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Saal named CU volleyball coach
(Waukesha, Wis.) - Following a national search, Carroll University has named Becca Saal as its head volleyball coach and recreation director.
"I am grateful and excited for the opportunity to become a part of the Carroll community," said Saal. "I look forward to continuing the Pioneers tradition of success and working with the students and student-athletes of Carroll."
Saal joins Carroll following a one-year stint as head volleyball coach and professor in the exercise science program at Midwest Conference rival, Ripon College. She fills the vacancy created when Annie Glieber was named head volleyball coach at Macalester College.
"We had several quality candidates for this position, but in the end, it was clear Becca was the right person for this job," said Theresa Barry, Carroll's Dean of Students. "She is going to be a strong asset to our volleyball program and Carroll students in general through our recreation program."
The Ripon Red Hawks finished the 2009 campaign with an overall record of 11-19, and qualified for the four-team MWC Championship Tournament with a league record of 5-4. The Pioneers finished the season 14-17 overall, 3-6 in the MWC.
"The Carroll volleyball program will be in very good hands with Becca. She understands what it means to be a Division III student-athlete and has excelled both on and off the court," said Kris Jacobsen, Carroll's Director of Athletics. "Becca will take over a program that has a foundation of success and has a lot of talent returning."
Prior to taking over the Ripon program, Saal was a two-year assistant volleyball coach at Simpson College. During her tenure as an assistant coach at Simpson, the Storm compiled a record of 40-29 and in 2008 qualified for the NCAA Tournament.
Saal was a standout student-athlete at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire where she was a four-time letter-winner in volleyball while once lettering in basketball. She was a two-year captain of the Blugold volleyball team and was twice named first team All-Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.
In her final season of competition (2004), Saal earned All-Midwest Region and American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-American third team. She was also named a WIAC Scholar Athlete that year.
The Eau Claire Memorial High School product graduated from UW-Eau Claire in 2005 with a degree in kinesiology, then went on to earn her master's degree at Northern Illinois University in 2007.
