BUFFALO TWP — Tom Phillips knew something was up.

His son, Jarrod, greeted him at the door at the Freeport Middle School gym.

Then Phillips saw a slew of his former Yellowjacket volleyball players filing in for a match against Burrell Tuesday night.

“I thought to myself, 'Something's going on,'” Phillips said.

What was going on was a pre-match ceremony honoring Phillips' 15-year career so far.

In that span, Phillips has logged a 266-26 record, won 11 straight section championships, three WPIAL titles — including one last season — and the WPIAL Coach of the Year award in 2015.

“It was a really a heart-felt moment for me,” Phillips said. “It was really touching.”

It was made more so because his coaching staff is made up of four former players: junior varsity coach Lynsey Gugino, Carlie Bieranowski, Alexis Schrecengost and his granddaughter, Brittney Bianco.

Schrecengost, who was a senior when the current crop of Yellowjacket seniors were freshmen, said seeing Phillips honored for his dedication to the program meant just as much to her.

“Just to see him smile was the best part,” Schrecengost said. “And to see him tear up. Honestly, I've never seen him cry in all my life and him tearing up was probably something special.

“Volleyball's his world,” she added. “Him getting that recognition was really special.”

Phillips has made the Freeport volleyball program really special.

He took over in 2002 and the Yellowjackets went 14-3.

In 2003, Freeport was 14-4. Since, the program has lost just 19 matches — and a mere seven during the regular season.

“I still see the dedication,” said Gugino, who is in her first season as the junior varsity coach. After she graduated in 2012, Gugino played for one season at Geneva College before a knee injury ended her career. She is now wrapping up a psychology degree at Slippery Rock University. “You look back at all he has accomplished ... that's what Freeport volleyball is all about.

“I feel like I've learned so much,” she added. “Just to be passionate about what you do. Play with passion, but also be passionate about the things you do off the court. And not to take things for granted. Looking back now, I wish I could go back and play and savor it. I miss it so much.”

But Gugino and the assistant coaches do mix it up in practice with the team.

Some games are intense — just like how the quartet played when they wore the blue and gold of the Freeport uniforms.

“We see a lot more competitiveness out of them when we play them than when they play each other,” Gugino said.

Bieranowski, a 2010 Freeport graduate who was a two-time all-state and all-WPIAL outside hitter during her days with the Yellowjackets, has been on Phillips' staff for the past two seasons.

Bieranowski had a standout career at Clarion University and is now working on her Master's degree in occupational therapy.

“He loves the game so much,” Bieranowski said of Phillips. “I don't think people realize how much time he dedicates to this. I love volleyball and I want to be around it as much as possible.”

So does Schrecengost, who jokingly (maybe) has her sights set on Phillips' job one day.

“I told coach when he retires, I'm going to take his spot,” Schrecengost said. “I hope to be here as long as he's here and then go from there. I want to be that coach that is there for them no matter what.”

Like Tom Phillips.

“Yeah,” Schrecengost said, “but the girl version.”