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Baumgartner To Take Over Dominican's Volleyball Program
The Dominican University Department of Athletics announced on Monday that it has hired Ryan Baumgartner as the department’s Athletics Events Manager and Head Women’s Volleyball Coach. Baumgartner inherits the Stars’ volleyball program fresh off the program’s most successful season since joining the NCAA Division III ranks in 2000 and first NCAA Division III national tournament appearance.
“I am very excited to join the Dominican family and continue the growth of the women's volleyball program,” said Baumgartner. “The team is coming off a fantastic 2010 season that we will look to build off of in 2011 and beyond.”
Baumgartner joins the Stars after two years as an assistant with the Simpson College women’s volleyball program. In 2009, his first season with Simpson, Baumgartner helped head coach Lana Smith guide the Storm to a 21-14 overall record, an Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) regular season and tournament title and NCAA Division III national tournament appearance. While with the Storm, Baumgartner coordinated the program’s recruiting efforts, opponent scouting and in-game statistics.
“Simpson College has been my home and family for the past two years, and I am going to miss them all very much,” commented Baumgartner. “Lana Smith and the entire Simpson staff have helped mold the coach and father I am today. I am sad to leave but excited to begin a new phase of my career."
Prior to Simpson, Baumgartner worked at Neuqua Valley High School as an assistant coach, helping the girls’ volleyball team to back-to-back 22-10 seasons before joining NCAA Division II Lewis University as a volunteer assistant coach. Additionally, the Naperville native served as the Girls Volleyball Club Director at Side Out Volleyball Club in Glendale Heights.
As an undergraduate student at Carthage College, Baumgartner starred for the Red Men volleyball team, setting the program record for digs in a season and digs per game as he earned team Most Valuable Player honors in 2007. Baumgartner was recognized three times with All-America honors as a setter and libero, leading Carthage to NCAA Division III second place finishes in 2005 and 2007 and a third-place finish in 2006. Simultaneously, Baumgartner served as a student assistant coach with the Lady Red volleyball program during a stretch of back-to-back-to-back-to-back College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) first place finishes.
“We are confident we have hired the right candidate for our position,” said Erick Baumann, the director of athletics at Dominican. “With his familiarity to Division III and the Chicagoland volleyball scene, Ryan is ready to hit the ground running and continue the success of our program. With this hire, we have added a great coach and outstanding individual to our staff.”
