AIR FORCE COACHING STAFF

Transcription

1 AIR FORCE COACHING STAFF

2 HEAD COACH PENNY LUCAS-WHITE PENNY LUCAS-WHITE HEAD COACH 14TH SEASON MEMPHIS (1993) As the team enters the 2009 season, head coach Penny Lucas-White begins her 14th season at the helm of the Air Force volleyball program. Following a stellar playing career at the collegiate, national and international levels, Lucas-White remains the only coach in the Falcons Division I history. She joined the Academy staff in 1996, as Air Force was making the jump from Division II to Division I status. During her tenure on the Falcons' bench, 18 different cadet-athletes have been named to the academic All-Mountain West Conference team (including one MWC Scholar-Athlete of the Year), while four others earned academic All-Western Athletic Conference honors. Five have been named to various academic all-district teams and two others have been named to the All-MWC teams. Lucas-White joined the Academy staff in 1996 from the University of Memphis, where she compiled a record in five seasons as the head coach of the Tigers. She guided the team to an impressive 27-8 record in 1994 and the program s first-ever appearance in the NCAA Tournament. That team recorded a perfect record in conference play and picked up its second straight Great Midwest Conference title, as one year earlier, the Tigers nabbed the conference title with an 11-1 record. Lucas- White earned Great Midwest Conferenc Coach of the Year honors in 1993 and again in 1994 for her spectacular seasons. The 27-8 record in 1994 remains tied as the second-best season ever for a Memphis volleyball team. The Falcons' mentor draws her coaching expertise from an impressive playing career at the collegiate, national and international levels. Lucas-White earned first-team All-Southeastern Conference honors, as well as the Most Valuable Player award, in her first season playing at Louisiana State University. Lucas-White is still ranked among the program's top-10 for assisted blocks in a single season (129) and digs in a single season (400), both which she set during her junior year. After an outstanding three-year career at LSU, Lucas-White opted to leave the collegiate ranks to play on a higher level overseas in the German Professional League. Two years later, the U.S. National Team came knocking at her door and the middle hitter was chosen to play with America's best in the NORCECA (North, Central America and Caribbean) Tournament and at the 1985 Pan-American Games. Remaining stateside, Lucas-White spent two years playing professionally in the U.S. Pro League, splitting her time between the Dallas Belles and the Chicago Breeze. While there, she received awards for both blocking and spiking efficiency. Overseas play called once again and Lucas-White departed the United States to join the ranks of the Italian Professional League in Matera. During the season, she competed with the team in Argrigento and was named to all-tournament teams twice in three years. During the season in Argrigento, Lucas-White served as a player and coach. 28 While competing professionally in the United States and Europe, Lucas-White remained active during the collegiate season as an assistant coach with the Auburn University women's program from The Auburn team boasted a record in her tenure, achieving back-to-back 20-win seasons in 1988 and When her tour with the Italian League ended in 1991, Lucas-White accepted a position as the head coach at the University of Memphis. While there, she combined skill on the court with skill in the classroom, as her Tiger players maintained an average grade-point-average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. As a player, Lucas-White continued to hone her skills, earning both Rookie of the Year and Player of the Year honors for her United States Volleyball Association Open team in the summer of GoAirForceFalcons.com

