ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, January 16, 1997 TAG: 9701160005
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-3 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
TYPE: HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS
SOURCE: RAY COX STAFF WRITER
Volleyball in and of itself did not prompt Jessica and Chad Callihan to fall in love and marry.
A quickly discovered mutual romance with the sport did nothing to slow down the hearts and flowers, though.
More than three years later, Jessica and Chad still love volleyball. They also still love each other. Neither should be considered particularly surprising even if Chad did coach Jessica's team when they were both senior airmen in the U.S. Air Force stationed in Japan.
``He didn't want anybody to think I was getting special treatment,'' Jessica said. ``So he hit it at me harder. Everybody could see it.''
His version:
``She's making this up.''
Alas, they are a competitive pair.
``We play together and compete at everything,'' she said. ``Softball, Trivial Pursuit, golf, everything. We play H-O-R-S-E all the time. I can beat him now, too.''
His view:
``You're lying.''
And so it goes. They do agree on this, though. The deft set is superb, the splendid spike sublime. And when they're coaching the Radford High varsity, as they have been lately, he's the one who gives the stripe-shirted officials baleful stares while she softly counsels the troops on the bench.
``We coach together much better than me coaching her,'' Chad said. ``We fought a lot.''
These days, they put forth a united front in the schooling of both the Bobcats varsity and JV. They're doing that while themselves being schooled: 24-year-old Chad as an undergraduate at Radford University; 23-year-old Jessica as the manager of the couple's budget of G.I. Bill educational bucks and combined savings.
She'll be going to school in August after she's established state residency. Being from Pennsylvania, her out-of-state tuition costs would send their budget reeling in agony.
She's got enough to occupy her with the Bobcats, as could be seen at a recent match on host Auburn's floor.
``Come on, ladies,'' said Chad, who usually calls the players ``ladies.'' ``Don't fall apart mentally.''
Despite these exhortations (not to mention full use of time outs), the Eagles sent Radford home mostly (but not entirely) unhappy.
Chad, who shaves his head and sports a goatee, was as up and down as heating oil futures during the match. He spoke sternly, eyebrows bristling, to a player in one huddle and had three more laughing out loud during another.
Jessica was less animated but no less intent on her purpose during the course of the match.
``It works out well for us to coach together,'' she said. ``He can coach and I can watch everything else.''
There was no way of knowing that they would complement each other in such sporting fashion when they first met in the dormitory at Yokota Air Force Base in Japan. Chad, from Manassas, knew Jessica's roommate. Soon enough, Chad and Jessica knew something else.
``We liked each other even before we found out we both liked volleyball,'' Jessica said.
Imagine that.
LENGTH: Medium: 68 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: RAY COX STAFF. Chad and Jessica Callihan coach theby CNBRadford High varsity volleyball team. color.