PINCKNEYVILLE — Mike Layne won more than 500 matches in 20 years in two different stints as Murphysboro’s head volleyball coach. After stepping aside and spending a year as a volunteer assistant at SIU, Layne is back in the high school game–this time 20 miles further north on Route 127 in Pinckneyville.

Layne takes over a Lady Panthers team that returns a ton of talent from last year’s 30-win squad that advanced to the sectional finals before falling to eventual state runner up Breese Mater Dei. He replaces Cathy Kohnen who resigned to take a teaching position at Breese Central.

With the volleyball season moved to the spring, Layne and the Lady Panthers are taking full advantage of the contact days here in the fall. The players are learning a new system, while the coach is getting a better idea of the talent he has at his direction.