New coach Korey Schroeder takes helm of new-look WSU volleyball program
Few college volleyball teams nationally have experienced as much change as Washington State since the Cougars’ loss to Pittsburgh last December in the third round of the NCAA Tournament.
WSU has a new head coach and coaching staff, a bunch of new players and a new conference home.
Korey Schroeder was elevated from assistant to head coach and he’ll be watching intently as the new-look Cougs debut Friday against Wyoming at the Omaha (Nebraska) Invite.
The starting unit and rotation are a work in progress as five returners, led by 6-foot-5 senior Katy Ryan (Lakeland High), six transfers and three freshmen try to put their best foot forward with three matches in three days.
“That’s what a lot of this weekend and our exhibition match versus Montana last weekend is for,” said Schroeder, unbothered by four hours of flight delays that pushed back the team’s arrival Wednesday in Omaha. “We’ll learn a lot more this weekend.”
Schroeder replaces Jen Greeny, who left for West Virginia after guiding the Cougars to eight consecutive NCAA Tournaments. Her final team was arguably her best with 26 wins – the most in Greeny’s 13 seasons – a program-high No. 4 national ranking and the first trip to the Sweet 16 since 2018.
The Pittsburgh loss was the finale for eight seniors/fifth-year athletes, including four-time All-American and five-time All-Pac-12 first-teamer Magda Jehlarova and Pia Timmer, a four-time All-Pac-12 first-team selection. Setter Argentina Ung, honorable mention All-American last season, transferred to Arizona State for her fifth season.
Recruiting was obviously a priority for Schroeder and the assistants with so much firepower exiting the program. He emphasized finding players with strong character and he’s been thrilled with how connected the team has been during the preseason.
“Fortunately and unfortunately with the (transfer) portal, we were able to get some players in the spring and we signed three freshman as well,” Schroeder said. “Lot of visits and phone calls.
“It was a special group (last season) and it’d be pretty tough to go find the next person to set the all-time blocks record in the NCAA (like Jehlarova). You start searching in all corners, as local as you can, internationally, throughout the U.S., the portal, trying to find the best players possible.”
Schroeder likes the roster, which includes Eastern Washington transfer Sage Brustad and Idaho transfer Taryn Vrieling. Both outside hitters led their respective teams in kills last year.
Grad student Jaden Walz, who had a career-high 987 assists last season in her fourth year at Bowling Green, and Italia Bernal, a 6-foot freshman from Mexico, figure to see time at setter.
The Cougars will probably be affiliate members of the West Coast Conference for the next two seasons after the Pac-12 splintered last fall. The WCC isn’t as deep as the Pac-12, but it has strength at the top with San Diego, a Final Four team in 2022, and Pepperdine, which has made four straight NCAA Tournaments.
WSU, which received votes in the AVCA preseason poll, came in sixth in the WCC preseason poll. Pepperdine, San Diego and Loyola Marymount led the way, and Oregon State and Pacific tied for fourth. Ryan was named to the All-WCC preseason team.
“It’s a very competitive conference,” Schroeder said. “We’ll have to learn about those teams as we get closer to conference. Right now, we’re spending most of our time preparing ourselves.”
Schroeder understands there will be expectations from the fan base accustomed to NCAA Tournament appearances.
“Certainly, we hope we’re back in the tournament and can make it nine in a row,” he said, “but really what we’ve been talking about is maxing out the potential of the group we have.”
Gonzaga picked last in WCC
The Bulldogs were picked 11th (last) in the WCC preseason coaches’ poll. Gonzaga has finished in the cellar the past two seasons with a combined 2-32 WCC record.
Coach Katie Wilson, 9-47 in her first two years, returns setter Nia Damuni, who made the WCC All-Freshman team after leading the team in assists (854), starts (27) and sets played (97).
Wilson added seven freshmen to the roster.
EWU sixth in Big Sky preseason poll
Eastern Washington, which opens with a pair of matches Friday at Utah Valley’s tournament in Orem, was sixth in the Big Sky preseason poll.
EWU took a step forward in coach Jon Hariguchi’s second season with a 13-17 record and the program’s first Big Sky Tournament victory since 2008 – an upset over second-seeded Northern Colorado before falling to Montana State.
The returning core includes Sadie Bacon, Kate Hatch, Makenna Collins, Bri Gunderson and Alyssa Radke. Gunderson earned second-team All-Big Sky honors last season. Sophomore outside hitter Kalista Lukovich had a double-double with 13 digs and a team-high 16 kills in a five-set exhibition loss to Central Washington.