Volleyball Voices

Volleyball Video: USC Coach Mick Haley on Arnie Ball's induction to the AVCA Hall of Fame

Volleyball Video: USC Coach Mick Haley on Arnie Ball's induction to the AVCA Hall of Fame

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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UCF Volleyball Coach Todd Dagenais Hospitalized#collegevolleyball

UCF Volleyball Coach Todd Dagenais Hospitalized

 

ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFAthletics.com) - UCF head volleyball coach Todd Dagenais was admitted to a local hospital following Friday night's volleyball match vs. UTEP. Dagenais experienced chest pains at two points during Friday's match.

 

"As a precaution, our medical staff wanted me to get checked out," Dagenais said Saturday morning, noting he had a similar incident two years ago.

 

An EKG Friday night showed a slight abnormality, prompting his admission to the hospital. Dagenais was undergoing further testing Saturday.

 

"In the meantime, (assistant head coach) Michelle Chatman will assume leadership of the team in my absence," Dagenais said. "Michelle will serve as acting head coach (Sunday) versus Tulane."

 

The Knights are in New Orleans for a 1 p.m. ET match vs. the Green Wave on Sunday.

 

-UCF Athletics-

 

Bronco Volleyball Names Former All-American Aaron Mansfield As An Assistant Coach

Bronco Volleyball Names Former All-American Aaron Mansfield As An Assistant Coach

 

 

With great pride and excitement, Bronco head coach Jon Wallace announced Monday that he has hired Aaron Mansfield as an assistant coach for the Santa Clara volleyball team. The Sunnyvale, Calif. native comes to Santa Clara after working for three of the last five years at UC Santa Barbara with the men's volleyball program.  He was also training with the US National team and playing on the AVP during that span as well.

"Aaron has many great qualities and there are two that really stood out to me in the process of hiring an assistant coach.  Aaron is a self-made player.  He has worked hard at our sport to be one of the best libero's in the country.  Secondly, he has been able to learn from some of the best coaches from his time spent training with the US National team," said Wallace.  "Aaron will immediately make us better in our gym training and match preparation.  Aaron's experiences on the men's side in recent years fit in perfectly with what we have been doing since January with Matt Lyles coming back into our program.  I believe with Matt and Aaron we will now have one of the most technical and tactical coaching staffs in the conference.  I can't wait to get in the gym and get things going Aug. 8!"

"First of all, getting into coaching women's volleyball is something I have wanted to do for a long time," said Mansfield. "Having the opportunity to work with Jon and Matt is a real plus.  I grew up in Northern California and Santa Clara seems like a great fit for me. Working with the Broncos, I am willing to do whatever it takes to help us get back to the NCAA tournament and to go back to the Final Four. I will work really hard to get the best student-athletes at Santa Clara.  There are many good players in Northern California. It's certainly a hot bed.  Continuing to reach out to different parts of the country, in the Midwest and East Coast as well as Southern California, we are excited about our prospects in recruiting nationally.  I am ready and looking forward to spending a lot of time on the road and also gyms across the country to find special student-athletes.  With my experiences I had playing at a high level in college and post-college, I am able to communicate those experiences pretty well. I was a student-athlete myself and I am comfortable coaching all areas, but especially defense and tactical skills."  

Beginning in 2007, Mansfield trained with the USA National Team for two years. He was one of the last cuts prior to the 2008 Beijing Olympics, where the USA won the gold medal. Mansfield has also competed on the AVP since 2008 and led the AVP tour in digs in 2010. During that time, he spent two years coaching club at Manhattan Beach Surf where he led his teams to two silver medals in the 17U Open Division of Jr. Nationals.  He also coached at Loyola High School where they won a CIF and state championship. 

While in Santa Barbara, he also worked as the Boys Volleyball Director and as a coach of the Santa Barbara Club Team.

Mansfield played Division I volleyball at UC Santa Barbara where he was a four-year starter, three-year team captain, and in 2005, he earned All-American honors as a libero. He was selected to the All-MPSF Team all four years and is the all-time dig leader at UCSB. Mansfield ranks as UCSB's all-time digs leader with exactly 1,000, over 200 more than the next closest player. He graduated from UCSB with a Bachelor's degree in Cultural Anthropology.

