VOLLEYBALL ADDS TO COACHING STAFF

The FGCU volleyball head coach, Matt Botsford, has added Stephanie Zielinski to the coaching staff.

Zielinski started off as an assistant coach at Wake Forest during the 2015 season. In 2016, Zielinski coached at Davidson prior to spending the 2017 season as an assistant coach at Middle Tennessee.

While there, she helped lead the Wildcats to their first Atlantic 10 Conference tournament appearance in program history.

“I am really excited to welcome Stephanie into our program,” Botsford said. “She is a very talented coach with a wealth of experience who will immediately make an impact on our team. Her passion for the game and the ability to relate to student-athletes is something that will serve our program well. She is an excellent teacher who really cares about the overall development of each player, both on and off the court. Because of her own ties to the state, Stephanie also has a special appreciation for FGCU and is eager to contribute to the lofty goals we have as a program.”

Prior to getting involved with collegiate coaching, Zielinski signed with Volley Toggenburg in Wattwil, Switzerland.

Zielinski served as a club coach from 2010-12 for Atlantic Valley Volleyball Club (AVVC), while helping at camps in Fort Lauderdale and New York.

Zielinski graduated from Rutgers in May 2013 with a degree in psychology and a minor in linguistics. She was a student-athlete at Rutgers and started all four seasons with the Scarlet Knights.

She finished her career with 4,255 assists, including 1,342 as a senior in 2012, both of which are second all-time in Rutgers’s program history.  She averaged 11.28 assists per set, the second all-time in the Big East conference.

The setter also ended with 1,129 career digs, which is fifth all-time at Rutgers.

As a junior, Zielinski led the team with 34 service aces and was second on the team in total blocks with 70.

In January 2013, she was named RU’s New Jersey Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (NJAIAW) Woman of the Year.

Zielinski also earned the Rutgers Leadership award for athletics, academics and service during her college career.