Perfect Match: Latashia-Wise Jackson guides No. 1 St. Michael back in state tournament
by William Weathers // GeauxPreps.com Contributor
When Latashia Wise-Jackson finished her playing career for Xavier’s basketball team in New Orleans, she expected to transition her hoop dreams to the sideline.
She thought about Final Fours and cutting down nets, but the native of Napoleonville and former standout volleyball player for legendary coach Sandy Fussell at Assumption High gravitated toward a different path.
“I thought that’s what I wanted to do,” she said of coaching basketball. “But God put us in certain positions, and he’s at the forefront of what he wants us to do, and I believe this is a ministry for me. Do I miss basketball here and there? Yes, I do, but I think this is where I’m supposed to be.”
For the first time in two-plus decades, St. Michael the Archangel High found itself in the market for a volleyball coach following the 2024 season. Rob Smith’s 21st season with the Lady Warriors, complete with a 27-8 record and state quarterfinal appearance, would be his last when the school’s athletic director stepped down to focus more on his administrative duties.
Wise-Jackson was thrust into her first volleyball head coaching duty at the age of 22 at Vanderbilt Catholic. That created a 15-year association with the game, as either an assistant or head coach, and with her husband, a Baton Rouge native relocating to his hometown for job-related reasons, there was a clear message when the opportunity at St. Michael presented itself.
For two years, Wise-Jackson made a better than a 2 ½ hour round trip commute from her family’s home in Chalmette to Houma, where she was the volleyball coach at Vandebilt Catholic. With two children, ages 1 and 3 years old, becoming the new head at St. Michael made sense on so many levels.
“We wanted to be a little bit closer to our family,” said Wise-Jackson, whose mother lives in Napoleonville.
The alliance between Wise-Jackson and St. Michael has made for a winning combination, a passionate, high-energy coach that’s pushed a veteran team to the state tournament for the 10th consecutive season, including their fourth straight appearance in a state quarterfinal.
Top-seeded St. Michael (36-2) opens play at 5:20 p.m. Thursday in the Division III quarterfinals against eighth-seeded Lutcher (19-17) at the Cajundome in Lafayette.
“It’s very rewarding because we know how hard we’ve worked,” St. Michael senior setter Marielle Gary said. “We didn’t get here by playing a bunch of not-as-good teams and winning. We’ve worked our way through, beat some really good teams, and that made us better.”
When recently asked by the school’s football coach, Zach Leger, about the team’s level of success in her first season, Wise-Jackson praised her team’s acceptance.
“I knew we would be good just from having a seasoned team,” she said. “I didn’t think it would be almost flawless because of a first-year head coach at a new school. They’ve adapted to certain ways.”
Gary’s one of the team’s eight seniors who had only known playing for Smith, who guided St. Michael to a state runner-up finish in 2017 and three trips to the semifinals in 2016, 2018, and 2021.
“We hadn’t had a coaching change, so from the beginning we didn’t know what to expect or know much about her because she was in a different city than us,” she said. “We thought she would be a little bit tough on us. When she came, we realized she knew what she was talking about. She gets to the point and puts that into practice. She also has fun with us and brings fun into the practice.”
Wise-Jackson realized the size of the task that awaited. The program was on solid ground because of Smith’s guidance and player development, putting the Lady Warriors in a win-now mode.
“Coach Rob has done a great job with this program and put out some great athletes,” Wise-Jackson said. “I knew coming here would be a challenge. I’ve been to schools and turned programs around, per se, or started them. That was already established here, and it was a different mindset for me.
“My coaching style’s different than most people,” Wise-Jackson said. “I’m a former collegiate athlete, and I have a passion for the game and bring a lot of energy. This seasoned team has made my job a little bit easier. When you have the tools in the box, it makes building your house a little bit easier.”
Wise-Jackson’s coaching career began under basketball coach Kathy Luke at Vanderbilt, and when the school’s volleyball coach relocated to Texas after the season, the school needed a volleyball coach.