Mansfield is originally from Northern California where he attended and played volleyball at Homestead High School in Sunnyvale/Cupertino, Calif.   He played under Roger Edwards and Jason Mansfield at Homestead High School where he helped lead the Mustangs to league championships in each of his four years on the team.  He was named all-league four straight years and named the De Anza League MVP three times.  He set the school record of kills in a match with 45.

While attending UCSB, Mansfield was also the head coach for Club Santa Barbara's boys 18's team from 2001-05. After graduating from UCSB he took the assistant coaching job with UCSB women's team for one season. Following that season, he was hired as the first assistant with the UCSB men's team where he spent two years working with the men's team (2005-07).

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT AARON MANSFIELD

Keith Busam, teammate at UCSB
"Aaron is the most hard working, professional coach I know, whose passion for the game of volleyball shows in everything that he does. His ability to identify talent and coach it to its fullest potential is second to none. He has been a winner at every level of volleyball and I expect nothing but continued success for the Santa Clara Women's Volleyball program with Aaron on the staff.

"Santa Clara is one of the premier volleyball programs in the country and they only made themselves better with the addition of Aaron Mansfield."

Rick McLaughlin, UCSB Head Men's Volleyball Coach
"Aaron is an exceptional coach.  We will miss him very much here at UCSB, but we understand that this is a great opportunity for him to get experience in the women's game.  He will be a very good Head Coach at the collegiate level in the women's game down the road.  I'm excited for him.  Jon and Matt are getting not only a great coach, but a solid person."

Jarred Godinez, teammate at UCSB and coached him at UCSB as well
"My wife and I are happy he is joining the Santa Clara staff. He will be a welcome addition I'm sure! Aaron is arguably one of the best liberos to play in NCAA Division I men's volleyball. When the libero position was accepted back in 2000, he set the mold for the position.  From there Aaron used his athletic prowess, ball control and court leadership to earn All-American.  He also set the record for most career digs at UCSB, usurping prior record holder, Beach Volleyball Gold Medalist Todd Rodgers.  

"As a teacher of the game, Aaron excels in communication. Not all great players make great coaches because they aren't able to convey their information effectively.  Aaron is able to transfer his decades of playing and coaching knowledge in a clear and understandable way. With his strong work ethic and high standards of training I'm sure his impact in the gym should be felt immediately."

Matt Lyles, Santa Clara assistant coach; played with him on the AVP Tour
(Matt and Aaron played together in an AVP Tour event in Sacramento)
"Aaron is an unbelieveable competitor. He knows the game of volleyball really well. Since he played libero at a very high level, he will bring in a defensive and passing-minded element which we need. He will bring his competitive personality into the gym as well and the women will feed off of that.  As a person he is a very mellow, very personable. I am really looking forward to working with him. He will be a huge asset to our program."

 

 

 

 

 

UAB Volleyball Adds Assistant Coach To Staff

UAB Volleyball Adds Assistant Coach To Staff

Bailey Coleman joins Blazers from the University of Montevallo

 

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. ---- UAB volleyball head coach Kerry Messersmith recently announced the hiring of new assistant indoor and sand volleyball coach Bailey Coleman for the upcoming 2012 season.

 

“Bailey is a go-getter and is really going to help our staff in both indoor and sand,” Messersmith said.  “She lives to coach volleyball and is a great addition to our program and we are excited to have her be apart of UAB volleyball.”

 

Coleman comes to Birmingham from the University of Montevallo, where she spent the previous two seasons as an assistant coach under Katie O’Brien.  While with the Falcons, she assisted in all aspects of coaching, including recruiting, travel and constructing scouting reports. 

 

Her primary focus was the team’s defense and passing, which finished tops in the Peach Belt Conference in digs-per-set in both 2010 and2011.

 

“Bailey is really going to help us with recruiting, which one of the biggest areas we’ve needed assistance in since adding sand volleyball,” Messersmith said.  “We needed to free up some of our coaches on our current staff to go out and recruit while the sand season is going on.”

 

During the 2010 campaign, Montevallo finished an impressive 24-13 as the Falcons made their first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance and concluded the season in the nation’s top 32 of all Division II programs. 

 

Prior to her two-year stint at Montevallo, Coleman served as a graduate assistant coach at Oklahoma City University, an NAIA school within the Sooner Athletic Conference. 

