2004 AVCA/Tachikara Division II Region
Coaches of the Year for Women's Volleyball Announced

Tachikara/AVCA Division II Atlantic Region Coach of the Year
Melissa Myers, California University of Pennsylvania
2004 Record: 26-6, 12-4 PSAC
Melissa Myers guided the Vulcans to a 26-6 overall record in her third season at the helm. California (Pa.) reached the 20-win plateau for the first time in four years and the fifth time in the team’s 11-year history. The Vulcans set the school record for fewest losses in a season with six, the previous mark of eight was set in 1998. The team features four juniors, a sophomore and a freshman in the starting lineup. Leading the way are co-captains Katie Barker and Aimee Helbig. Barker, who was named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District II volleyball team, and Helbig leads the team in service aces. Barker and Amanda Evans were named to the AVCA All-Atlantic Region Team and Jessica Brown was an honorable mention selection. Myers is being honored as the Tachikara/AVCA Atlantic Region Coach of the Year for the first time.
 

Tachikara/AVCA Division II Great Lakes Region Coach of the Year
Connie Surowicz, Ashland University
2004 Record: 25-6, 14-3 GLIAC (South Division)
Connie Surowicz led Ashland to its first Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference South Division title with a 14-3 record. The Eagles picked up 25 wins this season, the most wins for the program since 1991, an improvement of 18 wins from 2003. Ashland earned its first national ranking of 25 in the CSTV/AVCA Division II Coaches Top 25 Poll on Nov. 23 and was selected to its first-ever NCAA Division II Tournament. Ashland features AVCA All-Great Lakes Region team members senior Carrie Ritchie and freshman Lynsey Warren. Ritchie, the GLIAC Player of the Year, leads the nation in kills per game for the second straight year. Warren set the school’s single-season assists record. Surowicz, in her second season at the helm of Ashland, was named the 2004 GLIAC Coach of the Year. Her overall record with the Eagles is 32-28 and 17-17 in league play. Surowicz is being honored as the Tachikara/AVCA Great Lakes Region Coach of the Year for the first time.
 

Tachikara/AVCA Division II North Central Region Coach of the Year
Jim Boos,University of Minnesota Duluth
2004 Record: 26-4, 10-2 NCC
Jim Boos led the Bulldogs to the North Central Conference title in their first year as a member of the league and the number-one ranking in the region. Minnesota Duluth handed then-second-ranked UC San Diego its first lost of the season as UMD won the Colorado Premier Challenge on Sept. 4 and moved from 17th on the CSTV/AVCA Division II Coaches Poll to seventh. Boos’ squad is currently ranked fifth nationally after advancing to the NCAA Division II Elite Eight by defeating then-sixth-ranked Concordia-St. Paul. After dropping the first match of the season to then-14th-ranked Northern Michigan on August 27, the Bulldogs pulled together a 15-match win streak which was ended by then-fourth-ranked Concordia-St. Paul. UMD is 7-2 against nationally ranked opponents this season. UMD is currently on a nine-match win streak and have defeated three nationally ranked teams in that period. Boos coached four AVCA All-North Central Region Team members this season, including NCC Player of the Year Callie Zwettler and NCC Freshman of the Year Vicky Braegelmann. Boos is being honored as the Tachikara/AVCA North Central Region Coach of the Year for the first time.
 

Tachikara/AVCA Division II Northeast Region Coach of the Year
Pascale Lubin, Queens College (N.Y.)
2004 Record: 31-5, 11-0 NYCAC
Pascale Lubin guided her team to an undefeated conference record (11-0) and its first regular season conference championship. This is an improvement upon last year’s regular season performance when the Lady Knights finished 9-2 and in second place in conference play. She was honored by her colleagues as 2004 New York Collegiate Athletic Conference Coach of the Year. She has led Queens to the NCAA Division II Elite Eight for the second consecutive year. In this year’s NYCAC Tournament, the Lady Knights held two match points in the conference championship before losing, despite playing the entire tournament without NYCAC Player of the Year Anna Bondarenko. The Lady Knights enters the NCAA Division II Tournament having won 28 matches, tying a school record for wins in a season. They have put together winning streaks of six, nine and 13 in 2004. Lubin has earned the Tachikara/AVCA Northeast Region Coach of the Year two times.
 

