Dominique Atherley will be the new head coach of the Bainbridge High girls varsity volleyball team, school officials announced late Wednesday.

Atherley takes over following the departure of Head Coach Holly Rohrbacher, who has guided the squad for the past two years.

Atherley is no stranger to the Spartans. She has been the C-team coach for girls volleyball, and is a former standout Spartan athlete in her time at Bainbridge High.

“Dominique is an excellent tactical coach of the sport,” said BHS Athletic Director Kaycee Taylor. “She also understands the type of athletes we have at BHS, the level of competitiveness in the Metro League and how to maximize the assets she has available to her.

“I am impressed with her thoughtfulness, passion, understanding of the game, eagerness to learn, and to take the past history and traditions of the volleyball program and to develop a plan to make them even better,” Taylor said.

Atherley graduated from BHS in 2009, and was a varsity letter winner from 2009 to 2011 at the University of Redlands, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in environmental science.

She was also captain of the woman’s volleyball club at Simon Fraser University, where she received a master’s in resource and environmental management.

Taylor said Atherley came highly recommended by two former head coaches for Bainbridge High, and has been a key figure in developing players for several high school and club programs in Kitsap County.

Taylor said BHS is now looking to fill the void left by Atherley at the C-team coaching position and is actively seeking qualified candidates.