Submitted photos – Haylen Guynup, right, and McKinleyville head coach Ashley Washburn at the player’s recent letter signing ceremony.

By Ray Hamill — Sometimes the right coach can make all the difference for an athlete.

After missing out on a spot on the McKinleyville High varsity volleyball team as recently as her junior year, Haylen Guynup is now taking her talents to the college courts after signing a letter of intent to play at Santa Rosa JC.

And it her coach’s influence that put her on the path to success.

Guynup admits she was disappointed not to make the varsity roster in 2022, and she spent that season playing JV under the guidance of that team’s head coach Ashley Washburn.

In her senior year, however, both Guynup and Washburn made the move up to varsity and it was a relationship that paid off big time and put the Mack standout on the path to success.

“Honestly it was for the best,” Guynup said of not making the varsity roster in 2022. “Ashley was our JV coach and she really put a lot of work and effort into building our program.

“Ashley proved to me I could move on to the next level. She’s a great coach. Without her I don’t know if I’d be in this position.”

Washburn was equally impressed with the player’s commitment to the game and the work she put into getting better.

“She’s incredible,” the McKinleyville head coach said. “She’s a very mature young lady and she’s incredibly dedicated. I’m so proud of her for choosing to take on college athletics.”

That maturity and dedication helped Guynup improve as a player, and in just two years she went from not even making the varsity team to being recruited by a very competitive college program.

Washburn played a role in the recruiting process, and, according to Guynup, it was the coach who reached out to Santa Rosa coach Ally Sather on her behalf.

But she wasn’t the only person to play a part in the process.

“My cousin Alexis (Fisher) played volleyball for Santa Rosa and said good things about it,” said Guynup, who was considering other options at the time. “And then [Sather] reached out to me and wanted me to come down to watch them play.”

The McKinleyville senior obliged and visited the campus for a visit this spring.

And she was immediately sold on taking her talents down there.

“She asked me if would play with them and I did and it went well,” Guynup said. “It was awesome and that was the first time I felt genuinely excited about going to college and my plans for next year.”

Guynup, who plans on majoring in communications with a focus on legal studies and someday becoming a lawyer, immediately liked both the team and campus.

“It’s a huge school,” she said. “Coach Ally, she’s awesome, and she gave me a tour of the campus and it was pretty cool.”

The Santa Rosa coach had first seen Guynup play in a camp at Sonoma State last summer and had shown some immediate interest.

Guynup says she will continue to play middle blocker for the Bear Cubs and also could see some time as an outside hitter, but no matter where she plays she’s looking forward to the challenge and the college experience.

And her high school coach has no doubt she has the tools and attitude to succeed.

“I think she’ll be successful,” said Washburn, who praised the player’s work ethic. “She’s definitely an overachiever. She’ll play any role she’s given. She’s just happy to be there.”

Guynup also says she will miss her teammates and the support she received during her playing days at McKinleyville High.

“I really loved my teammates,” she said. “And I wish we could all continue playing together because I feel there’s lots of great athletes and opportunities for people on my team.” 

As for the biggest influence on her career, it comes back to the coach.

“My biggest influence has definitely been Ashley,” Guynup said. “Without Ashley I don’t think I would have succeeded. She pushed me really hard.

“And honestly our student section,” she added with a chuckle. “They showed up every game.”

As for her expectations at Santa Rosa, Guynup is staying grounded but is determined to do as well as she can.

“I’m going to keep my expectations pretty low,” she said. “But as the year goes on I’d like to prove myself and work hard. I want to work to get better.”

And Washburn believes she will.

“I’m so excited for her, and can’t wait to see her play in college,” the coach said.