 

The Stars went 33-8 in her first season with the volleyball program, advancing to the SAC Tournament Semifinals.  Beyond her regular coaching duties, Coleman was in charge of fundraising and monitoring the student-athletes in their academic progress.

 

Coleman concluded her two years at OCU by earning her Masters of Education, with a focus in Applied Behavioral Studies in June 2010.

 

Before embarking on her coaching career, Coleman was afour-year letterwinner in volleyball at Georgia Southern.  She led the Eagles in digs (302) and digs-per-set (3.28) as a senior as she played both outside hitter and libero during her days as a student-athlete.  She ranked second on the team in kills as a sophomore and finished her career with 1,108 digs, 858 kills and 60 service aces.  Her career dig total ranks fourth all-time at GSU. 

 

Coleman was recruited and played her first two seasons at GSU under current UAB head coach Kerry Messersmith, prior to Messersmith leaving to coach the Blazers in 2006.

 

A native of Awendaw, S.C., Coleman earned a Bachelor of Science in Education from GSU in 2008 and was a member of the Dean’s List, Southern Conference Honor Roll and President of the Student Athletic Advisory Board.

 

FAU Names Caitlin Shawver Assistant Volleyball Coach

FAU Names Caitlin Shawver Assistant Volleyball Coach

Former Florida Gulf Coast University Standout Player Rejoins Nelson

 

BOCA RATON, FL (July 18, 2012) – Florida Atlantic University has named Caitlin Shawver as its assistant volleyball coach, announced Fernanda Nelson, head volleyball coach.

            ”I am very happy to have Caitlin Shawver, one of my former standout players, join my staff,” said Nelson. “Her energy and understanding of the game will be a great addition to the program and we welcome her to the FAU family.”

            Shawver played under Nelson for three years at Florida Gulf Coast University after transferring from Barry University and ranks among FGCU’s all-time leaders in volleyball career kills, digs and service aces.

            Caitlin Shawver joins Fernanda Nelson and Charlie Castillo on the Owls’ coaching staff after spending a year working in the private sector.

- FAU -

 

Xavier Head Volleyball Coach Mike Johnson Hosting Free Coaches' Clinic Aug. 11

Xavier Head Volleyball Coach Mike Johnson Hosting Free Coaches' Clinic Aug. 11

Clinic Set to Kick Off at 1 p.m. at XU's Cintas Center

July 20, 2012

Clinic Brochure

CINCINNATI - Xavier volleyball head coach Mike Johnson has announced he will be hosting a FREE coaches' clinic on Saturday, Aug. 11 at 1 p.m. The clinic will be held in the Auxiliary Gym at XU's Cintas Center.

The clinic is being offered for FREE to all coaching levels. Coach Johnson will be providing teaching skills, leadership goals and techniques for every level. There will be demonstration of drills with college players and a question/answer session with college coaches.

Please RSVP to Xavier assistant coach Claire Paszkiewicz at paszkiewiczc@xavier.edu. If you have any questions, please call (513) 687-6571.

If you have any clinic questions ahead of time or would like to learn about something specific, please send your inquiries via Twitter to @XavierVball and use the hashtag #xuvbcoachingclinic.

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Temkin Named Volleyball Coach at Hartford

Temkin Named Volleyball Coach at Hartford

West Hartford, Conn. – Alex Temkin, former head coach at the University of Maryland-Eastern Shore, has accepted the Head Volleyball Coach position at the University of Hartford. Temkin’s experience dates back to his college years when he participated with the UMass men’s club team, making four trips to the NCAA Collegiate Club National Championships.

 

“Alex brings a wealth of volleyball knowledge and a diverse background to Hartford,” said Director of Athletics Pat Meiser in announcing the appointment.  “He has coached on many levels and his experience both locally with the Husky Volleyball Club and internationally having recruited Israeli players to UMES will be of great value at Hartford.”

 

Temkin has served as a head coach at all three levels with his most recent coaching experience coming as two seasons at the helm of the Division II Worcester Polytechnic Institute where he lead the Engineers to back-to-back 22 win seasons. In his first season at WPI, the Engineers posted the best start in school history, winning their first 10 matches. Their record of 22-8 that year was the most wins since 1985 and the most conference wins and best finish since 1998. Overall at WPI, Temkin led the Engineers to a 44-17 overall record and an 8-10 record in conference play.

