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UM volleyball adds interim assistant
MISSOULA - Kandice Kelly has been named interim assistant coach for University of Montana volleyball coaching replacing Allison Weston, who after five years with the program recently decided to pursue another career opportunity in the Missoula area.
Head coach Jerry Wagner said Tuesday Kelly will join Ryan Platt as an assistant coach. Platt is entering his second season with Montana.
Kelly, a recent graduate of Montana State, was a four-year member of the Bobcat volleyball program. She is the MSU single-season and career leader in digs and helped the Bobcats to three Big Sky Conference tournament appearances.
The 2006 honorable mention All-Big Sky selection ranks second in league history in career digs.
The 2002 Montana Gatorade girls volleyball player of the year led Roundup High School to four Class B state titles as a setter and outside hitter. Kelly was a three-time state tournament MVP and a four-time academic all-state selection.
She was recruited to Montana State by Wagner, then an assistant and associate head coach with the Bobcats.
"When I was being recruited by Jerry, it really came out how much he cares about his athletes and the relationship he has with their families," Kelly said. "That approach made me want to play wherever Jerry was coaching, so he's the main reason I chose to play at MSU."
Kelly already had planned to attend graduate school at UM.
"Once Jerry got the job here, I knew this is where I wanted to go to graduate school," she said. "I was hoping to have some sort of a role on his staff this season while I attended classes no matter how small of a role it was, so this is the best opportunity I could have imagined.
"I've known Jerry for a long time and he knows me very well. We share a lot of the same ideas, so I think it's going to work out really well."
"We were fortunate to have Allison be a part of the coaching staff, even if it was for only one season," Wagner said. "She provided some continuity for the players and was a major part of the success we experienced last season.
"We had a good thing going with the staff we had in place, but I respect Allison’s decision to go on a different career path at this point in her life.
"Kandice was somebody that was already going to be a part of the program in 2007,” Wagner added. “Now she'll just be involved in a bigger role than we originally anticipated. I know she is going to make a very good coach, so the situation couldn't have turned out any better.”
Weston spent five years as an assistant coach with Montana, joining the program in 2002 after winning a national championship at Nebraska in 1995 and representing the United States at the 2000 Olympics.
"I thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity I had at Montana over the last five years," Weston said. "It was a privilege to work with the people I was able to be around every day, from the administration to the coaches to the players.
"I look forward to supporting the program in the future and enjoying the success the program is going to experience in the years ahead."
Montana opens its 2007 season by hosting its own tournament on Friday and Saturday, Aug. 24-25. Visiting teams include Gonzaga, Canisius and UC Irvine.
MISSOULA - Kandice Kelly has been named interim assistant coach for University of Montana volleyball coaching replacing Allison Weston, who after five years with the program recently decided to pursue another career opportunity in the Missoula area.
Head coach Jerry Wagner said Tuesday Kelly will join Ryan Platt as an assistant coach. Platt is entering his second season with Montana.
Kelly, a recent graduate of Montana State, was a four-year member of the Bobcat volleyball program. She is the MSU single-season and career leader in digs and helped the Bobcats to three Big Sky Conference tournament appearances.
The 2006 honorable mention All-Big Sky selection ranks second in league history in career digs.
The 2002 Montana Gatorade girls volleyball player of the year led Roundup High School to four Class B state titles as a setter and outside hitter. Kelly was a three-time state tournament MVP and a four-time academic all-state selection.
She was recruited to Montana State by Wagner, then an assistant and associate head coach with the Bobcats.
"When I was being recruited by Jerry, it really came out how much he cares about his athletes and the relationship he has with their families," Kelly said. "That approach made me want to play wherever Jerry was coaching, so he's the main reason I chose to play at MSU."
Kelly already had planned to attend graduate school at UM.
"Once Jerry got the job here, I knew this is where I wanted to go to graduate school," she said. "I was hoping to have some sort of a role on his staff this season while I attended classes no matter how small of a role it was, so this is the best opportunity I could have imagined.
"I've known Jerry for a long time and he knows me very well. We share a lot of the same ideas, so I think it's going to work out really well."
"We were fortunate to have Allison be a part of the coaching staff, even if it was for only one season," Wagner said. "She provided some continuity for the players and was a major part of the success we experienced last season.
"We had a good thing going with the staff we had in place, but I respect Allison’s decision to go on a different career path at this point in her life.
"Kandice was somebody that was already going to be a part of the program in 2007,” Wagner added. “Now she'll just be involved in a bigger role than we originally anticipated. I know she is going to make a very good coach, so the situation couldn't have turned out any better.”
Weston spent five years as an assistant coach with Montana, joining the program in 2002 after winning a national championship at Nebraska in 1995 and representing the United States at the 2000 Olympics.
"I thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity I had at Montana over the last five years," Weston said. "It was a privilege to work with the people I was able to be around every day, from the administration to the coaches to the players.
"I look forward to supporting the program in the future and enjoying the success the program is going to experience in the years ahead."
Montana opens its 2007 season by hosting its own tournament on Friday and Saturday, Aug. 24-25. Visiting teams include Gonzaga, Canisius and UC Irvine.
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