old again 2009 Texas A&M Volleyball Staff by Texas A&M

THIS IS TEXAS A&M

S T A F F

2009 AGGIE VOLLEYBALL

T E X A S A & M V O L L E Y B A L L C O A C H I N G S TA F F

LAURIE CORBELLI TEXAS A & M HEAD VOLLEYBALL COACH CAREER COACHING RECORD UNIV. OF SAN FRANCISCO

aurie Corbelli is beginning her 17th season as the head volleyball coach at Texas A&M. After coaching stints at the University of San Francisco and Santa Clara University, the 1984 Olympic silver medalist was hired by then-athletic director John David Crow in March 1993 to take over a promising women’s volleyball program eager to contend for a conference title and return to the NCAA tournament. Corbelli’s husband, John, an assistant coach for the ’84 Olympic Team, was hired as assistant coach, forming one of most highly respected coaching duos in the country. The couple utilized their elite playing experiences and coaching knowledge to rebuild a program and rapidly develop it into a top national contender that has for the most part been a permanent fixture in the NCAA tournament. It didn’t take long for Laurie to earn the honorable distinction of being the winningest coach in the history of the A&M volleyball program. Laurie, who sports an overall 23-year career record of 443264 (.627), enters the 2009 campaign with a 343-158 record and a .685 winning percentage in 16 seasons at A&M.

Year W

Overall Conference L Pct. W L Pct.

Finish Postseason

1986

.250

.167

7th

1987

.551

.642

3rd

1988

.385

.500

3rd

1989

.217

.285

7th

1990

.519

.357

T-5th

1991

.703

.714

2nd

NIVC (3rd)

1992

.656

.929

1st

0-1 NCAA (1st Round)

1993

.771

.700

2nd

1-1 NCAA (2nd Round)

1994

.576

.600

3rd

1-1 NCAA (2nd Round)

1995

.767

.800

1-1 NCAA (Regional Semifinal)

1996

.758 15

.750

3rd

1-1 NCAA (2nd Round)

1997

.765

.750

4th 2-1 NCAA (Regional Semifinal)

1998

.700

.650

4th

1-1 NCAA (2nd Round)

1999

.824

.800

3-1 NCAA (Regional Final)

2000

.690

.700

T-2nd 1-1 NCAA (2nd Round)

2001

.813

.800

2nd

3-1 NCAA (Regional Final)

2002

.677

.600

5th

1-1 NCAA (2nd Round)

2003

.697

.650

T-3

2-1 NCAA (Regional Semifinal)

2004

.679

.700

T-3rd 1-1 NCAA (2nd Round)

2005

.533

.450

T-6th 0-1 NCAA (1st Round)

2006

.423

.250

T-8th

2007

.677

.500

T-6th

2008

.533

.550

T-4th

SANTA CLARA

TEXAS A&M nd

CAREER TOTAL — 23 YEARS OVERALL 443-264 .627

CONFERENCE 234-152 .606

TEXAS A&M TOTAL — 16 YEARS OVERALL 343-158 .685

CONFERENCE 184-106 .634

The Corbellis directed the Aggies to within one match of reaching the Final Four in both 1999 and 2001 and have led A&M to the NCAA regional semifinals five times. Overall, the Corbellis’ teams have reached the NCAA tournament 13 times in the last 16 years. Furthermore, the Aggies have reached the 20-win milestone 11 of 16 seasons with the Corbellis at the helm, and A&M has been ranked in the final Top 25 Poll nine of the past 14 years. With the addition of this year’s 18th-ranked recruiting class to the 2006 class that was ranked an all-time high No. 4 nationally, extraordinary feats will undoubtedly continue to accumulate.

T E X A S A &M U N I V E R S I T Y

High School: L.V. Berkner High School, Richardson, Texas College Education: University of San Francisco, Bachelor of Arts, Physical Education, 1988

THIS IS TEXAS A&M

PLAYING CAREER

OTHER HONORS

1975 & 1976 ... AIAW National Championship, Texas Lutheran

1989 ��Garland Sports Hall of Fame

1978-84 ��United States Women’s National Volleyball Team

1994 ��Texas Lutheran College Athletic Hall of Honor

1978 ��World Championships

1994 ��NAIA Hall of Fame

1979 ��Pan American Games

1998-2000 ��Honorary Co-Chair of the Children’s Miracle Network for the Brazos Valley

1980 ��U.S. Olympic Team (Boycott)

2002 ��USA Volleyball/George L. Fisher “Leader in Volleyball”

1981 ��World Cup Competition

2006 ��L.V. Berkner High School Hall of Honor

1982 ��World Championships, Bronze Medalist

ALL-AMERICANS

1983 ��Pan American Games, Silver Medalist 1984 ��U.S. Olympic Team, Silver Medalist

1995 ��Suzy Wente (Volleyball Magazine, honorable mention)

1987-89 ��Major League Volleyball, San Jose Golddiggers

1996 ��Kristie Smedsrud (Volleyball Magazine, third team) 1997 ��Stacy Sykora (AVCA second team; Volleyball Magazine honorable mention) 1998 ��S tacy Sykora (AVCA second team)

PLAYING HONORS

1998 ��Jenna Moscovic (All-American Freshman Team, Volleyball Magazine)

1976 ��Most Valuable Player, National AAU Junior Olympics Championship Tournament

1999 ��Amber Woolsey (AVCA first team; Volleyball Magazine second team)

1977 ��USVBA Rookie of the Year, National Tournament, Hilo, Hawaii

2000 ��Jenna Moscovic (Volleyball Magazine, honorable mention)

1980 ��Congressional Gold Medal

2001 ��Jenna Moscovic (AVCA first team; Volleyball Magazine third team)

1984 ��Silver Medalist, 1984 Olympic Games, Los Angeles, Calif.

