Mangs face off in Stow

The sisters are Fitch
graduates and high school volleyball assistant coaches.

By JOHN KOVACH

VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF

STOW — Allegiances will be divided in the Mang family Tuesday when the Boardman High volleyball team meets Cuyahoga Falls in a district tournament semifinal match at Stow High.

But John and Cindy Mang will try to be as diplomatically neutral as possible when they watch their daughters — Stacie and Katie — square off on opposite sides of the court as assistant coaches for the Spartans and Black Tigers, respectively.

Last season, the two sisters, who played volleyball for Fitch High under former coach Tom Case, were coaching mates on the Fitch volleyball coaching staff (Katie as coach and Stacie as assistant).

Now they will be trying to help guide their teams into the district final (Thursday at 6 p.m.).

“I am assistant commissioner for the Federal League, so I am going for the Federal League [Boardman],” said John Mang, who is an area volleyball official.

Cindy, also a volleyball official, is grateful that her daughters have continued to develop their volleyball careers.

“I appreciate the job that [former Fitch High coach] Tom Case has done teaching them volleyball, and am enjoying seeing them climb the ladder in volleyball,” Cindy said.

Tuesday’s matchup will be very special to the sisters in two other ways.

“This is the first time that they will be opponents on the volleyball court as players and coaches,” Mang said. “They will be going into a district [Stow] that they never have lost in as players.”

Stacie, a Youngstown State student who played volleyball for the Penguins for one season, played in the Stow district four years for Fitch.

Katie, a Kent State graduate who played volleyball for the Golden Flashes, played in the Stow district three years.

kovach@vindy.com