COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Dec. 4, 2019) – The USA Volleyball High Performance coaching pipeline will be well-represented in the upcoming NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball Tournament.
Out of the 64 schools in the NCAA tournament, 26 will have current coaches/technical staff who are currently in USA Volleyball’s HP coaching pipeline. A total of 32 current NCAA tournament coaches are part of the HP coaching pipeline, plus two other retired collegiate coaches who have close ties with their schools. To qualify for the list, coaches were either a High Performance coach, mentor or technical coordinator during the 2019 season or committed to work for HP in 2020.
Keegan Cook (head coach at University of Washington) and Jess Aschenbrenner (assistant coach at University of Denver) were both involved in at least three USA Volleyball High Performance programs this year. Cook will serve as the head coach for the 2020 U.S. Girls Youth National Team after being the head coach for the 2019 U.S. Collegiate National Team World University Games team while also being an evaluator at the U.S. Women’s National Team Open Tryout. Later this month he will lead the U.S. Girls Youth Holiday Training program. Aschenbrenner was on the HP coach staffs for the U.S. Collegiate National Team program in Anaheim, the U.S. Girls Youth A1 Team and the U.S. Women’s National Team Open Tryout.
Cecile Reynaud, chair of the USA Volleyball Board of Directors and mentor coach for the U.S. Girls Youth A1 program this summer, feels it is a tremendous benefit for collegiate coaches to be a part of the USA Volleyball High Performance pipeline.
“I am frequently asked by coaching colleagues for advice on how to move up in the coaching ranks, and I always suggest becoming a part of the USA Volleyball High Performance coaching pipeline,” Reynaud said. “It is a great chance to network with other coaches and is a real bonus to put that on your resume. When college coaches take time to be involved in USA Volleyball’s pipeline, we see lots of benefits later in their collegiate program and with their athletes.”
For the 64-team NCAA Tournament bracket, click here. To purchase tickets to the NCAA Division I Women’s Championship semifinals and finals Dec. 19 and Dec. 21 in Pittsburgh, click here.
Coach – School (2019/2020 HP Program)
Becca Acevedo – Winthrop (GSA1, GSA2)
Jason Allen – Northern Iowa (GSA1)
Jess Aschenbrenner – Denver (WCNT Anaheim, GYA1, WNT Tryout)
Eric Barber – Cal Poly (GHOL)
Jake Barreau – Oklahoma (WNT Tryout)
Kirsten Bernthal Booth – Creighton (WCNT Anaheim)
Dani Busboom – Louisville (GSA1)
OJ Catalan – Florida (WNT Tryout)
Keegan Cook – Washington (WCNT World University, GYNT, WNT Tryout, GHOL)
Alyssa D’Errico – Dayton (GSA1, GHOL)
Brian Doyon – UCF (WJA1, WNT Tryout)
Alex Dunphy – Southern California (GHOL)
Jerritt Elliott – Texas (WJNT)
Taylor Filzen – Dayton (WCNT Anaheim, WNT Tryout)
Dan Fisher – Pittsburgh (WCNT Anaheim)
Jen Greeny – Washington State (WNT Tryout)
Don Hardin – Illinois retired (GSA1 Mentor)
Anne Marie Hickey – Wisconsin (WNT Tryout)
Travis Hudson – Western Kentucky (WCNT Anaheim)
Brian Hurler – Creighton (WCNT, WNT Tryout)
Cullen Irons – Oklahoma (GSA1)
Brad Keller – UCLA (WJNT)
Emily Kohan – Colorado State (WNT Tryout)
Tom Mendoza – South Carolina (GYCT)
Skylar Lopes – Florida (WNT Tryout)
Beth Launiere – Utah (WCNT World University Games)
Heather Olmstead – BYU (WCNT Japan, WNT Tryout)
Jordana Price – Florida State (GSA1)
TJ Read – UCF (WCNT Japan, BHOL, WNT Tryout)
Jaylen Reyes – Nebraska (WCNT Japan, BHOL)
Cecile Reynaud – Florida State retired (GYA1 Mentor)
Pat Schawaryn – Princeton (BSA1, BHOL)
Malia Shoji – Utah (WNT Tryout)
Jason Williams – Baylor (GSA2)
HP Coaching Program Key:
WJNT = U.S. Women’s Junior National Team; WCNT = U.S. Women’s Collegiate National Team; WJA1 = U.S. Women’s Junior A1; WNT Tryout = U.S. Women’s National Team Tryout; GYA1 = U.S. Girls Youth A1; GYCT = U.S. Girls Youth Continental Team; GSA1 = U.S Girls Select A1; GSA2 = U.S. Girls Select A2; BSA1 = U.S. Boys Select A1; GHOL = Girls Holiday Training Program; BHOL = Boys Holiday Training Program