2003 ��Melissa Munsch (AVCA third team)

1987 ��Most Valuable Player, Major League Volleyball 1987-89 ��Major League Volleyball All-Star and All-Pro Team

2004 ��Laura Jones (AVCA second team, Volleyball Magazine honorable mention) Melissa Munsch (AVCA third team)

1989 ��Most Valuable Player, Major League Volleyball All-Star Game

2005 ��Laura Jones (AVCA first team; Volleyball Magazine first team)

1992 ��USVBA Player of the Year, National Tournament, Senior Division Three-time USVBA All-American (1985, 1986, 1992)

T E X A S A & M V O L L E Y B A L L C O A C H I N G S TA F F

THE LAURIE CORBELLI FILE Name: Laurie Flachmeier Corbelli Born: January 28, 1957 in Detroit, Michigan Hometown: Garland, Texas Husband: John Corbelli Children: Rachel (5/9/91) and Russell (6/28/94)

OLYMPIANS

1998 ��USA Volleyball/Flo Hyman All-Time Great Player Award

Stacy Sykora, Libero, 2000 Olympic Games, Sydney, Australia Stacy Sykora, Libero, 2004 Olympic Games, Athens, Greece

COACHING CAREER

Stacy Sykora, Libero, 2008 Olympic Games, Beijing, China (Silver Medalist)

MEMBERSHIPS / COMMITTEES

1986-89 ��Head Coach, University of San Francisco (record 39-71) 1990-92 ��Head Coach, Santa Clara University (record 61-35)

USA Volleyball Executive Committee, National Player Representative (1991-97)

1993-Present ... Head Coach, Texas A&M University (record 343-158)

USA Volleyball Board of Directors, Player Representative (1990-98) American Volleyball Coaches Association, District VI All-District and Coach of the Year Awards Committee (1993-98)

COACHING HONORS

USA National Team Committee (1997-98)

1987 ��West Coast Athletic Conference Women’s Volleyball Coach of the Year

USA National Team Coach Selection Committee (1996)

1991 ��West Coast Conference Co-Coach of the Year

AVCA Division I Head Coaches Committee – Big 12 Conference representative (2000, 2005-08)

1992 ��West Region Coach of the Year

USA Today/AVCA Division I Coaches Top 25 Voter (2000-02)

1992 ��West Coast Conference Coach of the Year 1994 ��Southwest Conference Co-Coach of the Year

Rock Prairie Elementary School Parent Teacher Organization, Board of Directors, Public Relations Chair (2002-03)

1995 ��District VI Coach of the Year

NCAA Certification Committee on Academic Integrity (2005-06)

1995 ��Southwest Conference Coach of the Year

AVCA TV Committee (2005-06)

2000 ��Texas A&M Coach of the Year

City of College Station Comprehensive Plan Advisory Committee (2006-08)

When the Corbellis came to A&M in 1993, the twosome took over a program that had never placed higher than a second-place tie in the six-team Southwest Conference, had never won 20 or more games in a season, nor had advanced to the NCAA playoffs in the six years preceding their hiring. In only their first season at the helm of the Aggies, however, the Corbellis turned around a team that had finished in a fourth-place tie in league play with a 3-7 record and 19-17 overall mark the previous year to a 7-3, second-place showing in conference play and a trip to the second round of the NCAA Championships. A&M ended the season with

an impressive 27-8 record, making Laurie the winningest first-year coach in the history of the program. The triumphs have continued to multiply. After ending the 1994 season with a reappearance in the second round of the NCAA tournament and a 19-14 record, A&M began the 1995 campaign with a vengeance by defeating defending national champion and top-ranked Stanford in the second match of the season. At the time, the victory marked only the second time in the history of A&M men’s and women’s athletics that an Aggie team defeated a No. 1-ranked team during the regular season.

2009 AGGIE VOLLEYBALL

T E X A S A & M V O L L E Y B A L L C O A C H I N G S TA F F The Aggies finished second in the SWC behind eventual national runner-up Texas with an 8-2 record and appeared in the NCAA tournament for an unprecedented third consecutive season. After advancing to the Sweet Sixteen, A&M finished the season with a 23-7 record and was ranked No. 15 in the final coaches poll, a then all-time high for the A&M volleyball program. The Aggies broke into the national top 10 for the first time in the history of the program in 1996 and held the No. 10 spot for four weeks. They finished third in the inaugural season of the Big 12 Conference with a 15-5 record and ended the season with a 25-8 mark after advancing to the second round of the NCAA tournament for the fourth consecutive year. A&M took another step forward in 1997 as the Aggies won first and second-round matches in the NCAA Championship’s expanded 56-team field. It marked the first time A&M had won two matches in the tournament. Despite dropping a tight five-game battle against sixth-ranked BYU in the East Regional semifinal, the Aggies finished 26-8 and ranked No. 13, another record-high in the season-ending poll. The Corbellis’ 1998 recruiting class was ranked sixth in the nation, and the group promptly played an integral part in another successful season for the Aggies. With three freshmen — Jenna Moscovic, Michelle Cole and Brandi Mount — in the starting lineup, the Aggies snapped No. 3 Nebraska’s 36-match regularseason winning streak and were the only Big 12 team to defeat the league champion and Final Four-bound team that year. The victory against the Huskers helped bolster A&M to a season-ending eightmatch conference winning streak, equaling the longest conference winning streak in school history. The Aggies advanced to the second round of the NCAA tournament and finished with a 21-9 record and ranked 18th in the coaches final Top 25 Poll. In 1999, the Corbellis guided the Aggies to their first NCAA Elite Eight appearance, stunning No. 3 Hawai’i in Honolulu in the round of 16. A&M finished the season 28-6 and ranked an all-time high ninth in the final coaches Top 25 Poll. In addition, senior middle blocker Amber Woolsey became the first Aggie to garner first-team All-America laurels by the AVCA. Another home victory against the higher-ranked Huskers earlier in the ’99 season helped boost the Aggies to their all-time high second-place finish in the Big 12 standings, one win behind threetime champion Nebraska. Furthermore, the Aggies completed the season 16-0 in the friendly confines of G. Rollie White Coliseum, including two home victories in the NCAA tournament, marking the first time an A&M team finished a season undefeated at home with the exception of the 1978 team, which went 4-0. Laurie became the all-time winningest coach in Texas A&M volleyball history on Oct. 18, 2000, posting the 181st victory of her Aggie career as the Aggies defeated rival Texas and posted their first win in Austin since 1979. The Aggies went on to tie for second in the Big 12 behind eventual national-champion Nebraska

