little bit," Sadowsky said during practice this past Friday. "It is a pretty cool accomplishment when you take a couple minutes to look around and see what you’ve built.

"I’ve been really fortunate to have some extremely talented teams ...  our assistant coaches, as well — I’ve been really, really fortunate to have great assistants."

Sadowsky's milestone win came without much suspense, as the Titans swept Ocoee (25-7, 25-4, 25-3) August 22 in their regular season opener.

Over his eight-plus seasons, Olympia has a 150-68 record — good for a .688 winning percentage, and an average of 18.6 wins per season.

There have been some memorable and important wins scattered throughout, including four district championship victories. Sadowsky's teams also have made the playoffs in seven of his eight complete seasons, advancing as far as the regional final on three occasions (2010, 2011 and 2013).

More than just wins and losses, the tenure has also seen players come through the program and go off to college careers, and Sadowsky recently married one of his assistant coaches, Laura Tomes Sadowsky.

By his own admission, this year's Titans (1-1) figure to be one of Sadowsky's most intriguing lineups.

Though he has had talented teams in the past, the veteran coach believes he has a unique mix of experience (five players have at least two years of varsity experience entering this season), talent and chemistry on his roster.

“The depth is there and we’re also very heavy on leadership — and it’s not just our captains," Sadowsky said. “This season is probably going to be different than any season I’ve ever had. Everybody is so talented and we’re so deep."

That talent and depth will certainly be tested this fall, though, as Sadowsky and his staff have put together a tough schedule for his program. Highlights for Olympia include games against West Orange (Aug. 31), The First Academy (Sept. 19) and district rival Dr. Phillips (Oct. 3), in addition tournaments such as the Winter Park Showcase (Sept. 15-16) and the Swing for the Cure event (Oct. 13-14).

For the moment, though, it's not a bad time for Sadowsky — an off-campus coach who, in addition to his role with Olympia, is a small business owner and trainer — to reflect on the great relationship he has had with the school.

“I can’t even begin to tell you how fortunate I’ve been to have a really supportive administration," Sadowsky said. "They’ve been great to work with."

Contact Steven Ryzewski at [email protected].