3 HEAD COACH PENNY LUCAS-WHITE While coaching at Memphis, she finished her education, earning a bachelor's degree in physical education in Lucas-White continued her professional play during the 1997 season with the Colorado Thunder of the National Volleyball Association. The Thunder voted her to be the league's most valuable player and its number one pick in the NVA inaugural draft. In addition to her coaching duties at the Academy, Lucas-White has also been an active member of the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA). In 2003, she helped the AVCA receive a NCAA minority women's coaches grant for a program entitled "Volleyball: Live It! Love It! Coach It!" and has served on the board of directors as the at-large representative for minority coaches. Lucas-White has two sons, Kyle and Keefe, and a daughter, Kayla. THE LUCAS-WHITE BIO YEAR-BY-YEAR COACHING RECORDS Raised in Baton Rouge... was a member of the Tara High School volleyball, basketball, softball and track teams... attended Louisiana State University from , playing volleyball all three years... earned a bachelors of science degree in physical education from Memphis in 1993, following an impressive professional volleyball career. MEMPHIS Year......W L TOTAL COLLEGE ATHLETIC HONORS First-team All-SEC Most Valuable Player PRO PLAYING EXPERIENCE German Pro League U.S. Pro League Italian Pro League National Volleyball Association AIR FORCE ACADEMY Year......W L TOTAL PROFESSIONAL HONORS Two-time all-tournament selection (Argrigento League) Blocking and spiking efficiency awards (U.S. Pro League) Most Valuable Player (National Volleyball Association, 1997) All-Pro Team (National Volleyball Association, 1997) USVBA EXPERIENCE Rookie of the Year Player of the Year All-Rookie Team All-American First Team Memphis Silver Division Championship Team INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE U.S. National Team COACHING EXPERIENCE Italian Pro League -- Player/Coach Auburn University -- Assistant Coach University of Memphis -- Head Coach Air Force Academy -- Head Coach present Air Force Volleyball 29

4 ASSISTANT COACH VERNA JULATON VERNA JULATON ASSISTANT COACH 14TH SEASON METRO STATE (1989) Entering her 14th season as an assistant coach for Air Force, Verna Julaton continues to lend her expertise to the Falcons volleyball program. In addition to her administrative, recruiting, summer camp and on-court coaching duties, Julaton works primarily with the Air Force defensive specialists and liberos. A native of Colorado Springs and graduate of Widefield High School, Julaton returned to her stomping grounds in 1996 from just up Interstate 25, where she coached at former Air Force Academy Division II rival Metropolitan State College (Denver). She spent five years as an assistant coach for the Roadrunners, before acting as the interim head coach for five months in early With the Roadrunners, she gained experience in scouting, recruiting and practice organization, as well as in strength and conditioning program development. As an assistant coach, Julaton helped Metro State to two conference championships and two NCAA Division II regional berths. During her tenure at MSC, she acted as a coach and administrator for the Metro Roadrunner Volleyball Camp for three years and as the director of Metro's summer volleyball doubles tournament. A keen administrator as well as coach, Julaton served as the facility coordinator and travel coordinator for eight other sports during her five year stint at Metro State. Prior to her coaching days, Julaton was a complete impact player at Metro State. She was a two-year letterwinner for the Roadrunners ( ), after spending the first two years of her collegiate career at Mesa State College in Grand Junction ( ). As a freshman with the Mavericks, Julaton earned the club s Rookie of the Year honors. One year later, she led the Mesa State to the district championship and a seventh-place finish in the NAIA National Championships with a 42-9 overall record. Playing primarily as a setter, Julaton dominated the court during her two years at Metro State, garnering first-team All-Continental Divide Conference honors in her first year. Julaton's second season was even more impressive than the first, as she earned Most Valuable Player honors from the conference and was named a first-team All-South Central region selection. She compiled 2,703 assists and an 8.98 per-game average in two seasons at Metro State. Those marks are ranked sixth and seventh, respectively, on the program s all-time charts. In addition, Julaton is ranked third in the Roadrunners single-season record book after collecting 1,757 assists during the 1988 season. 30 In 1989, she earned the Sportswoman of Colorado All-Around Award, for her significant achievements in both volleyball and basketball. Julaton was inducted into the Metro State Athletic Hall of Fame as a member of the Class of In 1997, she spent the spring as a defensive specialist/setter on the Colorado Thunder professional volleyball team, helping the team to the inaugural National Volleyball Association (NVA) championship title. Julaton earned her bachelor's degree in physical education from Metro State College in 1989 and earned her master s degree in management from University of Phoenix in She is a first-degree black belt. GoAirForceFalcons.com