T E X A S A &M U N I V E R S I T Y

with a 14-6 mark and advanced to the second round of the NCAA tournament despite returning only two starters from A&M’s thenmost celebrated season in the program’s 25-year history. Moscovic earned All-American honorable mention from Volleyball Magazine as A&M set all-time season records and ranked second in the national statistics in both kills and assists per game. The Aggies finished the year ranked 23rd in the final national Top 25 Poll with a 20-9 record. The Corbellis’ 2001 Aggies equaled the most successful season in A&M volleyball history, reaching the NCAA Elite Eight for the second time. The Aggies ranked 11th in the final poll in 2001 after upsetting No. 6 Wisconsin in the regional semifinals and finishing the season with a 26-6 record. Four of the six losses were to Final Four teams, including two setbacks to eventual national champion Stanford. In her final season, Moscovic led the nation in triple-doubles and became only the second Aggie to capture first-team AllAmerican laurels by the AVCA. In addition, she directed the 2001 squad to a No. 2 ranking in the national statistics in both kills and assists per game for the second consecutive season. In the competitive Big 12, Moscovic and the Aggies placed second to Final Four-bound Nebraska for the third consecutive season and tied the school record for league wins with a 16-4 mark.

Munsch was named to the third team. In addition, Munsch was named the Big 12 Co-Defensive Player, a first by an A&M player. A&M made its 13th straight NCAA appearance in 2005 but was eliminated in the first round for the first time in the Corbellis’ 13-year tenure after falling to Northwestern in five games and finishing with a 16-14 record. Jones, who broke more than 30 A&M records in her final season, led the nation with 6.09 kills per game and capped her illustrious career by becoming the third player in A&M history to be named to the AVCA first team. It marked the eighth AVCA All-America honor bestowed to a Corbelli-coached player in nine years. Despite having four freshmen, sometimes five, on the court, A&M began 2006 with a 7-1 record, including a win against Loyola in the Aggies’ home opener on Sept. 8 which gave Laurie her 400th career victory and her 300th win at A&M. The youth-laden Aggies struggled to a 5-15 mark in the extremely competitive Big 12 and finished the season 12-16 overall and missed the NCAA Championships for the first time under the Corbellis’ tenure. The Aggies got off to a promising start in 2007, setting a school record by winning their first 10 matches. A&M finished the regular season 21-10 and was baffled when the Aggies did not receive an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament. The team was even more

CORBELLI’S RECORD Alabama...............................2-0

Drake....................................1-0

VS.

