Youngstown State head volleyball coach Aline Scott introduced Friday that Jesus Echevarria has been elevated to the function of Affiliate Head Coach, and Keith Lundgren and Kelly Kiger have joined the workers for the 2023 season.
Echevarria’s promotion comes after he helped the Penguins attain their finest report in eight years through the 2022 season. Youngstown State set a brand new college report with eight Horizon League victories, and a scorching stretch of successful eight out of 11 matches propelled the group to its first convention event berth since 2014. The Penguins had their second-best assault proportion as a group since 1999 at .216, and so they had their most kills per set and finest assault proportion in eight years.
As a recruiter, Echevarria helped safe 5 new student-athletes for the 2023-24 season. These incoming Penguins embrace Ohio natives Michelle Fredrick, Maria Insana and Jocelyn Jourdan, who will all be freshmen. Two worldwide student-athletes, freshman Gabriela Machin from San Lorenzo, Puerto Rico, and junior Jazmin Vergara from Buenaventura, Columbia, may even be on the roster within the fall.
“Jesus and I’ve labored carefully collectively over the past year-and-a-half to construct this program to all we imagine it may be,” Scott mentioned. “This variation in title is a recognition of the kind of partnership we’ve developed and the nice affect he has had in our program. Jesus has helped us propel to new ranges, and this promotion is an acknowledgment of his affect.”
Lundgren formally joined Scott’s workers on June 1 and can be charged with opponent movie analysis, in-match scouting, working carefully with the energy and conditioning program and aiding in recruiting.
He involves Youngstown from Canada, the place he labored most just lately at Olds Faculty of Agriculture & Know-how. With the Broncos, Lundgren offered analytics for in-match technique and superior scouting. He additionally had energy and conditioning and on-court teaching duties.
Lundgren’s teaching profession started in 1996 at the highschool stage, and his collegiate teaching expertise spans practically 20 years. He labored with elite school athletes in Canada and the US on the CCAA, U SPORTS, NCAA and NAIA ranges. He has additionally been concerned with a number of provincial packages.
“Keith stood out to us by the hiring course of for his expertise, his love for the sport, and his values,” mentioned Scott. “His capacity to research the sport from a special perspective is one thing I look ahead to including to our coaching and preparation. I am blissful to welcome him to our workers and may’t wait to see what we are able to all accomplish collectively.”
Kiger joined the workers in March, and her main duties can be coordinating group journey and gameday logistics. She may even help with operating this system’s summer time camps and help with practices.
She was beforehand a volleyball coach within the close by East Liverpool college district, the place she additionally taught for 3 years. Outdoors of volleyball, Kiger teaches English on the Ohio Digital Academy, and he or she additionally operates Customized Cookies by Kelly.
Kiger is acquainted with the Horizon League a three-year volleyball participant at Cleveland State from 2012-14. She began 26 matches at center blocker as a sophomore and was named to the Horizon League All-Event Group. Kiger attended East Liverpool Excessive College, the place she was the Columbiana County Participant of the Yr and a First-Group All-Ohioan as a senior.
“Kelly is a former student-athlete within the Horizon League and brings the will, work ethic and pleasure for studying that’s essential for younger coaches,” Scott mentioned. “Her experiences as an athlete, capacity to attach with the gamers, organizational abilities and energetic perspective can be worthwhile to us.”
Youngstown State’s 2023 schedule will start with a four-team event at Beeghly Heart on Aug. 25-26.