 

“I am incredibly excited to start this new position,” said Temkin. “I want to thank President Harrison, Director of Athletics Pat Meiser, Ellen Crandall and the committee members for extending this opportunity to me. I value this opportunity especially because there aren’t many openings around and Hartford provides a challenge for me personally and professionally.”

 

“I am excited not only for the team but for me personally and the University. I look forward to expanding upon the success from last season and building a winning program at Hartford. My mission will be to graduate student-athletes while making Hartford a contender in the America East every year. ”

 

Previous to WPI, Temkin led the UMES Hawks for three seasons, including finishing as the runner-up to nationally ranked Florida A&M in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference in 2004. While at UMES, Temkin compiled a 43-59 record and a 17-13 mark in conference play. In his inaugural season, 2004, the Hawks finished 19-16 overall, winning the Northern Division regular season title and finishing one win shy of reaching the program’s first ever NCAA Championship. He matched that win total in his final season at UMES finishing 19-15 overall in 2006. That season, the Hawks finished third following the regular season and advanced to the conference semifinals.

 

Prior to taking the position at UMES, Temkin’s first collegiate head coaching opportunity came at Division III American International where he spent two seasons and led the Yellow Jackets to a 35-26 overall record, including an 18-10 conference tally. In his final season at AIC, the Yellow Jackets finished with a 22-9 record and an 11-3 mark in conference play, posting a third-place performance in the Northeast 10.

 

His first collegiate experience came as an Assistant Coach at the University of Massachusetts. While at UMass, the Minutemen compiled a record of 45-37. Temkin has also coached at the high school and club levels, accumulating a 68-16 record at Turners Falls High School. He also worked with the Western Massachusetts Juniors and the Husky Volleyball Club in Connecticut. He has been associated with the Husky Volleyball Club since 2000, serving as the Assistant and Technical Director involved in player evaluation and coach development.

 

As a player, Temkin played in eight USAV Open National Championships, two USA A Level National Championships, and made four trips to the NCAA Collegiate Club National Championships with the University of Massachusetts where he was a starter every season. He was also a two-year Junior Olympic Volleyball player and a Silver medalist at the 1985 Junior National Championships.

 

Temkin received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Massachusetts in 1990.

 

Bechard’s USA White Wins U.S. Women’s National A2 Team Program Title

Bechard’s USA White Wins U.S. Women’s National A2 Team Program Title

 

LAWRENCE, Kan. – After Kansas head volleyball coach Ray Bechard completed a nine-day stint coaching at this summer’s U.S. Women’s National A2 Team Program, the 15-year Jayhawk veteran reflected on his second experience with USA Volleyball, learning and working alongside the best in the game and coaching his team to an A2 team program title.

 

Bechard was one of eight collegiate coaches selected by USA Volleyball to lead this summer’s U.S. Women’s National A2 Team Program at Ohio Dominican University in Columbus, Ohio, June 26-July 5. The first four days of camp were dedicated to individual training and getting to know each player’s strengths. From there, a coaches “draft” determined which of four teams the 48 athletes in attendance would suit up for.

 

“We had a lot of fun and did a lot of work,” Bechard said. “The goal was to play everyone equally, so the first three days, the outcome wasn’t the important part. The last two days, we put them into bracket play and ramped it up a little bit. The stakes got higher and the coaches got a little more intense and competitive and that was really fun to see that develop – particularly with watching our own USA White team develop.”

 

Bechard teamed up with University of Georgia head coach Lizzy Stemke, and the duo evaluated their players and assembled the USA White team. While working different combinations in and out of the lineup, however, the team dropped all three matches during pool play and entered the semifinal round as the last seed.

 

Ready to rebound, USA White responded with a 3-1 win over top-seeded USA Blue (25-16, 20-25, 25-22, 25-14). In its next match, Bechard’s squad followed that win up with another upset, this time a 3-0 triumph over USA Gold (25-22, 25-22, 25-23) to take first.

 

“We finished with some momentum in the last day of pool play that I felt like carried over into the next day and into the semis, where we actually beat the No. 1 seed,” Bechard said. “Then, in the finals, we went on to win the match 3-0, which we felt we dominated from pretty much start to finish.”

 

In February, the 2012 U.S. Women’s National A2 Team program was selected through the U.S. Women’s National Team Open Tryouts held at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. A record 207 athletes, including several current Jayhawks, participated in the tryout.