5 ASSISTANT COACH RUTH LAWANSON RUTH LAWANSON ASSISTANT COACH 2ND SEASON FRESNO STATE (1985) Ruth Lawanson, a member of the 1992 U.S. Olympic team, is entering her second season as an assistant coach for the Falcons. Overseeing the team s setters and outside hitters, Lawanson has brought a wealth of knowledge to the team, backed by experience at the collegiate, national and international levels. Lawanson joined the Academy staff in August 2008, after spending three years as the head coach at Angelo State University at the NCAA Division II level. The Rambelles produced a record during her tenure, and, in addition to her coaching duties, Lawanson served as the school s Senior Woman Administrator and lectured in the Department of Kinesiology. Prior to her time at ASU, Lawanson spent six seasons as an assistant coach at her alma mater, Fresno State, coaching the Bulldogs outside hitters. She also served as the primary recruiter for the program. Her coaching resume also includes four years as an assistant coach and head recruiter at Purdue University. A setter and hitter during her storied playing career, Lawanson was a member of the 1992 U.S. Olympic team that won the bronze medal at the Barcelona games. She spent four seasons with the U.S. National Team, including stints on the 1991 World Cup squad that earned a bronze medal in Japan and the 1990 World Championships team that won a bronze medal in China. She was also honored with the national team s 1991 Judy Bellomo Players Award and won a gold medal with the 1992 U.S. Olympic Festival West Region team. Prior to her time on the national squad, Lawanson played with the Dallas Belles and the Minnesota Monarchs of the Major Volleyball League from She was the league MVP in 1988 and earned USVBA All-America honors with the national champion Chrysler Californians club team in She resumed her professional career in 1992, playing three years in Italy and France. At the collegiate level, Lawanson was one of the greatest players in Fresno State history, becoming the first Bulldog ever to earn NCAA Division I All-America honors as a senior in She was a three-time team MVP for the Bulldogs ( ) and still holds their career records for kills (962) and season records for kills (488) and services aces (55). Her senior year, Lawanson guided the Bulldogs to a record and a fifth-place finish at the NCAA Tournament. For her efforts she was named NorPac co-player of the Year, first team All-NorPac and All-Northwest Region honoree. At the conclusion of her stellar FSU playing career, Lawanson became the first female athlete in the history of Fresno State to have her jersey retired. She was also the first athlete in a sport other than football and only the fourth athlete overall to receive that honor from FSU. Her other FSU accolades include the 1984 Rosa Parks award and designation as the Female Athlete of the Year. A member of both the Fresno Athletic Hall of Fame and the Clovis West High School (Calif.) Wall of Fame, Lawanson was also named one of Fresno State s Top 25 Greatest Athletes and one of the Central Valley s Top 25 Greatest Athletes of the 20th Century. She has served as a member of the Board of Directors of the American Volleyball Coaches Association and continues to pass on her expertise at a number of volleyball camps and clinics around the country. 31 Lawanson received her bachelor s degree in business administration from Fresno State in 1987 and is currently working toward her master s degree. She and her husband, Shawn Kenan, have been married since Air Force Volleyball

6 VOLLEYBALL SUPPORT STAFF CARMILYA BOYKIN CADET MANAGER LARRY BRYANT MAJ TIM FILZEN VOLUNTEER COACH / OR NICOLE HARTIG CADET MANAGER LT COL DAVID KELLER DR. KEN LAVIN ELIGIBILITY CHAR / OR KIM PINSKE STRENGTH COACH MAJ TRACEY SMITH JENNY STONE ATHLETIC TRAINER COL DANIEL URIBE SABRINA WEILER EVENTS MANAGER CHRIS ZELSNACK OFFICE MANAGER 32 NOT PICTURED: CRAIG NOWADLY (CADET MANAGER) GoAirForceFalcons.com