BILLINGS — It was an opportunity Kelly Grossman just couldn’t pass up: the chance to lead one of the state’s best volleyball programs at Billings West, featuring a bunch of girls she’s known for almost a decade, including one she’s particularly close with.
But the service line isn’t the only boundary she’s focused on.
"I happen to know my coach a little bit," Kourtney Grossman said cheekily.
Kourtney knows she has a bit of a spotlight on her now as a coach’s kid, but Kourtney and her mom are doing their best to not bring work home with them.
"I try to never talk about practice or volleyball at home," Kelly said. "I need her to always know that she’s my daughter and that I love her and that’s more important than anything that happens in volleyball."
Love is great and all, but Kourtney may be more concerned with something else.
"I’m just trying to work hard for her and hoping she still feeds me dinner at night," she said with a smile.
The two have had a long time to get used to the coach-kid relationship - Kelly has coached Kourtney and many of her teammates since their club volleyball days in fourth grade, which made Kelly’s decision in April to take the open Billings West High head coaching job an easy one.
"I just have a huge love for these girls,” she said. "This was a time that worked for our family for me to step into this role, and I felt there was no better time than with a group I’m already super familiar with."
The decision might have been hardest on dad.
"My husband loves to chat about it," Kelly said, "and there's been a couple times I have had to shut him down and squash that."
"He’s really curious, because he's excited for her," Kourtney added. "He’ll ask and we have to keep it short, so he knows some but not the full story."
This story wouldn’t be complete without talking about Kourtney’s other hurdle: back-to-back left ACL injuries in February and September 2021. It cost her the end of her freshman basketball season, plus basically all of her sophomore sports year. But she’s back and still only has one speed.
"You have to jump in and be all in right away," she said.
The Grossmans always are.
