GSU's Kim Young Named UNO Volleyball Head Coach

NEW ORLEANS, LA - University of New Orleans interim athletic director Amy Champion announced the hiring of Kim Young as the school's new head volleyball coach on Wednesday afternoon.

Young comes to UNO after spending the last six years in a similar role at Grambling State University, where she compiled a 128-79 overall record and an impressive 45-2 mark in Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) play.

In five of the last six years, Young's season has come to a conclusion in the league tournament's championship game with all six campaigns highlighted by a SWAC West Division championship.

"Kim has a very successful track record as a coach and recruiter here in the state of Louisiana," said Champion. "When she came in for her interview, the energy and enthusiasm that she had for becoming our next volleyball coach was recognized quickly by our staff."

"We are excited to have Kim as part of our staff and feel that the experience she provides, both as a head coach and a former student-athlete and will give her the tools to build on the recent success of our volleyball program."

An accomplished player during her time at Grambling, Young was a three-time SWAC Player of the Year for head coach Fredrick Payne from 1996-1998, leading the Tigers to league titles in 1996 and 1997.

Her success as a collegiate player led to a stint at the next level with the United States Professional Volleyball League. The East St. Louis, Illinois native had the opportunity to play for the nearby St. Louis Quest while also participating in professional competition in Japan and the Dominican Republic.



Coach Young was a 2009 inductee into the Grambling State University Alumni Hall of Fame Gallery of Distinction.

Young returned to Grambling as an assistant coach in 2003 and earned her Masters' degree in Sports Administration in 2004 before rising to the position of head coach later that year.

"I've had a vision of coaching outside the SWAC," said Young. "UNO has available what I need to complete that vision from great facilities to a great education."

"I believe competing in Division III at UNO will afford me the opportunity to compete for national championships. The school has the heritage, recent success and location that will assist in getting quality student-athletes."

This year, UNO will compete as a Division I Independent in all sports as part of a multi-year transition to Division III status.

Young has already began working to finalize a roster that currently includes returning starters Cassidy Asebroek and Edina Dobi at setter and outside hitter, respectively.

The 2009 Privateer volleyball team posted a 20-13 overall mark while winning the Sun Belt Conference West Division title under then-head coach Jozsef Forman.

The new head coach will make her UNO debut against a familiar foe from her days in the SWAC as the Privateers open the 2010 campaign at Jackson State on Aug. 27.

By: Jason Plotkin
Director of Athletic Media Relations
University of New Orleans
Office: (504) 280-6284
www.UNOPrivateers.com
On Twitter @UNOPrivateers

Grambling sets high volleyball goals for 2008

By GSU Sports Information

After falling short in the finals of the 2007 SWAC Volleyball Tournament, the Grambling State Lady Tiger volleyball team returned to campus this week hungrier than ever as they began preparing for the 2008 campaign.

Led by head coach Kim Young, the Lady Tigers came within a match of earning a NCAA Tournament bid as they had an emotional SWAC Tournament run that saw them play 25 consecutive games. With an experienced roster returning, expectations are high for the Lady Tigers this season but Young said her team has to get in shape before they move on to anything else.

“The first few days were pretty difficult,” she said. “I sent my players workout manuals that were designed to keep them in shape while on summer break. Half of the players came back in good shape while a few of the younger players thought it would be easy to whip back into shape at the beginning of camp. It took some time for them to get back to where I wanted but mostly everyone is in good condition.”

The Lady Tigers will hold two practices per day until the start of school on August 18. Young said the morning practices will emphasize conditioning while the afternoon session is spent on tactical issues. With a veteran team returning, Young said her goal is to capture the SWAC Championship.

“I’ve worked with this group for several years so we’re on the same page in terms of goals this year,” Young said. While Young has the luxury of experience on her side, she’s also going to spend a lot of time working her freshman group into the mix so they can gain the experience needed down the line.

“After the year is over, I’m going to lose some key seniors so the freshmen will see a lot of action,” said Young. “I have high expectations for them so that this time next year, they’ll be ready to step into the shoes of the seniors and pick up where they left off.”

Grambling opens the year on the road in Tampa Bay, Fla. at the University of South Florida Invitational on the weekend of Aug. 29-30.

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