 

The 48 that were invited to Columbus represented an elite group that serves as part of the USA Volleyball “pipeline” as Bechard and USA Volleyball Senior Director Tom Pingel described it. 

 

“During the first day, the group was sitting in a meeting and Pingel said ‘one of you will probably be on our next Olympic team,’ and that got everyone’s attention right away,” Bechard recalled. “So it really is kind of like a ‘farm system’ for our Olympic team. We try to find and develop talent that will someday be able to compete with and help our national team.”

 

Aside from the group of athletes he helped coach, Bechard enjoyed working with an elite coaching staff, as well. Only eight were selected from around the country, providing two coaches for each of the four teams. It gave the KU veteran the opportunity to interact uniquely with other Division I coaches and interact with the former setter of the 1988 USA Men’s Volleyball gold medal winning team, Jeff Stork.

 

“I really enjoyed working with Lizzy from Georgia, who actually played a little bit with USA Volleyball back in her playing days,” Bechard said. “And then meeting Jeff Stork and hearing stories of his experiences, like playing in front of 40,000 fans in an outdoor match in Sao Paulo, Brazil, that was pretty priceless. We had chances to sit around during our down time and talk about volleyball. We were able to learn a lot from each other.”

 

With few breaks away from the gym, the USA Volleyball A2 program made it a point to spend time at a local Ronald McDonald house and visit with the patients and their families. Bechard was pleased with the players’ excitement to give back to a cause bigger than volleyball.

 

“We had a match later that afternoon, but we pulled up to a Children’s Hospital with a Ronald McDonald house across the street,” Bechard explained. “Some of the parents and kids that are staying there at that Ronald McDonald house, which serves such a great purpose, were happy to see us. Our players jumped right in to comfort the parents and the kids and do whatever they could to help. It was very rewarding and I know they enjoyed it.”

 

Bechard will begin his 15^th season at the helm of the Jayhawk volleyball program this fall and his 27^th season overall. The all-time winningest coach in KU volleyball history holds a remarkable 938-262 (.782) career record. In 14 seasons at Kansas, Bechard has a 222-202 mark, including 10 years at .500 or better.

 

 

Charlotte Volleyball: 49ers Add Byers to VB Coaching Staff

Charlotte Volleyball: 49ers Add Byers to VB Coaching Staff

 

CHARLOTTE -- Charlotte volleyball coach Chris Redding has added Bethany Byers to the coaching staff in preparation for the 2012 fall season. Byers brings coaching experience at the club and high school levels after a decorated playing career at the NCAA and professional levels.

 

“I am very excited about the addition of Bethany to our staff,” said Redding, who begins his sixth year as head coach of the program in 2012. “She brings some new aspects to our program that we don’t currently possess. She brings a West Coast volleyball perspective, and I think she will come in with very high expectations for our players and our program.”

 

Byers was last a coach for the Carolina Juniors, assisting with the 17s, including a stint as the interim head coach, winning two of the four tournaments while serving as the interim head coach in the spring. She also has worked with the Front Range Volleyball Club during their summer camp sessions in the 2011 summer.

 

“I am very excited to begin my college coaching career at Charlotte,” said Byers. “I think I will learn a lot from Chris and Jay. I believed in putting in a lot of effort as a player and I hope that can translate into the practice gym with the team as a coach.”

 

The former Bethany Johansen was a Big West All-Freshman Team honoree in 2004 at UC Santa Barbara as the Gauchos defeated Alabama A&M in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament at Georgia Tech. She led the Gauchos with a .375 hitting percentage in her sophomore year, with an NCAA Tournament loss to Southern California in the first round.

 

She then transferred to USC for her final two years of collegiate volleyball, helping the Trojans to reach the Final Four in the 2007 NCAA Tournament in her senior season after a third-round exit in 2006. She led the team with 125 blocks that season and was fifth with 161 kills. She was among the final 30 for the 2007 Lowe’s Senior Class Award. She finished her collegiate career with nearly 700 kills and averaging a block per game for her career. Her teams reached the NCAA Tournament in all four playing seasons (7-4 record) and she finished with an astounding .333 attack percentage for her career.

 

She played overseas after her collegiate career, playing for Bellinzona of the Swiss Professional Volleyball League as the program transitioned from League B to League A.

