CARROLLWOOD — The Chinchars have spent most of their lives on a volleyball court, coaching and being coached. This season, they will do it together for the last time.
Doug and Sarah Chinchar, longtime coaches in the area, said this will be their final season leading Carrollwood Day School, ending a 30-year run on the bench. Their youngest daughter, Lydia, one of the state’s top outside hitters, graduates in the spring and will play at Kansas State.
“It’s probably going to be a tough senior night,” said Doug, who is 248-115 in his career, including 16 seasons combined at Bishop McLaughlin and Carrollwood Day. “And because I’m the coach, I have to talk (to the crowd), and when (our oldest daughter) Naomi graduated, that was rough. So, now to see my (other) daughter finally go through that — bittersweet.
“But,” he added, “now we can just be parents and fans in the stands. We’ve never really done that for either (Naomi or Lydia). And we’re looking forward to that.”
They won’t have to wait long for a reason to buy tickets. Naomi will be a senior at Army next season before beginning her military service, and the family asked Kansas State about putting the two programs on the same schedule. It worked: The sisters will meet for the first time to open the 2027 season.
“I feel like the other day, I was just a freshman and she was on the team, too,” Lydia said. “It’s kind of crazy to think it’s almost over, but I’m super excited (for Kansas State) and I’m super excited (to play Naomi) because not only will it be my first-ever (collegiate) match, it will be my first against her. It’s going to be cool.”
First comes one more title push. The Patriots, who won the Class 3A championship in 2023 behind Naomi, Lydia and sisters Sarah and Elena Dibbs-Frantz — now at VCU and UCF, respectively — are chasing a state crown in Class 2A.
Doug is doing it with one of his smallest rosters, just nine players, which puts a premium on health and on running the offense through Lydia.
“We need a miracle,” he said. “We have nine kids. Our school is one of the smallest 2A schools. We’re going to have to have all our kids play the perfect game every game. I do think we have a good shot. But, oh, my goodness, we can’t fail here. If we’re not all over (the game), we’re going to be in trouble. But, you know, we got Lydia.”
Lydia, a starter since eighth grade with 1,775 career kills, is nearly impossible to defend, Doug said — and that is not just a proud father talking. At 6-foot-2, with her reputation and volleyball IQ, she would draw a game plan no matter who else was on the roster.
“How do you hide (her)?” Doug said. “It doesn’t matter, if there are three up on the net, we’re running. When she lines up someplace, if they serve a certain area, Lydia is smart enough and fast enough to get someplace else.”
Chasing a miracle, Doug said, beats defending one. The 2023 run came with expectations attached.
“This year will be more fun, in general, more of a challenge,” he said, “plus it’s Lydia’s last year.”
Lydia calls the season bittersweet, too.
“We have a lot of young players,” she said. “We’re going to have to work real hard this year to get that title again. But I think if we work hard in the gym every day, and I think, as a group, if we come together as one, we should do pretty well.
“I am going to miss (playing at CDS with my parents) though.”