Megan Assey knew what the expectations were at Spring Valley when she took over for the legendary Anne Long whose tenure ended with back-to-back state championships.
But the former Brookland-Cayce and River Bluff head coach dealt with plenty of adversity including injuries to key players. As a result, Spring Valley won the region title but was eliminated in the second round of the playoffs.
One year later, Assey has Spring Valley in the finals which is a product of everyone getting on the same page.
"More than anything, I'm really happy for our girls," Assey said.
"I'm really happy for them because they believe in the system and they've really bought in. Last year, I'll be the first to admit it was a huge struggle for them and for me, just transitioning. Change is hard for everyone and this year, to take that on and they've really embraced it. They;ve had tremendous work ethic, good attitudes and we do feel like we've built a strong culture in a sense of what it took to get us back to this level and where we want it to be."
Spring Valley guard/forward Taylor Lewis says this second year under Assey has been a complete 180-degree turn in terms of staying healthy and everyone accepting their roles.
"We finally found out how she works and she found out how we work," Lewis said.
"It was easier for us to come together and learn from her."
Spring Valley and Wade Hampton tip off at 7:00 p.m. at the Colonial Life Arena.