West Stokes Alum Dawn Lawson hired to revive Wildcat Volleyball

KING — West Stokes High School has named Dawn Lawson its new head volleyball coach, the school announced this summer. A 2005 West Stokes graduate, Lawson becomes the program's third head coach in three seasons and inherits a roster coming off one of its most difficult years in recent memory.

The Wildcats finished 5-17 last season under KJ Balmforth, going winless in conference play for the first time in over a decade. The skid marked a sharp departure from a stretch of sustained success that had defined the program under the leadership of Jordan Stevens. Prior to last season, West Stokes had posted six consecutive winning records, including a peak of 24 wins in 2019 and 20 wins in 2023. The last losing season before 2024 came in 2018-19, when the Wildcats finished 8-18.