LUBBOCK, Texas — Members of the Three Rivers women's basketball program come from seven different states, but assistant coach Marissa Webb helps them feel right at home in her native Poplar Bluff.
"I get to tell the girls about how excited I am to be able to coach at home in Poplar Bluff," Webb said. "They get to experience the fan support I had growing up here and get to meet my family. Anyone who plays for us is definitely part of the Webb family."
With Alex Wiggs entering his second year as the head coach of the Raiders, Webb is also entering her second year with the program.
"It's been awesome working with Coach Wiggs," Webb said. "He likes accountability and whenever you have consistency in a college program, it leads to success. He keeps the standards high and doesn't let anybody slack off, including myself."
Prior to joining Three Rivers as a coach, Webb was an assistant coach at Doane University (NAIA), Southeastern Illinois College (NJCAA) and Western Illinois University (NCAA Division I).
In her playing days, she played high school basketball at Poplar Bluff under Kirk Chronister. Webb’s father, Mareece Webb, was an assistant coach for the Mules when they won two state titles and coached his four children.
Mareece Webb died in August after a bout with COVID-19.
"My dad 100% influenced my coaching style," Webb said. "Basketball was how he and I connected when I was younger. The last time I got to see him before he passed was at the gym watching me coach and he was watching my brother scrimmage with the men. Being able to continue his coaching legacy has meant a lot."
After graduating high school, Webb played for Three Rivers winning back-to-back conference championships in 2013 and 2014 before finishing her playing career at William Woods University.
Along with assisting Wiggs on the bench, Webb also runs the team's social media accounts. A pregame ritual is Webb filming the huddle after the pregame shoot around to post onto social media.
"They laugh at it a lot," Webb said. "The girls enjoy it and it's something we can be together on. It also helps them take their nerves off of the game."
In Webb's first year with Three Rivers, they came up short of the ultimate goal of a national championship, losing to the eventual champion in the semifinal, but hope to achieve it the second time around.
The Raiders will open the NJCAA National Tournament against Tyler (Texas) at 2 p.m. Thursday. Fans can stream the game online at www.njcaa.com/network with a single-game fee of $10 or $30 for a tournament pass.
"I feel a lot more prepared since we were here last year," Webb said. "We don't necessarily have to change anything that got us here but we do need to be consistent for four games."
Robert Augsdorfer - Daily American Republic