ALL OPPONENTS Pacific...................................0-3

Texas.................................12-24

Alcorn State..........................1-0

Duke.....................................2-1

Loyola-Chicago......................2-0 Loyola-Marymount.............5-10

Pennsylvania.........................1-0

Texas-Arlington.....................7-0

American..............................1-0

Eastern Kentucky..................1-0

Marquette............................1-0

Pepperdine.........................3-12

Texas-Pan American..............1-0

Appalachian State.................1-0

Eastern Washington..............1-0

Maryland..............................2-0

Pittsburgh.............................1-0

Texas-San Antonio................5-0

Arizona.................................0-1

Florida..................................0-3

McNeese State......................2-0

Portland................................7-6

Texas A&M............................0-1

Arkansas-Little Rock..............3-0

Florida State.........................2-0

Michigan...............................2-2

Portland State.......................1-1

Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.....1-0

Arkansas State......................1-0

Fresno State..........................2-1

Michigan State......................2-2

Prairie View A&M.................2-0

Texas State..........................13-0

Auburn.................................2-0

George Mason......................1-0

Minnesota............................1-1

Providence............................0-2

Texas Tech...........................25-8

Baylor.................................27-6

Georgia.................................2-2

Mississippi............................1-0

Rice......................................9-1

Toledo...................................1-0

Boise State............................1-0

Georgia Southern..................1-0

Missouri.............................19-7

Saint Louis............................1-0

UCLA.....................................0-2

BYU.......................................3-4

Georgia Tech.........................1-0

Missouri State.......................4-0

St. Mary’s...........................13-4

U.S. International..................1-2

BYU-Hawaii...........................1-1

Gonzaga................................8-6

Montana...............................1-2

Sam Houston State...............5-1

Utah.....................................2-0

California..............................3-6

Hawaii..................................1-5

Montana State......................2-0

Samford................................1-0

Utah State.............................4-0

UC Riverside.........................0-1

Hofstra..................................1-0

Morgan State........................1-0

San Diego............................11-3

Villanova...............................1-0

UC Santa Barbara..................0-3

Houston..............................12-4

Murray State.........................1-0

San Diego State.....................1-1

Virginia.................................1-0

Cal-Poly Pomona...................2-0

Illinois State..........................2-1

Nebraska............................2-24

San Francisco........................6-0

Virginia Tech.........................0-2

Cal-Poly SLO..........................4-2

Iowa.....................................2-0

Nevada-Reno........................4-3

San Francisco State...............2-2

Washington..........................1-0

Cal-State Chico......................1-0

Iowa State...........................23-4

New Mexico..........................1-2

San Jose State.......................1-5

Washington State..................2-2

Cal-State Fullerton................3-1

James Madison.....................1-0

New Mexico State.................0-1

Santa Clara............................5-5

Weber State..........................3-0

Cal-State Los Angeles............1-0

Kansas................................22-4

Nicholls State........................1-0

Siena.....................................1-0

Western Illinois.....................0-1

Cal-State Northridge.............1-2

Kansas State.....................10-16

North Carolina......................3-0

Sonoma State.......................1-0

Western Michigan.................0-1

Cal-State Sacramento............1-3

Kentucky...............................0-1

Northeast Louisiana..............1-0

South Carolina......................2-0

Wichita State........................1-0

Centenary.............................2-0

Lamar...................................3-0

Northern Illinois....................2-0

Southern California...............0-5

William & Mary....................2-0

Clemson................................0-1

Lehigh...................................1-0

Northwestern.......................0-1

Southern Mississippi.............1-0

Winthrop..............................1-0

Cleveland State.....................1-0

Long Beach State..................0-1

Notre Dame..........................1-2

Southwest Missouri State.....3-0

Wisconsin.............................2-2

Colorado.............................19-9

Louisiana-Lafayette...............1-0

Ohio State.............................0-1

Stanford................................1-6

Colorado State......................1-3

Louisiana Tech......................1-0

Oklahoma...........................23-6

Stephen F. Austin..................3-0

Creighton..............................1-1

LSU.......................................4-2

Oral Roberts.........................1-0

Temple..................................1-0

DePaul..................................1-0

Louisville...............................1-0

Oregon State.........................0-1

Tennessee.............................1-1

GO TO JOHN ’ S COMPLETE BIO

T E X A S A & M V O L L E Y B A L L C O A C H I N G S TA F F

In 2002, the Aggies were rebuilding after losing five starters following one of the most successful seasons in the history of the program. Despite the inexperienced lineup, A&M managed to reach the second round of the NCAA tournament for the 10th consecutive year before being eliminated by the nationalchampion Women of Troy. Freshman phenom Laura Jones and sophomore Melissa Munsch led the youth movement as the Aggies went 21-10 overall and 12-8 in the Big 12. The Aggies entered the 2003 season unranked; nonetheless, the Corbellis managed to direct A&M to its third NCAA regional appearance in five years and a No. 16 final ranking. A&M, which was eliminated by eventual national-champion USC for the second consecutive year, finished the season 23-10 overall after tying for third in the Big 12 with a 13-7 mark. In addition, Munsch made her first appearance on the AVCA All-American team as she was selected to the second team. The Aggies became one of only six teams to make a 12th consecutive appearance in the NCAA second round in 2004. A&M ranked No. 20 in the final poll after finishing the year with a 19-9 mark, including a 14-6 record in the Big 12. And for the first time in A&M history, two Aggies were named All-America in the same year as Jones was named to the AVCA’s second team and senior

2009 AGGIE VOLLEYBALL

T E X A S A & M V O L L E Y B A L L C O A C H I N G S TA F F stunned to not receive a berth in 2008 after ending the regular season on a six-match winning streak to go 16-14 and tie for fourth place with Iowa State, which reached the NCAA regional finals. Stacy Sykora (1995-98) was the Corbellis’ first player to earn All-America distinction from the AVCA, earning second team honors in both 1997 and 1998. The charismatic Sykora went on to earn the ultimate honor of being named Olympian, becoming the first Aggie to play on an Olympic volleyball. The former A&M outside hitter honored her collegiate coach by donning the No. 5 jersey -- the same number Laurie wore at the ’84 Olympic Games – and was Team USA’s starting libero at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia. Sykora went on to earn “Best Digger” laurels at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece. In 2008, Sykora became A&M’s first-ever varsity athlete in any sport to be a threetime Olympian and won a silver medal in Beijing. The Corbellis have had at least one student-athlete receive All-America recognition in 10 of the last 14 years. Senior setter Suzy Wente was named AllAmerica honorable mention by Volleyball Magazine in 1995 and also captured SWC Player of the Year accolades, a first by an A&M player. Outside hitter Kristie Smedsrud, the 1994 SWC Freshman of the Year, was selected to the 1996 Volleyball Magazine All-America third team as a junior. Sykora also received All-American honorable mention by Volleyball Magazine as a junior in 1997. Woolsey garnered both AVCA and Volleyball Magazine All-America honors in 1999, and Moscovic, the Big 12 Freshman of the Year and a member of Volleyball Magazine’s All-American Freshman team in 1998, earned All-American status from the publication in 2000 and 2001, in addition to receiving AVCA first-team honors in 2001. And with Jones also receiving All-America Volleyball Magazine honorable mention in 2004 and first-team honors in 2005, Aggies have earned a total of 16 All-American awards during the Corbellis’ 16year tenure. In addition, A&M volleyball athletes have received 28 all-region/all-district citations and 26 first-team conference awards under the Corbellis’ direction.

T E X A S A &M U N I V E R S I T Y

Student-athletes also have been recognized for their accomplishments in the classroom and in the community throughout the Corbellis’ reign. Kim Mitchell earned GTE Academic All-America first-team honors and was the Texas A&M/Bill Erwin Scholar-Athlete of the Year in the 1993-94 academic year. Defensive specialist and medicalschool bound Beth Weynand was named to the Verizon Academic All-American first team in 2001 after being named to the academic All-American third team and receiving the Texas A&M/Bill Erwin Scholar-Athlete of the Year award in the 2000-01 academic year. Senior defensive specialist/libero Rebecca Wynalda, the 2003-04 Texas A&M/Bill Erwin ScholarAthlete of the Year, was a member of the academic All-American third team in 2003. Christi Hahn, who was a member of the 2005 The ESPN Magazine Academic All-America third team as a junior, was a firstteam academic All-American in 2006 and was named the 2006-07 Texas A&M/Bill Erwin ScholarAthlete of the Year. A three-time Gathright Scholar Academic Excellence Award recipient, an honor given annually to the outstanding sophomore, junior and senior of each academic college at Texas A&M, Hahn also was a member of the academic all-district team from 2004-06 and joined a long list of Aggies who have represented A&M on the Academic All-District VI Volleyball Team. A&M student-athletes have received 59 Volleyball Academic All-Big 12 certificates since the conference was formed in 1996. In addition, Aggie Jennifer Wells was the Big 12’s female winner of the 1997 Budget AwardsPlus Sportsmanship Award. Laurie also has collected the hardware and in 2002 received USA Volleyball’s distinguished George L. Fisher “Leader in Volleyball” award, recognizing her for her exceptional endeavors on behalf of the sport. She received SWC Coach of the Year honors in both 1994 and 1995 and was named AVCA District VI Coach of the Year in ‘95. In addition, Laurie was voted the Texas A&M Coach of the Year for 1999-2000 by the Aggie student-athletes. The Corbellis form one of several current husband-wife coaching tandems in NCAA Division I volleyball. They first

