“It Was My Dream Job”: Sharfenaker Embraces Fresh Start at Darby

Hilliard — This time last year, Herb Sharfenaker was preparing for a redemption run in the Columbus City League as head coach of the Briggs Lady Bruins. He would go on to lead the team to a league championship, knocking off league rival Whetstone.

Now, after a successful stint at Briggs, Sharfenaker takes the helm at Hilliard Darby, bringing his experience and energy to a motivated program in the Ohio Capital Conference. The Lady Panthers have struggled in recent years, with their last playoff win coming in 2019 and no winning season since 2017.

After a long tenure at Briggs, Sharfenaker felt it was time for a new challenge and found the perfect opportunity at Hilliard Darby.

“I felt it was just that time for something new and that was a tough decision,” Sharfenaker says. “We busted it at Briggs and our athletic director was grinding for each sport every day. I knew a lot of people at Darby and it just was my dream job to land here.”

Since arriving in January, Sharfenaker has hit the ground running: building a coaching staff, evaluating talent, and earning buy-in from his players. The early results signal a promising fresh start for the veteran City League coach.

Among Sharfenaker’s assistant coaches are Paige Kucinic and Madeline Brandewie. Kucinic was a key player on Darby’s last OCC championship team in 2016 and went on to compete at Wittenberg University. Brandewie, a Bishop Hartley alum, played her collegiate volleyball at Bowling Green.

Also joining the coaching staff is Sharfenaker’s son, Justin Sharfenaker. A standout in his own right, Justin was named Ohio Boys Volleyball Player of the Year and earned All-American honors in 2019 while playing at Briggs.

He went on to compete at the NCAA Division I level for Lincoln Memorial University, where he was named Off the Block National Freshman of the Year. Over his collegiate career, he was a four-time IVA champion, two-time All-IVA First Team selection, and twice named to the All-IVA Tournament Team.

Sharfenaker has expressed a strong appreciation for his new home in the Ohio Capital Conference. Darby competes in the Cardinal Division, alongside Dublin Jerome, Marysville, Olentangy, Olentangy Berlin, and Thomas Worthington.

“You look at everyone in our division and our non-league schedule, there are no days off here,” Sharfenaker said. “I’m embracing it and so are our coaches. This is what we have to battle through each day.”

In his first season at Darby, Sharfenaker inherits a seasoned roster featuring seven seniors, five juniors, and three sophomores. Leading the way is senior Cami Ludban, a true Swiss Army knife who topped the team last season in aces, kills, digs, and assists. Ludban will be a cornerstone of Darby’s success this fall.

With so much experience returning while establishing a new system of play, it can be challenging to find a balance between pushing the envelope of success and developing the younger talents. Sharfenaker is confident that the girls will grow and develop in their system of play.

“We have discussed this and ultimately they will be developed in our system,” Sharfenaker explains. “They will have to produce on the team they are placed on, but all of them are given opportunities to grow and make impressions.”

The immediate goal is to get Darby back to its winning ways by recording the first winning season for the program since 2017. After that, it is focusing on winning the OCC-Cardinal and going deep into the state playoffs. However, those are all things that have to be taken one game at a time.

“I love wins, I had over 200 at Briggs so winning is fun,” Sharfenaker says. “However, like I told them, we haven’t even played a game yet. So, let’s focus on this season and we’ll go from there.”

Hilliard Darby opens its season on August 19th at home against Westerville Central at 7 PM.