Former Volleyball Assistant Named to AVCA Thirty Under 30
2/25/2009 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Feb. 25, 2009
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - Former Assistant Volleyball Coach Ben Boldt was named to the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) inaugural Thirty Under 30 list. The award was created to honor thirty of the up-and-coming coaches under 30 years old in volleyball at all levels of the game.
"This is a nice honor for Ben," said head coach Judy Green. "During his time here at Alabama he grew tremendously as a coach, and I hope his experience of being a part of our program will help him be successful in his next coaching endeavor."
In his two seasons with the Crimson Tide, Boldt helped the team earn 31 match wins and a berth to the NCAA Tournament in 2007. Prior to his tenure with Alabama, Boldt spent five seasons as a member of the University of Nebraska volleyball staff and was part of one of the most successful programs in recent history. He capped off his career with the Huskers by helping Nebraska win its third NCAA Championship finishing out the 2006 season at 33-1. Boldt has served in other coaching capacities along the way including the USA Youth National Team, USA A2 squad, Challenger Volleyball Club and the Nebraska Juniors.
"The AVCA could not have picked a better coach and person to recognize," added Green.
The thirty recipients were split evenly between head coaches and assistant coaches. Ten award winners are NCAA Division I women's coaches, five are NCAA Division II women's coaches, five are High School girls' coaches, four are women's coaches in NCAA Division III, three are from two-year colleges, two coach Division I-II men and one is an NAIA women's coach. In addition, two of the honorees double-up as club coaches.
Inaugural Thirty Under 30 Award Recipients
Lindi Bankowski, Assistant Coach - Austin Peay State University, Clarksville, TN (NCAA Division I)
Brittany Baume, Assistant Coach - Wittenberg University, Springfield, OH (NCAA Division III)
Ben Boldt, Assistant Coach - University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL (NCAA Division I)
Ryan Campbell, Assistant Coach - Cornerstone University, Grand Rapids, MI (NAIA)
Caitlin Faulk, Head Coach - Broward College, Fort Lauderdale, FL (NJCAA Division I)
Becky Fletcher, Head Coach - SUNYIT (Men & Women), Utica, NY (NCAA Division III)
Kyle Gamble, Assistant Coach - Iowa Western Community College, Council Bluffs, IA (NJCAA Division I)
Todd Garvey, Head Coach - Mercy Academy, Louisville, KY (High School)
Chris Gaskill, Assistant Coach - University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA (NCAA Division I)
Kelly Greapentrog, Head Coach - St. John Fisher College, Rochester, NY (NCAA Division III)
Emily Hawthorne, Head Coach - Zionsville High School, Zionsville, IN (High School)
Kristina Hernandez, Head Coach - Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY (NCAA Division I)
Michael Johnson, Associate Head Coach - Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, CA (NCAA Division I)
Gretchen Killebrew, Assistant Coach - Seattle University, Seattle, WA (NCAA Division I)
Matt Martin, Assistant Coach - Loyola University Chicago (Men), Chicago, IL (NCAA Division I-II)
Giovana Melo, Head Coach - Western Nebraska Community College, Scottsbluff, NE (NJCAA Division I)
Stephanie Moreno, Assistant Coach - University of San Diego, San Diego, CA (NCAA Division I)
Kelly Morrisroe, Assistant Coach - Eckerd College, St. Petersburg, FL (NCAA Division II)
George Mulry, Head Coach - Longmeadow High School, Longmeadow, MA (High School)
Vince Muscat, Head Coach - Allen Park Inter-City Baptist, Alan Park, MI (High School)
Coley Pawlikowski, Head Coach - North Park University, Chicago, IL (NCAA Division III)
Jessy Roy, Assistant Coach - Lynn University, Boca Raton, FL (NCAA Division II)
Lauren Sauer, Assistant Coach - University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY (NCAA Division I)
Jamie Skadeland, Head Coach - Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO (NCAA Division II)
Eric Snyder, Head Coach - Stonehill College, Easton, MA (NCAA Division II)
Holly Strauss-O'Brien, Head Coach - University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT (NCAA Division I)
John Titus, Head Coach - Parsippany H.S./Atlantic Valley VB Club, Parsippany/Westfield, NJ (High School/Club)
Christy Utnage, Assistant Coach - Xavier University, Cincinnati, OH (NCAA Division I)
J.T. Wenger, Assistant Coach - UCLA (Men) / Palisades Volleyball Club, Los Angeles, CA (NCAA Division I-II/Club)
Lettie Wilkes, Head Coach - Belmont Abbey College, Belmont, NC (NCAA Division II)
In Memoriam
David Hildebrandt, Head Coach - Elms College, Chicopee, MA (NCAA Division III)