Tachikara/AVCA Division II Pacific Region Coach of the Year
Mario Andaya, Central Washington University
2004 Record: 26-1, 18-0 GNAC
Mario Andaya led Central Washington to a 26-0 regular season record, which marks the program’s first 20-win season since 1995. Andaya led CWU to its first NCAA Division II Tournament appearance this season. Only two of the 26 wins in 2004 required five games, including the second match of the season against then-19th-ranked Minnesota State, Mankato. Andaya’s team set a Great Northwest Athletic Conference record of 31 consecutive wins overall, with its last loss against then-fourth-ranked Western Washington on Oct. 31, 2003. The Wildcats have improved upon consecutive 13-13 records in 2002 and 2003. CWU leads the nation in kills per game, is third in assists and ranks among the leaders in digs. The Wildcats earned their first GNAC title this season and their highest ranking in the CSTV/AVCA Division II Coaches Top 25 Poll at 11th since joining NCAA Division II in 1998. This is the first time Andaya has been honored as the Tachikara/AVCA Pacific Region Coach of the Year.
 

Tachikara/AVCA Division II South Region Coach of the Year
Dave Nichols, Barry University
Overall Record: 31-1, 16-0 SSC
Dave Nichols has helped lead Barry to a 31-1 overall record this season and a 16-0 mark in the Sunshine State Conference. The Bucs are on a school record 30-match win streak and notched their first unbeaten conference season to win SSC title. Dave Nichols also guided Barry to a .307 team attack percentage this year, which ranks sixth in NCAA Division II. It is the highest team percentage the Bucs have posted in his nine years at the helm. Barry also ranks sixth nationally in won-loss percentage, and is fourth in assists and kills per game. Nichols helped guide the Bucs to a 7-1 overall record against opponents ranked in the CSTV/AVCA Division II Coaches Top 25 Poll. The only loss came in the second match of the season to then-second-ranked UC San Diego. Barry is a perfect 23-0 against opponents in the South Region this season. Nichols has been honored as the Tachikara/AVCA South Region Coach of the Year two times.
 

Tachikara/AVCA Division II South Central Region Coach of the Year
Qi Wang, Truman State University
2004 Record: 35-0, 16-0 MIAA
Qi Wang led Truman to its first perfect regular season in school and Mid-American Intercollegiate Athletic Association history as the Bulldogs are now 35-0. Truman won the regular season championship with a 16-0 record, marking Wang’s third conference title in four years as the head coach. The Bulldogs were ranked third in the CSTV/AVCA Division II Coaches Top 25 Poll for most of the season and are currently ranked second. After losing an AVCA All-America setter from last year’s team, Wang switched the team from a 5-1 offense to a 6-2 offense, which better suited his personnel. Wang had three players named to the AVCA All-South Central Region Team, including two-time selection Jessica Sears. Wang has earned the Tachikara/AVCA South Central Region Coach of the Year for the third time in four years. Wang was the Tachikara/AVCA Division II National Coach of the Year in 2002 as a second-year head coach.
 

Tachikara/AVCA Division II Southwest Region Coach of the Year
Rick Squiers, University of Nebraska-Kearney
2004 Record: 39-0, 19-0 RMAC
Rick Squiers has led Nebraska-Kearney to its sixth straight NCAA Tournament berth in 2003 and a fourth trip to the NCAA Division II Elite Eight. The Lopers have been the top-ranked team on the CSTV/AVCA Division II Coaches Poll for a record 12 consecutive weeks and have won a school-record 39 straight matches. Squiers led his squad to the program’s 1,000th win. The Lopers are one of six teams to finish the regular season with a perfect record in NCAA Division II history. The Lopers are averaging 3.077 games per match, with only two matches lasting more than three games. Squiers has guided UNK to victories over Fort Hays State, Hawai’i Pacific, Nebraska-Omaha and St. Edwards, all nationally ranked teams at the time. He has compiled an overall record of 496-121 (.804). UNK has four AVCA All-Southwest Region Team selections, including the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Player of the Year Erin Gudmundson. Squiers has earned the Tachikara/AVCA Southwest Region Coach of the Year for the second time.