When Vandebilt inquired about the opening with Wise-Jackson, she was hesitant until talking with Fussell and fellow legendary volleyball coach Jay Jay Juan, who’ve combined for 14 state championships and more than 1,900 wins.
“I called coach Fussell and wasn’t sure if this is what I wanted to do; I didn’t know if I was capable,” she said. “I played basketball for a longer period of time. She told me that you don’t need to have played the sport to understand the sport and be able to give back to the sport. She thought I had an understanding for the game and my passion for the game, and what you can bring to young women, was good enough, and I said Here we go. Fifteen years later, I’m still doing it.”
Wise-Jackson’s coaching journey also included a seven-year stretch at Central Catholic of Morgan City, which was the Division V state runner-up in 2020, and earned the state’s Coach of the Year honors. She then joined the staff of Jessica Chatellier at Dominican, which won the first two of its four state championships before returning to Vandebilt.
At St. Michael, Wise-Jackson wanted to know the parents of her players first and then get to know her new team, explaining her philosophy and coaching style.
“She lets us know that she would be a little different,” Gary said. “We were expecting it and were excited.”
Wise-Jackson later discovered some apprehension from her players over that initial meeting.
It didn’t last long.
“They told me they were a little intimidated,” she said. “When I asked them why, they said I came with a lot of energy. I had just told them what I was and what I wasn’t about. I told them I wasn’t going to accept mediocrity, especially when certain things are expected and you’re able to give it. That set a precedent. My personality probably took over from there. They saw my resume and what I was saying. They bought into the culture I was trying to establish, and the rest is history.”
St. Michael, which lost returning senior standout Bella Johnston to a summer knee injury, roared out of the game with 10 straight wins to open the season, including triumphs over established programs such as Archbishop Hannan, Northlake Christian, and Country Day, with the latter taking place in straight sets in the Lady Warriors’ tournament.
“That’s when I realized they would be special,” Wise-Jackson said of the team, which swept all four of its matches in their tournament. “You have to earn (Country Day head coach) Julie Ibeta’s respect, and she said we had a pretty good team and hoped we would have a good year.
“When we (along with assistant Teri LaRose) went into the locker room and told the girls that was a good win,” Wise-Jackson said of Country Day, the nine-time reigning Division V state champions. “I asked if they knew who they just beat, and they said they had never heard of them before. I looked at Teri and said This group’s going to be special because they don’t realize the level at which they’re playing.”
With a schedule that had been previously set by Smith, St. Michael was faced with a schedule loaded with 15 matches against New Orleans-area teams, winning 14 times.
“We’ve had a lot of challenges,” Gary said. “We had a tougher schedule than we normally do. I think we’ve risen to the occasion in every game.”
Dominican was the first team to derail St. Michael’s freight train with a two-game sweep in Sacred Heart’s tournament. The Lady Warriors simply responded with a second win over Hannan and finished with a 2-1 victory over Mt. Carmel, part of a stretch of 19 consecutive wins that featured a 3-1 win over Division III power University High and a six-game sweep to capture Newman’s tournament that was capped by a 2-1 win over Archbishop Chappelle.
St. Michael rose to No. 1 in the state’s ranking in mid-October.
“I couldn’t have asked for a better team or senior class for my first year in this program,” Wise-Jackson said. “They’ve been sponges with everything I’ve said. They were helpful when I needed help. They’ve believed in everything I’ve said. Once they settled in, it’s like it became a well-oiled machine in practice.”
St. Michael tasted defeat for only the second time on Oct. 23 against visiting Parkview Baptist in a clash for the District 5-III championship. The Lady Eagles established a 2-1 lead when the Lady Warriors rallied with a 25-22 victory in the fourth set, forcing a fifth and deciding set that went to Parkview, 15-10.
St. Michael hasn’t lost since, with five straight wins to close the regular season with victories over Northlake Christian and Northshore. The Lady Warriors’ playoff run began with a pair of sweeps over No. 32 Franklinton and No. 16 Rayne, and team’s won 17 of their last 18 sets.
