NCAA Girls
December 20, 2023
We’ve the primary main shock rent of the NCAA volleyball offseason.
West Virginia introduced Wednesday its new coach will probably be Jen Greeny, the previous Washington State star who took her alma mater to nationwide prominence as the top coach the previous 13 years.
“We’re very excited for a brand new enterprise and we are going to construct one thing nice,” Greeny instructed us.
It comes on the heels of a busy couple of days for the Division I switch portal. Among the many notables, former Nebraska standout Whitney Lauenstein, out of volleyball the previous yr and who had a child, going to Texas; and Georgia getting Erykah Lovett, who was third in kills for Tennessee this season.
And the ultimate AVCA prime 25 got here out after Texas received the NCAA title on Sunday.
Greeny to West Virginia
Jen Greeny grew up in Davenport, Washington, the place she was one of many biggest small-school basketball gamers in state historical past. Then she performed volleyball at Washington State (1995-98), the place she grew to become top-of-the-line gamers in program historical past. After that, Greeny coached at Lewis-Clark State Faculty in close by Lewiston, Idaho, earlier than returning to WSU in Pullman. So this will probably be her first enterprise exterior the Pacific Northwest.
“The athletic director, Wren Baker, simply wouldn’t take no for a solution,” Greeny stated. “I feel that reveals their dedication to constructing a top quality program and competing within the Large 12 Convention.”
At WSU, her Cougars went to the final eight NCAA Tournaments and this season completed 26-8, 14-6 within the Pac-12. WSU misplaced within the third spherical of the NCAA Event to Pittsburgh.
Greeny has an general document of 347-199, 235-175 at Washington State.
West Virginia completed 9-22 final season, 2-16 within the Large 12. Reed Sunahara resigned after 9 seasons.
Washington State is, together with Oregon State, left in limbo after the imploding of the Pac-12. They’re two massive applications principally with out a convention and Greeny stated that weighed closely in her resolution course of.
“It’s bittersweet each methods,” Greeny stated, “however I really feel like we’ve executed all we are able to do right here. We positively left it higher than we discovered it.”
Greeny’s husband, Burdette, her affiliate head coach and recruiting coordinator, will be part of her in West Virginia. Greeny stated she didn’t know if former WSU teammate and assistant coach Shannon Hunt, who has been at Greeny’s aspect all through, will make the transfer.
The most important opening is at Northwestern, the place Shane Davis resigned after eight years on the Large Ten college.
Among the many different Division openings are Air Pressure, Miami (Ohio), Nevada and Coastal Carolina, the place interim head coach Steve Loeswick is prone to keep on.
Gamers on the transfer
The season ended Sunday with Texas profitable all of it and Tuesday the Longhorns had a brand new participant. Whitney Lauenstein, who performed two years at Nebraska earlier than strolling away from this system after the 2022 season, introduced on Instagram that she is going to play at Texas. Lauenstein, a 6-2 proper aspect from Waverly, Nebraska, stated merely, “The household is transferring to Texas!”
In 2022, when Nebraska misplaced within the third spherical of the NCAA Event, Lauenstein had 297 kills, second solely to Madi Kubik, and had 114 blocks, second solely to Kaitlyn Hord.
This previous July she and Luke Partridge grew to become dad and mom of Layla Ryan.
It continues a development of gamers going from a type of colleges to the opposite. Amongst them, Lexi Solar from Texas to Nebraska, Keonilei Akana and Kayla Caffey from Nebraska to Texas. Akana served the match-winning level that gave Texas the 2022 nationwide title.
Erykah Lovett, who will probably be a senior, has left Tennessee and can play at Georgia. The 5-11 exterior is from Newnan, Georgia. Final season, she had 239 kills, third finest for Tennessee, and was second in digs with 296(3.05/set).
“Erykah has established herself as one of many SEC’s prime exterior hitters and we’re thrilled to welcome her again to her dwelling state,” Georgia coach Tom Black stated. “She’s going to do nice issues in her remaining yr, and we are able to’t wait to assist her pursue these objectives. It’s an thrilling day for our program.”
This will probably be Lovett’s third college. She began at Lengthy Seaside State in 2021 earlier than enjoying the previous two years at Tennessee.
Creighton is getting Penn State’s Maddy Bilinovic. The 5-7 libero from Independence, Ohio, was fourth on the Nittany Lions this season with 213 digs.
Molly Phillips, the suitable aspect who received two nationwide titles at Texas, is completed with indoors and can play seaside at USC. USC made the announcement Wednesday.
AVCA remaining ballot
Not surprisingly, Texas moved up from No. 5 to No. 1 within the remaining AVCA Division I Girls’s Volleyball Ballot.
Nebraska, which had been No. 1 many of the season and misplaced to the Longhorns within the title match, have been No. 2. Wisconsin, Pittsburgh and Stanford adopted.
Click on right here for the full AVCA remaining ballot.