United States Women’s National Volleyball team from 1978-84 and was a two-time member of the U.S. Olympic Team. After the boycott of the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow, Laurie returned to help lead the U.S. team to a silver medal at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. She also was a member of the National Team that competed in the ‘78 and ‘82 World Championships, the ‘79 and ‘83 Pan American Games and the ‘79 World Cup Competition. In 1987, Laurie played Major League Volleyball for the San Jose Golddiggers and was named the Most Valuable Player in the league’s inaugural season. She also was named MVP of the MLV’s season-ending all-star game in 1989. Laurie has participated in volleyball competitions in more than 25 countries and has served as an instructor in more than 50 national volleyball clinics around the country. In addition, she has served on numerous committees for USA Volleyball and the American Volleyball Coaches Association and also has served as a motivational speaker for numerous organizations. In the spring of 1993, A&M officials were looking for an experienced leader for the Aggie volleyball program, and the Corbellis were seeking to fulfill the one dream that had eluded them -- the chance to coach together once again. In the process, A&M secured two coaches who have achieved feats that dreams are made of, while the Corbellis reached their dream of working together to rouse a program they classified as a sleeping giant. Laurie and John provide similar coaching philosophies to form what they describe as a complimentary partnership that sees eye-to-eye. They also contribute equally impressive backgrounds to A&M. They were successful as a coach-player combo in the Pan American and Olympic Games and as a coaching duo in the Far East. Both have compiled resumes that speak for themselves, and the combination of the two continues to prove victorious for Texas A&M volleyball.

2009 AGGIE VOLLEYBALL

T E X A S A & M V O L L E Y B A L L C O A C H I N G S TA F F

coached together as members of the staff of the 1984 U.S. Women’s National Team that toured the Far East. With John as the head coach and Laurie as the assistant, the team competed in tournaments in Seoul, Hong Kong and Singapore. Before coming to A&M, they earned recognition for being the only husband and wife to serve concurrently as head coaches of Division I volleyball programs. They coached against each other in California, with Laurie at Santa Clara and John at San Jose State. Though Laurie is 1-3 versus her husband in the head-to-head series, she has proven that she is a winner. In her three years at Santa Clara, she posted a 61-35 record and was twice honored as the West Coast Conference Coach of the Year. In 1992, she led Santa Clara to a 21-11 record and collected WCC and West Region Coach of the Year honors as the Broncos won the league title and made their first-ever appearance in the NCAA postseason tournament. In 1991, she was named WCC Co-Coach of the Year after directing the Broncos to a 10-4 secondplace conference finish. Santa Clara went on to earn its first-ever postseason appearance, where the Broncos finished third in the National Invitational Volleyball Championships. Santa Clara ended the season with a 26-11 record, the best finish in school history. Raised in Garland, Texas, the former Laurie Flachmeier first served as a head coach in 1986 at the University of San Francisco. During her f our years at USF, the Lady Dons posted a 39-71 ledger. In 1987, USF finished third in the competitive WCC, and Laurie was named WCC Coach of the Year. While coaching, she also was pursuing her bachelor’s degree in education, which she completed at USF in 1988. Along with the successes she has achieved on the sidelines, Laurie also has tasted success on the court and in 1998 was presented the prestigious Flo Hyman All-Time Great Player Award by USA Volleyball. After playing three years for Texas Lutheran College, Laurie played for the

T E X A S A & M V O L L E Y B A L L C O A C H I N G S TA F F

JOHN CORBELLI ASSOCIATE HEAD VOLLEYBALL COACH THE JOHN CORBELLI FILE Name: John Corbelli Hometown: Denver, Colo. Wife: Laurie Corbelli

ohn Corbelli is in his 17th season as the top assistant at Texas A&M and overall brings 30 years of coaching experience to the Aggie volleyball program. A volleyball mastermind in training and analysis, John also served as assistant coach for the U.S. Women’s Junior National Team each of the last two years, including the 2008 team that won the gold medal at the NORCECA Women’s Junior Continental Championship at Saltillo, Mexico

T E X A S A &M U N I V E R S I T Y

Children: Rachel (5/9/91) and Russell (6/28/94) College Education: Univ. of California at Santa Barbara

CAREER COACHING RECORD SAN JOSE STATE Overall Year W L Pct.

Conference W L Pct.

1990

.724

.667

5th

1991

.462

.389

6th

1992

.452

.500

5th

Totals

.547

.519

Finish

Postseason 0-1 NCAA (1st Round)

T E X A S A & M V O L L E Y B A L L C O A C H I N G S TA F F

“John has more knowledge about the game than anyone I know. He is very detail oriented and always has great insight into the game.” — Mary Batis

John and his wife, Laurie, came to Texas A&M in 1993, when Laurie was named head coach of the Aggies. John was promoted to associate head coach in 1995. Prior to coming to A&M, John was at San Jose State, where he spent three years as the head women’s volleyball coach and five years as an assistant coach. He was hired as the head coach prior to the 1991 season after serving as the interim head coach in 1990. In his first season at San Jose State’s helm, John guided the Spartans to a 21-8 record and their ninth-consecutive postseason appearance. After the Spartans went 12-14 in 1991, his 1992 squad posted a 14-17 record and placed fifth in the competitive Big West conference race. Born in Denver, Colo., and raised in Hawai’i, John earned a bachelor’s degree in economics in 1979 from the University of California at Santa Barbara, where he was a four-year letterwinner for the nationally ranked Gauchos. John also excelled on the international level as a member of the U.S. Men’s National Team for the 1978-79 seasons. He also competed at the 1979 World University Games. Upon his graduation from UCSB, John made his collegiate coaching debut at his alma mater, serving as the assistant coach for both the men’s and women’s volleyball teams. He then moved on to the University of Nebraska in 1981, where he served as an assistant coach for the women’s team that won a Big Eight championship. In 1982, John was named an assistant coach for the U.S. National Women’s Volleyball Team. During his tenure, the team — including his future wife, Laurie Flachmeier — won a silver medal at the 1983 Pan American Games, as well as at the 1984 Olympics. John joined the coaching staff at San Jose State in July 1985 and also served as the head coach of the Chrysler Women’s

Volleyball Team that won USVBA national championships in both 1987 and 1988. Before coming to A&M, John and Laurie earned recognition for being the only husband and wife to serve concurrently as head coaches of Division I volleyball programs. They coached against each other in California, with John at San Jose State and Laurie at Santa Clara. They coached against each other four times, with John leading the head-to-head series, 3-1. With their elite playing experience and coaching knowledge, John and Laurie continue to be one of the most highly respected coaching duos in the country and one of only a handful of husband-wife coaching tandems.

