SPECIAL REPORT: How former Kofa volleyball star is rebuilding Yuma alongside former head coach

It's not often you see a star from one high school go on to coach at their arch rival, but Isabel Ponce is doing just that, and taking her former head coach along for the ride.

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - Leading the way for the arch rival of your alma mater isn't something you see all the time in high school sports.

However, that’s what’s going on this season with Yuma Volleyball.

Former Kofa King Isabel Ponce is in her first year as head coach and the main woman guiding her along the way is her former head coach, Brittany Sasser.

Sasser and Ponce first met when Ponce was in middle school.

Ponce's talent on the court was something Sasser immediately noticed, watching her play as early as eighth grade.

"I saw her serve for the first time, and I immediately was like what school are you going to and she said Kofa, so I automatically said, 'You need to come to open gyms,'" Sasser said.

Ponce would go on to become a star with the Lady Kings. Playing all four seasons with varsity from 2016 to 2019, she went on to play for Arizona Western and Benedictine University at the college level.

Now, at just 23 years old, Ponce is the head coach at Yuma, with Sasser on staff as her assistant.

"I kind of tracked her down I was really persistent I was like please come coach and she was like I don’t know, and I was like, 'Please coach I need you,'" Ponce said.

The call to action was one Sasser immediately answered.

"So when I found out she was the varsity coach, all I wanted to do was just try to help her as much as possible," Sasser said.

Even without her help, Sasser says ponce has what it takes to lead a program.

"I knew that she would be able to learn very quickly, she would be able to be a great asset to the team and so from then on she would just be able to learn as much as possible all high school season," Sasser said.

Regardless, Ponce has been thrilled to have Sasser's wisdom on the sidelines.

"Honestly again I was ecstatic too just having her knowledge and having her and like back me up and just to help bounce ideas off each other, that was a big thing for me," Ponce said.

Record-wise, it's hasn’t been the ideal year for the Criminals, who are still winless with two games left on the schedule.

However, the two know success won’t come overnight.

"Although we don’t have the record we want, I do see improvement every game and I think that’s like just like little victories to take away from that’s really important,” Ponce said.

As for the future, Sasser is still determining whether she’ll come back next year.

Saying she’ll have to see where she's at, but if she’s able to, she would love to stay on staff.