“I told my parents when I got here after our (first) meeting, I think you’re getting the best version of me,” Wise-Jackson said. “When you’re married with two children, that changes you completely. The things that I had done or maybe said at 22, I would never think about saying now.
“I’m fair and consistent in the things I say,” Wise-Jackson said. “Overall, I have a passion for what I do day in and day out, on and off the court. At 22, I was tough as nails, and now at 38, I’m a little softer than I was then. When you genuinely care about them, and they can feel that they’ll run through a wall for you.”
Wise-Jackson had the luxury of senior Bella LeBlanc to move into the spot Johnston occupied on the floor. She’s responded with 229 kills – third on the team – and 236 digs – second on the team – and 48 service aces.
“She’s not very tall, but she’s very consistent,” she said of LeBlanc. “She came off the bench last year and has been phenomenal. She’s a smart player that’s able to find shots. When I looked at what we had, we had bigger kids. She’s smart and she’s what keeps us going.”
Junior Skylar Towner, a Louisiana Tech commitment, has been amongst the team’s biggest hitters, leading St. Michael with 292 kills and total blocks with 17, followed by senior Bella Bravata with 281 and LeBlanc.
“She’s not very tall but can get up off the floor, she can fly,” Wise-Jackson said of Bravata, a commitment to Southeastern Louisiana’s beach volleyball program. “Skylar comes with a fire and can play above the net. When she gets going, we can be pretty good.”
Bravata spearheads a solid defense with 270 digs, with 215 from Gary and 197 from junior Camille Kinchen.
The tandem of Gary and senior Ava Rodrigue are the leaders of St. Michael’s offense with 215 and 65 assists, respectively, and the team has been strong behind the service line with Gary leading the way with 43 aces, Rodrigue with 39 aces, Towner with 33, and Bravata with 26.
Bravata and Rodrigue will represent the Lady Warriors in the LHSCA all-star volleyball game at 1 p.m., Nov. 22 at St. Michael, along with Wise-Jackson, an assistant for the West team.
“She’s very athletic, not very big, but she can jump,” Wise-Jackson said of Gary. “She can block a ball with the best of them. Both of them have been good at distributing the ball to our team, where it doesn’t look like it’s the Skyler Towner or Bella Bravata show. She (Gary) distributes the ball like a very good quarterback, and she’s been very good for us this year.
“I’ve coached a lot of players, but this team is well put together in every role,” Wise-Jackson said. “These girls are positive, they play for one another, they want each other to succeed. I can make a substitution, and they’re cheering for the person that’s going in for them. It hasn’t been any selfishness, and that’s important. It’s scary how successful they’ve been, but off the court, they’re such great individuals.”
With a team grade point average near 4.0, Wise-Jackson sees an exemplary group of young women setting positive examples.
“I’ve told their parents your kids are what I want my daughter to be, and that says a lot,” she said. “They’re good students, they’re good athletes, but most of all they’re good people.
“I told these seniors on ‘Senior Night’, they set the tone for this program for years to come,” she said. “They are what the standard is, and the standard is the standard. You guys have set a great example to the underclassmen to what it’s going to take to continually get it done in this program.”
Division III is arguably one of the toughest to navigate, and this year’s no different. Six of the eight teams in the quarterfinals finished the regular season ranked in the top 14 of the VSN/GeauxPreps Volleyball Power 25 rankings.
Gary said the team’s singular mindset for each match has served as the perfect approach.
“We like to look at what’s right in front of us,” she said. “Each day at practice, we look at just that day, and with the game coming up, we’ll know the film on them, but we still focus on what’s right now. We don’t try to get ahead of ourselves.”
At the beginning of the season, Wise-Jackson believed there were six teams in the division worthy of winning this year’s crown, which is currently held by No. 4 Haynes Academy.
She still feels that’s the case.
“It’s a bit of immense pressure,” she said. “I have a seasoned ball club, and people are thinking, ‘we’re going to win it. They should win it. It’s not going to be easy. Our work’s cut out for us, but I do believe we have been consistent enough that we could be in the final.”