2009 AGGIE VOLLEYBALL

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ROBYN ROMANSKY ASSISTANT VOLLEYBALL COACH

obyn Romansky joined the Texas A&M coaching staff in 2004 following a three-year stint as the technical coordinator for the USA Women’s Volleyball Team that culminated in the Olympic Games at Athens, Greece. “I have been surrounded by the best players and coaches in the world for the past three years,” Romansky said upon her hiring. “I

believe that I can bring the experience that I have gained during my time with the National Team back to Texas A&M and contribute to the continued success of the Aggie volleyball program.” A&M head coach Laurie Corbelli concurred. “Robyn’s insight and knowledge are incredibly valuable to us,” Corbelli said. “She brings extensive knowledge after scouting the greatest teams and players in the world with incredible detail. “From a recruiting standpoint, she has seen so many of the top-level athletes, it is easy for her to evaluate talent and pinpoint strengths and weaknesses. And with her outgoing and pleasant personality, it is really attractive for recruits to see how positive, energetic and enthusiastic she is about the volleyball program. “Robyn is a natural teacher, and her explanations to the team are exceptionally sound and logical. In addition, she is incredibly competitive and she brings an understanding of intensity in training coupled with the philosophy of doing your best every day.” The former Robyn Johnson was already familiar with A&M, its volleyball program and the coaching staff before her hiring. A member of the Aggie Class of ’01, Romansky served as a student manager for Corbelli and the Aggies for two seasons, beginning with the historic Elite Eight team in 1999. Throughout the 2000 season, Romansky stepped up and handled many of the duties of the assistant coach position, vacated by former A&M assistant Nicole (Lantagne) Welch who was hired as the head coach at the University of Miami prior to the start of the season. “I sensed from the first time Robyn approached me about being a manager that she had a super amount of ambition and desire to become a high-level coach,” Corbelli said, “and she is very serious about her work.” Prior to the 2001 season, Corbelli introduced Romansky to Toshi Yoshida, the head coach for the USA Women’s Volleyball Team and one of the world’s most highly regarded “From a recruiting standpoint, Robyn has seen so many of the top-level athletes, it is easy for her to evaluate talent and pinpoint strengths and weaknesses. And with her outgoing and pleasant personality, it is really attractive for recruits to see how positive, energetic and enthusiastic she is about the volleyball program.” — Head Coach Laurie Corbelli

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volleyball coaches. He offered Romansky the job as technical coordinator. During her stint with the National Team, Romansky was responsible for scouting opponents, providing statistical information during matches and analyzing videotape footage of all matches. She was one of few scouts in the world to use the revolutionary Data Volley statistical program to record, analyze and break down data for the strategic needs of competition at the international level. Romansky also conducted drills during practice, helped develop players’ individual skills and provided player evaluation to Yoshida. In addition, she was responsible for running practices during Yoshida’s absence and served as the assistant coach at the 2003 Mexicali Centennial Cup and the 2004 Pan American Cup. Along with her extensive analytical and court responsibilities, Romansky handled a wide range of administrative duties required for the team’s competitions around the world. She planned and coordinated all team travel and served as the team representative with hotels, food providers, tournament organizers and handled all financial matters while on team trips. She also arranged for practice facilities and was occasionally appointed by USA Volleyball to represent the team and organization as its Head of Delegation to attend meetings that coincided with the international tournaments. “Robyn has been involved at a higher level and was coordinating the entire USA Volleyball program from administrative duties and all the politics involved with world travel,” Corbelli said. “She undertook a lot of responsibilities and received tremendous kudos for all of her hard work. It was a perfect way for her to prepare for this. And it was a big bonus for us that she also knew A&M.” While based in Colorado Springs with the National Team, Romansky also served as a coach for the Thundercats Volleyball Club and continued her college studies through correspondence courses. She received her bachelor’s of science degree in kinesiology from A&M in May 2004. “I was very fortunate to have the opportunity to return to my alma mater to begin my collegiate coaching career,” Romansky said. “Laurie and John Corbelli are fantastic coaches, and the traditions of the university, the energy of the student body and the hospitality of the community are why I looked forward to calling Aggieland home once again.” Romansky maintains a close relationship with USA Volleyball and served as technical coordinator for the National Team at the 2005 Montreaux Volley Masters. She is a current member of USA Volleyball’s CAP (Coaching Accreditation Program) Cadre, a group of volleyball coaches that educates coaches and helps enhance the sport. Romansky served as coach of the Lonestar Region at USA Volleyball’s High Performance Championships in 2006.

In 2007 Romansky served as an assistant coach for a U.S. Women’s National A2 team that competed at the USA Volleyball Adult Open Championships. In addition, she was an assistant coach for the USA Volleyball High Performance Select A1 program, the top program USAV offers for volleyball players born in and after 1992. Her USA Select Blue squad captured the gold medal in the International Youth division at the 2007 High Performance Championships. The Hallettsville, Texas, native attended Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas, for two years following her graduation from Sacred Heart High School in Halletsville, in 1997. She played volleyball for the NCAA Division III school for two seasons and was a member of the dean’s list and the studentathlete advisory council before transferring to A&M in 1999. Romansky is married to Denver native Thaddeus Romansky, who is pursuing his doctorate in history at Texas A&M. The couple are the proud parents of son Michael Joseph Romansky, born August 11, 2008.

