Huss hires pair of young coaches

GASTONIA — The extent of Ashlei Lowman’s coaching experience is nothing but a couple of summers helping out with an 8-and-under AAU team.

So why was Hunter Huss willing to take a chance on Lowman as its varsity girls basketball head coach?

“I think because I’m young and I want to build a program, and I think they want to build a program,” Lowman said. “I’m very motivated to do the job no matter what.”

Lowman was one of two young coaches Hunter Huss announced this week. Tracey Player was hired to take over the volleyball program.

Lowman replaces Jan Wiggins, who called it quits after 21 years and seven conference championships. Lowman, 23, graduated from Appalachian State in May and will teach physical education. She was an all-conference guard at East Burke, where she played four years of varsity basketball before graduating in 2005. Lowman then played two years at Lenoir-Rhyne University in Hickory before transferring to Appalachian State.

Lowman wants to teach her players not only the fundamentals of the game but also life lessons that will apply off the court.

Player, 23, succeeds Kristi Cochran, who resigned early in the summer. A Hendersonville native, Player taught U.S. history and psychology at Hunter Huss this past school year but did not coach. She played volleyball one season at Western Carolina University after a distinguished prep career at North Henderson High School, where she was named team MVP as a senior. After a year at Western Carolina, she transferred to UNC Charlotte to finish her college education as a N.C. Teaching Fellow Scholarship recipient.

“I am really excited just from the past two days of tryouts,” Player said. “We have a lot of girls with great potential, and I’m excited to see what we can do.”

Player previously served as junior varsity head coach at Mount Pleasant High School, where she completed her student teaching.

You can reach Phillip Gardner at 704-869-1843.