WAUSAU — In September of 2008 Betty Lange thought she was simply helping a friend finish out her high school volleyball season.
Midway through that fall, the previous coach at Newman, Alexia Poppy, accepted her dream job in the Twin Cities and needed someone to take over the Newman program.
After giving it some thought, taking time to watch the team play, Lange believed she could step in and create a seamless transition as the new head coach.
So she agreed.
What Lange didn’t realize at the time was that the decision would turn into a coaching tenure spanning nearly two decades — one that would end this year with her retirement as one of the most successful volleyball coaches in Wisconsin high school history.
“I thought I was just finishing a season,” Lange said. “The rest is history.”
History, in Lange’s case, includes 14 trips to the state tournament out of 16 seasons coached, four Gold Balls from four straight state championships from 2013-16, two Silver Balls in 2009 & 2012, then after stepping away in 2019 and returning in 2022 due to the tremendous support from Rick Svennes and the Newman Administration, she led the Cardinals to three more consecutive state appearances from 2023-25 earning two more Silver Balls.
“That’s not a bad place for your season to end,” she said about perennially ending her season at the Resch Center in Green Bay.
But for Lange, the Gold & Silver Balls — and there were eight of them — were just a fraction of the story.
Coaching was hardly ever about the trophies. It started with coaching her daughters in middle school as they showed an interest in sports.
She eventually moved into USA Junior club coaching once they became involved in that. She also coached for a year for the freshman programs at both Abbotsford and Athens.
Once her daughters were in high school, she became a WIAA official so she could stay close to the game while watching her daughters compete.
Over time, her philosophy evolved.
“I realized it isn’t just about coaching the game,” Lange said. “It’s about teaching life lessons and helping female athletes maneuver through their high school years.”
As volleyball evolves — becoming faster, more technical, more mental — Lange adapted.
Strategy evolved. Skill development evolved. The mental side of the game emerged front and center.
But one thing never wavered: culture.
Over the years, Newman volleyball has become synonymous with consistency — and not just through competitive excellence.
“It became family,” Lange said. “A sense of belonging. Being part of something bigger. We built standards that players and parents were proud to be part of.”
Pioneering generations
When Lange was a freshman in high school, Title IX , the civil rights law prohibiting sex-based discrimination in any education program or activity receiving federal funding, was in its infancy stages.
“Title IX had just been adopted, and I was one of the first female athletes in my family with the chance to compete in high school against other schools,” Lange said. “My older sisters never had that opportunity. That experience stayed with me. Female athletes deserve the chance to compete, and it’s important that the players I coach understand that. I always remind them that the opportunities they have today exist because of the women who pushed for change, and those trailblazers should never be forgotten.”
Lange said she initially didn’t try out for volleyball as a freshman because she didn’t think she would like it. Eventually she gave it a go and ended up playing through her senior year, in which her team reached the state tournament then held at UW-Oshkosh.
“We were runners-up and that was my first Silver Ball from the state volleyball tournament,” Lange said. “I didn’t have any idea there would be many more not only from when my daughters were playing (4 Gold Balls, 4 state championships) but then following throughout my coaching career at Newman.”
Lange believes that more than being recognized as a ‘championship coach’, she aspires to be recognized as a role model for her players.
“As a woman coach you don’t always get the recognition that you deserve,” Lange said. “It is sometimes hard for other coaches to see the value that female coaches bring to each of their female athletes. All of the life lessons that they are able to share with their players from their perspective are so very important during high school years.”
“As a coach you set the example for all. You create the standards, the rules, the expectations. You are the culture of your program. Leading by example was something I learned very early in my coaching career. No one will follow you if you don’t lead the way.”
That efficacious environment was something longtime Newman athletic trainer Pam Warren saw up close for years while working alongside Lange.
From the beginning, Warren said Lange carried herself with a calm confidence that stood out, class and indisputable knowledge of the game, and a rare knack of noticing the nuanced details of a match — small adjustments in platform angles, defensive positioning or gaps on the floor — things that can shift a set.
Those small observations played large roles in what made her teams so successful.
“She’s really a master of the game,” Warren said. “She’s always been a student of volleyball.”
Yet Warren said what often stood out most wasn’t Lange’s knowledge of the sport, but how she delivered it.
Lange built her teams with a steady presence.
“I never saw her raise her voice at the girls,” Warren said. “She was always calm and in control.”
Behind that calm demeanor was an immense amount of preparation. Warren said Lange spent countless hours studying film, crafting practice plans and analyzing opponents in order to get the most out of every player on the roster.
“She’s invested in the program year-round,” Warren said.
During Lange’s tenure she coached more than 40 Marawood Conference all-conference players, including four conference players of the year, one of whom earned the honor three consecutive seasons.
She also guided the 2016–17 Wisconsin Gatorade Player of the Year, 17 all-state selections and numerous WIAA state all-tournament players.
Beyond individual honors, Lange’s teams accumulated more than 430 victories in her decorated career and produced a steady pipeline of college athletes, leading to recognition in 2021 as a member of the Wisconsin Volleyball Coaches Association Hall of Fame.
“None of this success would have been possible without the dedicated coaching staff I was fortunate to have over the years, the parents who supported our program, and the talented, hardworking players who made it all worthwhile,” said Lange.
Now with a heavy heart, Lange is ready to invest in her family.
“Of course, I have an enormous amount of emotions going on,” Lange said. “I don’t want to second guess my decision but you know that will always creep into my thoughts because coaching volleyball is such a passion of mine that I have really enjoyed.”
“Stepping away will be hard, I’d be lying if I didn’t say I am absolutely going to miss everything about it. But I do also feel this is a good time for me to move on to my next chapter and look forward to spending more time with my family, traveling and just attending other volleyball events strictly as a spectator. That all sounds fun and exciting for me as well.”
Contact or send game stats/info to Sports Reporter Alfred Smith III at alfred.smith@gannett.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @AlfredS_III.
This article originally appeared on Wausau Daily Herald: Newman Catholic pioneer, coach Betty Lange closes historic career
Reporting by Alfred Smith III, Wausau Daily Herald / Wausau Daily Herald
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
