HARRISONBURG, Va. --- Eastern Mennonite
University has announced the hiring of Carrie Bert as head women's
volleyball coach. Bert has been an assistant the past five
years at her alma mater and becomes the 10th head coach in the
program's 46-year history.
In getting her first collegiate head coaching position, Bert has
the advantage of knowing the scenery as well as all of the current
and incoming players. She said Jeff Tyson, the previous head
coach, put a good program in place.
"Coach Tyson identified and developed the defensive strengths
of our personnel, so I see no reason to make significant
changes to our systems," Bert explained. "The team became a
menace to our competition and was consistently rated among
the top of the ODAC defensively. That being said, our
program must continue to grow at the net, both in blocking skills
and our offensive attack abilities."
The Royals finished 8-21 last fall, but the team saw a consistent
rise in competitiveness and was among the top three in the ODAC in
digs per set each season during Tyson's three-year tenure.
Director of Athletics Dave King said that Bert's familiarity with
the program was just one of the reasons she was the right fit for
the position.
"Continuity is an important ingredient in the continued growth of
any sports program," said King, "so I am delighted that Carrie is
ready to take on the challenge of a head coaching position after
spending five years as an assistant coach or volunteer. Her
commitment to EMU, the volleyball program and the student athletes
is evidenced by her willingness to get involved as soon as she
returned to the Harrisonburg area and continuing through three
different head coaches."
After completing her Royals playing career as a four-year starter
with one ODAC Championship, Bert eventually moved to Texas before
moving back to Harrisonburg in 2010 when her husband, Daryl, became
EMU's Vice President for Finance. She said that while she
enjoyed being an assistant with the Royals, being able to work more
closely with young women at an institution that means so much to
her is humbling.
"The assistant role was a comfortable fit for me, so I feel like
this is an interesting challenge," said Bert. "The support
I've gotten from the EMU community as well as current and former
players is encouraging and humbling. I am grateful for the
education I received at EMU and believe the University continues to
graduate servant leaders with the potential to impact local and
global communities. I feel lucky to have the opportunity
to bring student athletes to this campus."
After growing up in the Holmes County area of Ohio, Bert (nee
Stambaugh) graduated cum laud from EMU in 1997 with a Liberal Arts
Elementary Education degree with coaching and music minors.
She then completed a Masters of Education at the University
of Texas at Austin in 2004.
King said Bert's history with Eastern Mennonite gives her a unique
ability to lead the current players.
"It is always gratifying to see a former player return to the
program they were a part of during college and give them the
opportunity to coach," King explained, "and it is rewarding to see
a coach's confidence grow in their own abilities. I'm
confident that Carrie is ready to be a head coach. Her work
ethic, attention to details and commitment to the growth of the
program make her a great fit for this position."
Bert takes over the program immediately in preparation for the
upcoming spring season of practices.
--- This release is
courtesy of the Eastern Mennonite University sports information
department. ---
www.emuroyals.com