 

After her playing career, she worked for both the LA Sparks of the WNBA in marketing and at UC-Berkeley with the Game Day Experience team.

 

She lives in Charlotte with her husband of one year, Jeff, and their Great Dane, Friday.

 

  --charlotte49ers.com--

Hofstra Volleyball Coach Kristina Hernandez Named to USAV Staff

Hempstead, NY – Hofstra University Head Volleyball Coach Kristina Hernandez will continue her work with USA Volleyball this summer as she was named an assistant coach for the 2012 U.S. Girls’ Youth National A2 Volleyball Team. 

 

Hernandez will serve as an assistant coach to Shelton Collier, the head coach of Wingate University and Collier, Hernandez and the rest of the staff will lead a squad that will compete at the USA Volleyball High Performance Championships (HPC) in July.  

 

The roster, which includes athletes born in 1996 or 1997, consists of 33 athletes from 19 different regions who have earned a spot on the team through participation at any of the USA Volleyball Girls’ Indoor High Performance tryouts. The program includes six liberos, nine middle blockers, 12 outside hitters and six setters.

These athletes will attend a five-day USAV HP training camp before the HPC in Des Moines, Iowa, from July 19-29 at the Iowa Events Center. After the five days of training, the players will be divided into three teams of 11 members for the tournament that takes place July 24-28.

The three teams will compete at HPC against international teams, Region High Performance teams and other USAV HP teams.

 

A veteran of the USA Volleyball Summer Program, Hernandez has served as a court coach with the USA Volleyball High Performance tryout camp in each of the past seven years and has been a lead tryout coach for the last three years.  In 2007 she took part in the USA High Performance Championships in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where she served as a coach for the USA Youth National A2 team.  In 2008 Hernandez served as an assistant coach with the USA Volleyball High Performance Youth A2 squad in Tucson, Arizona, while in 2009 she was an assistant with the USA Volleyball Women’s Junior A2 squad. In 2010 Hernandez served as the head coach for the Women's Junior Continental Team with USA Volleyball High Performance Camps.  In 2012 Hernandez was the assistant coach for the Youth National A2 program and served as a head coach with the USA camp in Oklahoma.

 

Kansas Volleyball: Ray Bechard Selected to Coach the U.S. Women’s National A2 Program

Kansas Volleyball: Ray Bechard Selected to Coach the U.S. Women’s National A2 Program

 

LAWRENCE, Kan. – Volleyball veteran Ray Bechard was one of eight collegiate coaches selected by USA Volleyball to lead this summer’s U.S. Women’s National A2 Team Program in Columbus, Ohio, June 26-July 5.

 

Bechard will begin his 15^th season at the helm of the Jayhawk volleyball program this fall and his 27^th season overall. The all-time winningest coach in KU volleyball history holds a remarkable 938-262 (.782) career record. In 14 seasons at Kansas, Bechard has a 222-202 mark, including 10 years at .500 or better.

 

The long-time Kansas leader marks the only coach from the Big 12 Conference selected as the USA Volleyball committee strived to appoint a diverse group of college coaches to work with the 48 women who were selected to play in the nine-day camp.

 

“This is my second go-round with USA Volleyball,” Bechard said, who was an assistant coach for the USA Volleyball Youth National Team in 1995. “This gives me an opportunity to work with some of the other great coaches in college volleyball as well as give a little time and energy back to USA Volleyball.”

 

Training begins June 26 at Ohio Dominican University in Columbus, while the matches will be held June 30 to July 4 during the USA Volleyball Girls’ Junior National Championships (GJNC) at the Greater Columbus Convention Center. During the pre-tournament training session, the 48 athletes will be divided into four teams of 12 players that will play one match per day during the GJNC. All matches will be A2 competing against each other in a round-robin format followed by a semifinal and final round.

 

“I feel that moving the U.S. Women's National A2 Program to be in conjunction with the USA Volleyball Girls' Junior National Championships will be a very positive move for the program,” USA Volleyball Senior Director Tom Pingel stated on USAVolleyball.org. “The exposure and impact that the program and its athletes will have at the GJNC will far surpass that experienced at the USA Volleyball Open National Championships with the adults competing. It will also be a ‘win’ for the GJNC event and its participants.”