2009 AGGIE VOLLEYBALL

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RAYCHELLE ELLSWORTH ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING • Master Strength and Conditioning Coach • Strength and Conditioning Coach Certified • Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist

aychelle Ellsworth, in her 17th season, is one of the most highly regarded strength and conditioning coaches in the nation, and in 2007 the Texas A&M volleyball strength and conditioning coach received the most prestigious honor awarded in her profession by being named Master Strength and Conditioning Coach by the Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches association (CSCCa). At the time, she was one of only 60 in the country to hold the esteemed honor, and she is currently one of only a select few females to have earned the distinction. A member of the Texas A&M Class of ‘94, Ellsworth returned to her alma mater in the summer of 1996 to assist in the strength and conditioning of the Aggie athletes. In addition to volleyball, Ellsworth directs the strength and conditioning program for the nationally ranked Aggie softball team. Ellsworth, who is strength and conditioning coach certified and a certified strength and conditioning specialist, also is the practicum coordinator for strength and conditioning in the A&M kinesiology department’s master’s exercise physiology program. Throughout her 16-year association with the A&M athletic department, Ellsworth has earned tremendous respect from the A&M coaches, as well as the student-athletes, and she was recognized for her leadership, dedication and inspiration by being voted the 1999-2000 Texas A&M Coach of the Year by the studentathletes. With the award, Ellsworth became the first non-head coach to receive the honor. Ellsworth’s athletes also have been recognized nationally for their accomplishments in the weight room. Under her instruction and guidance, A&M volleyball, softball and basketball athletes have earned a total of 23 All-American Athlete certificates from the National Strength and Conditioning Association. Ellsworth returned to a full-time position at A&M after serving as an assistant coach at the University of Washington from 1995-

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96. While with the Huskies, Ellsworth was responsible for the softball team, which won the Pac-10 championship and was the runner-up at the ‘96 NCAA Women’s College Softball World Series. She also was responsible for men’s and women’s track and field and tennis, as well as women’s gymnastics and soccer. A standout on the A&M volleyball team from 1989-92, Ellsworth was noted for her power and strength. Fans nicknamed her “The Cannon” because of her booming serves, and she still shares the school record for service aces in a match with six. Upon the completion of her eligibility, Ellsworth served as a student assistant strength and conditioning coach in 1993 and was promoted to a restricted earnings position a year later. Born and raised in Schulenburg, Texas, the former Raychelle Michalke earned all-state honors in volleyball as a senior and earned all-district citations all four years at Schulenburg High School. A versatile athlete, Ellsworth also earned all-district honors in basketball and lettered in track and field. Ellsworth received her bachelor’s degree in kinesiology with a minor in health in 1994. She has two children, a son, Tucker Jamison Ellsworth, born July 6, 1998, and a daughter, Jenna Raye Ellsworth, born April 10, 2001. “Raychelle, having been a volleyball player, is so helpful in the sense that she knows the game and understands what we are trying to get out of our athletes and what area of physical conditioning is most important. She is very committed and dedicated to making our team as physical as possible, and she is excellent at motivating them and keeping them upbeat and positive about their progress. “The effort that the athletes have put forth with Ray’s coaching and guidance has shown great rewards in the gym. Our players continue to be more explosive, powerful and athletic, and the results they see positively impacts their confidence as individuals and as a team. We are fortunate to have someone with Raychelle’s experience, knowledge and inspiration all in one package. She is the best.” — Head Coach Laurie Corbelli

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JENNIFER McCOY JENNIFER M C COY ATHLETIC TRAINER ATHLETIC TRAINER

McCoy received her bachelor’s degree in sports medicine in 1999 and her master’s degree in nutrition science in 2003 both from Brigham Young University. While at BYU she served as a student athletic trainer for women’s basketball, women’s tennis, men’s ice hockey and a local 5A high school. In addition to her national athletic training certification, McCoy is a certified strength and conditioning specialist. She also is an adjunct professor for American Military University, teaching courses that include sports nutrition, sport and drugs and exercise programming and testing. Born and raised in Moraga, Calif., the former Jennifer Benson is married to Cameron McCoy. Jennifer enjoys exercising, reading and spending time

ennifer McCoy, a nationally certified athletic trainer, is in her first season as an athletic trainer for the Texas A&M volleyball team. McCoy joined the Aggies in July 2009 after spending six years as an athletic trainer for the United States Marine Corps. McCoy spent the past three years at Camp Lejeune, N.C., working with Marines at the School of Infantry – East. In addition to her work with the Marine Corps, McCoy served as an athletic trainer at Northside High School in Jacksonville, N.C.

with family in her spare time.

AMY BRAGG DIRECTOR OF PERFORMANCE NUTRITION

my Bragg, one of the first registered dieticians in the nation to work full time in Division I athletics, is in her sixth year as director of performance nutrition for the Texas A&M athletic department. A registered and licensed dietitian, Bragg provides nutritional programming for A&Mís student-athletes. Passionate about utilizing the environment to teach student-athletes about nutrition, Bragg views eating at team meals and choosing recovery foods after team workouts as hands-on educational opportunities. Nutrition services offered to student-athletes range from grocery shopping tours and cooking demonstration classes to team meetings and one-on-one counseling for performance enhancement. Bragg also plans training table, travel and pregame meals and works closely with the coaching, strength and conditioning and athletic training staffs, recommending ways to help maximize the student-athletesí health and performance. The highly respected Bragg is one of only 110 registered dietitians in the United States to have earned the Board Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics (CSSD) credential developed by the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR), the credentialing agency of the American Dietetic Association (ADA). CSSDs apply sports nutrition science to fueling fitness, sport and athletic performance for college, professional and Olympic athletes worldwide.

In 2007, Bragg was honored as the Big 12 Sports Nutritionist of the Year and also was appointed assistant director of Sports Dietetics-USA (SD-USA), whose 500-plus members focus on sports nutrition issues, educating sports dietetics professionals and advancing sports dietetics as a career specialty. Born and raised in Pittsburg, Texas, Bragg received a bachelor of business administration degree in finance from the University of Texas in 1995 and a bachelor of science degree in human nutrition and foods from the University of Houston in 2000. Following her graduation from Houston, Bragg served as a nutrition coach and consultant in the Houston area. She has advised more than 6,000 athletes and others on how to improve their athletic performance and general health by controlling their weight and increasing muscle mass, strength and stamina. In addition to her work as a consultant to numerous athletes, Bragg served as an author for ìAsk the Sports Nutritionistî for Dave Campbellís Texas Football Magazineís website and served as a speaker at high school ìJunior Daysî, recommending ways that prospective college athletes could improve their health through diet. She also worked at St. Lukeís Episcopal Hospital as a clinical dietitian. Bragg is an active member of the ADA and American College Sports Medicine (ACSM). She has been a part of two practice groups of the ADA regarding sports, cardiovascular and wellness dietitians and the nutrition entrepreneurs. Bragg, whose hobbies include cooking, biking and reading, is married to Bobby Bragg. They are the proud parents of daughter Rebecca Mallory Bragg, born January 18, 2005, and son Charles “Beau” Bragg, born May 3, 2009.

