University of Evansville volleyball coach Mike Swan has announced the hiring of Josh Wielebnicki as the program’s assistant coach. Wielebnicki will officially begin at UE on August 1 and he joins the Purple Aces’ staff after working in the same position last year at Western Carolina University.
“I am excited and eager to have Josh on staff here at UE,” said Swan. “He is a very likeable guy with the type of volleyball background I was hoping to find, and since he was already familiar with the Missouri Valley Conference, I knew this was a perfect choice. He is going to bring enthusiasm and great experience to our program.”
Wielebnicki (pronounced WILL-ub-nick-ee) served as Western Carolina’s top assistant last season, while working primarily with outside hitters and defensive specialists. He also assisted with recruiting and served as the program’s camp director, two functions he will also handle at Evansville. Prior to working at Western Carolina, Wielebnicki served as both a student manager and a student assistant coach at Missouri Valley Conference rival Illinois State, where he received his degree in history in 2008. While at Illinois State, he was part of a Redbird program which finished runner-up in the MVC in 2007 and advanced on to the 2007 NCAA Tournament as an at-large selection.
“When the Evansville position came open, I really jumped at the opportunity to be back in the Valley and back in the Midwest,” said Wielebnicki, a native of suburban Chicago, Illinois. “This is a great opportunity to further my career and to help out the University of Evansville, an already established volleyball program, get to new heights.
“I am really looking forward to working hand-in-hand with Coach Swan. I’ve known Mike for about four or five years, and I feel like I owe him a lot, because he has been instrumental in my coaching career.”
Wielebnicki not only coached, but also played volleyball collegiately at Illinois State, as he served as co-captain and vice president of Illinois State’s men’s club volleyball team, and helped the Redbirds to a third place finish at the Division I-AA national tournament in 2008. Wielebnicki began his college career at Lewis University, playing two seasons of Division I men’s volleyball at Lewis before transferring to Illinois State in 2006.
Evansville will return eight letterwinners, including five starters and a libero, from last year’s 14-16 squad this fall. The Purple Aces will open the 2010 season on August 27-28 at the Michigan State Showcase in East Lansing, Michigan.