 

Bechard agrees, citing that this is the volleyball event of the year and exposes the younger players (12-18 year-olds compete in GJNC) to the competiveness of the Women’s National A2 Team Program. According to Bechard, the A2 program not only trains and creates opportunities for the players, but also gives Team USA a chance to identify future prospects.

 

“Combining the two to be held at the same time, in the same location was a very smart move,” Bechard explained. “There will be thousands of kids competing at Junior Nationals and parents there to watch, so they’ve created a built-in crowd (to showcase the A2 program).”

 

The 2012 U.S. Women’s National A2 Team program was selected through the U.S. Women’s National Team Open Tryouts held Feb. 10-12 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. A record 207 athletes, including several current Jayhawks, participated in the tryout. Athletes in college and with collegiate eligibility remaining for the 2012 collegiate season not selected to join the U.S. Women’s National Team were eligible for the U.S. Women’s A2 program.

 

This marks the Grinnell, Kan., native’s second stint with USA Volleyball. Bechard was an assistant coach for the USA Volleyball Youth National Team that won the Slovakian Cup Championship in Zilina, Slovakia, in 1995. Bechard, who coached at Barton County CC at the time, was the only non-Division I coach on the staff. The team competed against youth teams from Poland and Slovakia. Although he regards coaching with Team USA as a proud accomplishment, he also puts the experience into perspective.

 

“In 1995, I thought ‘what do I have to offer these people?’” Bechard joked. “Now I’ve learned that it really comes down to the fact that the kids are the same everywhere. As coaches, we’re all working on the same fundamentals and making a commitment to helping players be successful, whether we’re coaching at the college or the national level. We won’t have a lot of time to implement systems and get complex during this program, but we will have a chance to create competitive opportunities. The more we can do that within USA Volleyball, the better.”

 

Santa Clara Volleyball Coach Brad Keller Resigns to Take Position With UCLA Men's Volleyball

Santa Clara Volleyball Coach Brad Keller Resigns to Take Position With UCLA Men's Volleyball

 

 

Santa Clara, Calif.  -
Brad Keller, who has been with the Santa Clara volleyball program since Feb. 6, 2012, resigned his position with the Broncos on June 9 to take a similar position with the UCLA men's volleyball team.

"We wish Brad Keller good luck as he moves on after four months with us to work with the UCLA men's volleyball team," said Bronco head  volleyball coach Jon Wallace.  "Bronco assistant coach Matt Lyles and I
are very confident as we move forward to the summer and the fall that the team is in the right place as we have set high goals for ourselves this next year and in the years to come.  The women worked very hard in
the winter training with athletic performance director Ryan Leake and continued to make a lot of progress with Matt and I in the gym during spring training. I look forward to the ladies finishing their finals
this week, taking some time off and then hitting the gym hard in August so they are ready for what looks to be a very competitive and promising fall season. Go Broncos!"

"Before I talk about the bright future of the Bronco volleyball team,I need to take a quick look back at all the progress we made this winter and spring," said Bronco assistant coach Matt Lyles.  "The team
really embraced Ryan Leake, competed so hard in the gym and made huge strides playing sand volleyball.  We came in with a new enthusiasm for the sport and the team has really embraced the new culture we are
working to instill here. The team found passion in the sport that we haven't had in awhile.  They have fallen in love with the sport again.
We set up individuals and spring training so they would enjoy the sport again. We set up the beach tournament in Malibu and structured the workouts with Ryan so the women could fall in love with the sport
again.  I feel like we are accomplishing that and more!  I know we are all really excited for that first practice of double days in August.  I wish the team the best of luck on their finals this week – they know we
hold a high standard in the classroom and we are excited about their academic results."

"First, I want to thank Jon, Matt and the Santa Clara Athletic Department for giving me this opportunity. I have more than enjoyed my short time here," said Keller, who spent a season with the UCONN women's
volleyball program before coming to Santa Clara in February.  "I love the Santa Clara atmosphere, family and team. It's a very special place. 
I have a unique opportunity to go back to the men's side of college volleyball and I am excited about that opportunity.  I can't say enough how much I've enjoyed my time here. Jon has been an incredible leader,
mentor and family man.  I am excited for the future of Santa Clara volleyball.  Young women across the country would be lucky to play under the guidance of Jon, Matt and the Santa Clara logo.  The buzz that the
team has created, the systems they have worked on, the growth of the Bronco team in five months has been nothing but spectacular.  I wish the women on this team the very best of luck in the future. I was more than
honored and proud to be a part of this organization, even for a brief time. I love this team, Jon and Matt."

