Since she was four years old, Lacy’s daughter played basketball, but at the age of 10 she asked to try volleyball. Lacy contacted the local recreation facility and the manager asked if she would be interested in coaching her daughter’s team. With a full time office job in Real Estate and Property Management in Greenville, South Carolina, Lacy agreed to give it a try. After receiving some training with local high school coaches, and getting a basic understanding of the game and how to teach the basics for 10U play from YouTube, Lacy was as ready as she could be to coach her first season of rec volleyball.
Lacy’s daughter began playing at a higher level, and move into club volleyball, advancing quickly in the sport, as did Lacy.
“I began to learn the rules and gain a greater understanding and a love of the game in my own right. Learning to keep score (bookkeeping) in middle school, high school and club was my first entry into the officiating side of the sport. The year that COVID cut my daughter’s 15s season short, and we were working diligently on recruiting efforts for collegiate play, I made a decision that I wanted to continue my own journey with volleyball and become an Official,” said Lacy.
Lacy continued to work really hard at her craft, growing in her knowledge of the sport by studying the rules and casebook, shadowing and asking questions. She officiated her second club season in 2024, working almost every weekend, traveling more, working outside of the region and three sessions at AAU Nationals.
At her first training session for her region, Lacy was unranked and had the pleasure and honor to be coached and mentored by some of the best in the sport: nationally ranked officials Luis Martinez, Suzanne Dodd and the world renowned Suzanne Lowry! Suzanne Dodd gave Lacy her first Fox40 whistle, Suzanne Lowry gave Lacy her first set of Molten flags, and Luis Martinez presented her with her Region patch 3 years later.
“I decided to work for SCHSL and also joined PAVO. In fall of 2024, I worked multiple middle and high school matches and was certified as an NCAA Scorer and Line Judge and worked several matches in that league including scoring NCAA DI level matches,” added Lacy.
Lacy officiates almost every weekend from late December thru May and into June with club tournaments. When people ask her why she works so much, she says that “Officiating doesn’t feel like a job but more like a hobby that pays. And not just monetarily, I get a joy in working with and learning from such amazing officials. I have enjoyed traveling to and visiting other states and just the flexibility of choosing my schedule. I have met so many wonderful people from all over the world through this sport. I also enjoy working with the athletes and the coaches. There’s a bit of coaching and mentoring as we engage with our work teams. Everyone has been so encouraging and helpful.”
As a volleyball parent, Lacy didn’t always understand and appreciate what all an Official had to do. So now she understands that Officials work hard, long days and they are human. She encourages athletes, parents and coaches to give grace and be kind, because Officials are there for the athletes and they love the sport just as much as the player, coaches and the parents do.
Lacy met fellow Official, Lindsay Cool, when their daughters played the 14s season together and she was the assistant coach. Their girls became best friends and remained so even when their club and volleyball paths moved in different directions, as did Lindsay and Lacy. They began their officiating journeys around the same time and started planning their schedules together so that they could ride and room together at tournaments. The two started setting their goals for advancement together and worked extremely hard, earning their Regional Certifications together this season.
This season, Lacy officiated at the JVA World Challenge in Louisville. She had been there as a parent a couple of times and it was one of her and her daughter’s favorite events. In 2002, her daughter competed in 18 Premier with Axis Elite and earned 3rd place in GOLD!
JVA recognizes and rewards Officials through the JVA Officials’ Reward Program, open to all certified Officials, from beginner to most experienced.
“I had just as great of a time at my first JVA hosted event as an Official. The tournament was very well organized and I felt JVA took amazing care of us with food and accommodations and our schedules as well. I was excited to learn of the Officials Reward Program and I look forward to working more events and earning incentives for doing what I already love!” shared Lacy.
“As an Official now, I love it when players recognize me from one tournament to the next and say “we love it when you ref our team!” I am a Words of Affirmation person, so I definitely recall each time a coach, player, parent or a cadre gives me a compliment on my officiating and validates that I am fair and consistent and that I make good calls!”