2009 AGGIE VOLLEYBALL

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KELLY STUMPH DIRECTOR OF VOLLEYBALL OPERATIONS

elly Stumph, Texas A&M Class of 2003, is in her third season

as the Aggies’ director of volleyball operations. Her responsibilities include coordinating and organizing team travel, on-campus recruiting, tape exchange, equipment inventory and summer camps exclusively for the volleyball program. In addition, Stumph is helping the program develop a larger presence in the community.

Born in Fort Worth and raised in nearby Azle, Texas, Stumph gained extensive experience in the sport of volleyball and made invaluable contacts on the national and international scales since graduating with honors from A&M, where she majored in sport management and minored in business. Stumph returned to Aggieland after serving nearly three years as manager of awards and events support at the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA). She was responsible for managing all aspects of the AVCA awards programs for both men’s and women’s college volleyball players and coaches at the NCAA Division I, II and III levels, as well as NAIA and two-year

colleges. Stumph also developed and instituted the AVCA High School Senior All-America program. Other responsibilities included overseeing the annual AVCA All-America/Player of the Year Banquet and the AVCA Hall of Fame induction ceremony, as well as the Molten Division III Men’s Invitational Volleyball Championship, including the bid process, tournament site and team selection, championship banquet and VIP relations. During her final semester at A&M, Stumph interned at the United States Olympic Committee’s U.S. Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, Calif. Following her graduation from A&M in 2004, Stumph served as technical coordinator intern at USA Volleyball, where she helped current A&M assistant coach Robyn Romansky and the women’s national team with statistical analysis of athlete performance, as well as team practices and all the logistical arrangements for athlete travel, tournament entry and equipment distribution. Stumph’s hobbies include snowboarding, wakeboarding, watching college football and basketball, and outdoor activities.

MINDY PHILLIPS ACADEMIC SUPERVISOR

indy Phillips is in her second year as athletic academic supervisor at Texas A&M, where she works with the baseball, softball and volleyball teams. A 2005 graduate of Texas A&M University with a bachelor’s degree in recreation, park and tourism sciences, Phillips earned her master’s degree in higher education administration from A&M in 2007.

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Upon her graduation from A&M, Phillips spent one year as an academic advisor for the Baylor University football and women’s basketball teams prior to returning to Aggieland in 2008. The former Mindy Garrison was a four-year letterwinner for the Aggie women’s basketball team from 2001-05, earning three Academic All-Big 12 citations during her career. As a senior, she helped the Aggies to postseason play for the first time in nine years. A native of San Marcos, Texas, Mindy is married to Ryan Phillips, A&M Class of ’03. She is a member of the National Association of Academic Advisors for Athletics.

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DEBBIE DARRAH ASSISTANT SPORTS INFORMATION DIRECTOR

at the Junior World Championship in Taipei, Taiwan, and also assisted USA Softball and the U.S. Olympic Committee at the 1999 Pan American Games in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Darrah served as an official scorer at the 1998 Women’s Softball College World Series and also was a member of the softball press team at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta. In addition, Darrah was a press officer at the ’93, ’94 and ’95 U.S. Olympic Festivals, covering a variety of sports including tennis, volleyball, gymnastics, shooting and athletics. Prior to coming to A&M, Darrah spent one year as an assistant media relations director at the Southwest Conference office in Dallas. She was responsible for the publicity of men’s and women’s tennis, swimming and diving, and women’s volleyball. She also coordinated the selection of the GTE/ SWC academic honor teams and the SWC male and female athletes of the year. In addition, Darrah assisted with media operations at the 1989 NCAA Volleyball Championship, the 1990 Mobil Cotton Bowl, the 1990 Midwest Regional men’s basketball tournament and the 1989-91 SWC postseason basketball tournaments. Darrah, a 1985 graduate of the University of Texas-Arlington with a bachelor’s degree in business administration, is a member of CoSIDA, Football Writer’s Association of America and the Texas Sports Writers Association.

ebbie Darrah is in her 19th year with the Texas A&M athletic

department and is responsible for the publicity of women’s volleyball and women’s tennis, as well as assisting with football and other sports. She has produced numerous nationally awardwinning publications, including the 1993 Texas A&M Softball Media Guide, the 2004 Texas A&M Women’s Tennis Media Guide and the 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2005 Texas A&M Volleyball Media Guides, which were recognized as “Best in the Nation” and/or “Best Cover” by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).

GO TO DEBBIE ’ S COMPLETE BIO

Darrah, who was named the 2005 Central Region Volleyball Sports Information Director of the Year by the American Volleyball Coaches Association, has been a primary media contact at numerous NCAA volleyball, basketball, softball and tennis postseason events. She also has served as a media contact at prestigious international competitions, including the 2005 World University Games in Izmir, Turkey and the 2002 Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City, Utah. In 1999, Darrah handled media relations for USA Softball

DR. J.P. BRAMHALL

KRISTEN BREITLING

DR. JAMES DISTEFANO

BEN FARMER

CHRISTOPHER HOLLAR

SARA STEINOCHER

ERIN WILLERT

Director of Sports Medicine/Team Orthopedic Surgeon

Videographer

Team Physician

D R . M AT T KEE

SARAH MENGERS

M AT T SIMON

Phyisical Therapist

Student Trainer

Manager

Audio Broadcast

Manager

Hullabaloo Band Director

GLEN JOHNSON

Chief Photographer

Event Management

2009 AGGIE VOLLEYBALL