   

 

NIU Volleyball Team Adds Julkowski to Complete Coaching Staff

NIU Volleyball Team Adds Julkowski to Complete Coaching Staff   

   

Former Lakeland College star returns to home state   

   

     
          

   

      DeKALB, Ill. –
Former Lakeland College (Sheboygan, Wis.) standout Joe Julkowski joined
the Northern Illinois University volleyball program as an assistant
coach, NIU Head Coach Ray Gooden announced Friday.  The
Carol Stream, Ill., native puts the Huskie staff back at full strength
as the Huskies are doing their summer training in preparation of the
upcoming 2012 season that starts in August.   

   

     
          

   

      “It’s exciting to get our staff up to full speed now,” said Gooden, the 2011 Mid-American Conference Coach of the Year.  “Having the addition of Joe just compliments our group.  We are excited to have him.  He has a great presence about him, works really hard, and comes in with head coaching experience, which helps our group.  He’s going to be a great asset not only to the players but to the program and department as well.   

   

     
          

   

      “We plan on having him be a
big contributor in the gym, help run practices and do things on the tech
side with scouting and other training tools.  His main focus will be in the gym.  He will also help out on the road recruiting and be our director of camps.”   

   

     
          

   

      For Julkowski, the job
provides him with a chance to return to his home state and move from the
NCAA Division III level to Division I at a place where he is familiar
with.   

   

     
          

   

      “I have a friend who is an NIU
alum who said a lot of good things about Ray and knew [Assistant Coach]
Lynnette [Moster],” said Julkowski.  “Immediately, I was already drawn because of the coaching staff.  I hope to get great experience from them and bring different things to the table.   

   

     
          

   

      “Secondly, my brother graduated from Northern.  I love the campus and atmosphere -- love the state school atmosphere.  I came from a school that was smaller so it’s great to have this big atmosphere but still have a hometown feel.”   

   

     
          

   

      Prior to his arrival at NIU,
Julkowski spent the last six years at Lakeland College with the men’s
collegiate club volleyball team.  From 2006-10 as a player, he was the catalyst of Lakeland’s four straight Wisconsin Volleyball Conference (WVC) championships.  Not only did Julkowski have the Muskies in the Wisconsin spotlight, he had them in the national mix.  In
2008, the Muskies went all the way to the top, winning the their first
National Collegiate Volleyball Federation (NCVF) Division I national
championship over Illinois.  It wasn’t just a one-year
wonder either, as the Muskies fell in the national finals in 2007 and
2010 and were national semi-finalists in 2009.   

   

     
          

   

      A stellar playing career at
Lakeland left Julkowski as a three-time NCVF All-American, two-time WVC
MVP, and four-time all-conference performer.  He holds the program records for kills (1,905) and aces (271) in a career.   

   

     
          

   

      As soon as his playing days as
a Muskie were over, Julkowski quickly made the transition to coaching
and served as a graduate assistant coach for the program in 2011.  Lakeland finished with an 18-27 record, 8-10 in conference, and had a first round exit from the NCVF National Championships.   

   

     
          

   

      A year later, Julkowski was
named head coach and guided the Muskies to a 22-24 mark, 6-7 in
conference, and led them to the NCVF quarterfinals.  Doing
this all while being responsible for every aspect of team management,
including recruiting, travel, scheduling, budgeting, equipment and
apparel, fundraising, academic eligibility, study hall supervision, and
all aspects of practice and game management.   

   

     
          

   

      “I’m hoping to make an impact on everyone I come across,” Julkowski said.  “I know the girls, Ray, and Lynnette will have an impact on me.  I just want to have an impact on them, on their careers and lives.  I also want to win but not at the expense of an education.  NIU volleyball wins and does it in the classroom too.  Both are important to me and I want to do it the right way.  One of my goals is to help get this program past the NCAA second round.  We want to win the MAC and keep pushing from there.”   

   

     
          

   

      The 25-year-old Julkowski
graduated from Lakeland in 2009 with a bachelor’s degree in criminal
justice and is a product of Glenbard North High School in Carol Stream.   

   

     
          

   

      -NIU-