June 23, 2006
Cullowhee, N.C. -
Western Carolina's second-year head coach Stephanie Dragan today announced the hiring of Allison Magner as the newest assistant for the Catamount volleyball program. Magner, who began her playing career at North Carolina State before transferring to the University of Alabama-Birmingham (UAB), led her alma mater to its first winning season in eight years as the Blazers' interim head coach last year.
"I am absolutely ecstatic to have Ali join our staff," Dragan said. "She brings a wealth of knowledge to the program and her experiences are not one dimensional as she has been both a court coach and has also done all administrative work to successfully run a volleyball program.
"On the court, Ali will work with our attack and block. She will easily be able to communicate new footwork and install a new mentality to our student-athletes, who will relate and respond to her. Ali is a wonderful addition to the Catamount volleyball program and I am already excited to work with her," added Dragan.
With only nine players a year ago, Magner, who was the second-youngest head coach in Division I collegiate volleyball, and co-interim head coach Nikola Petrovic led UAB to a 14-13 record, snapping an eight-year slide of sub-.500 finishes. After tallying just one victory during the 2004 season, the Magner-led 2005 UAB volleyball squad turned things around for the greatest single-season improvement in school history with 14 wins including eight consecutive victories to open the season.
A native of Lake Oswego, Oregon, Magner spent two seasons with the N.C. State Wolfpack volleyball team, seeing limited action as a freshman in 1999 and finishing with 34 kills and 103 digs for a 1.37 dig per game average as a sophomore in 2000. She also had 16 total blocks playing in 75 games of 25 matches with the `Pack. She transferred to UAB and was a two-year letter winner for the Blazers in 2001 and 2002, leading UAB in blocks per game (1.05), total blocks (100) and block assists (87) during her senior year. Magner recorded 18 matches with double-digit kills during her two-year career at UAB, graduating with a degree in marketing and a minor in international business. She is also scheduled to complete her MBA at UAB this summer.
After two years in the private sector working as a marketing assistant, Magner returned to UAB in May of 2004 as an assistant coach for the Blazers. In addition to assisting with on-the-floor coaching for former head coach Melinda Claiborne, Magner worked primarily with the middle blockers. She was also involved in practice planning, recruiting, event management, equipment, team travel, summer camps and team marketing, all of which made her a viable option for the interim head position in 2005 when Claiborne resigned.
Magner joins the WCU coaching staff which includes Dragan and volunteer assistant coach, Sara Komosinski. The Muskegon, Mich., native and 2004 graduate of Western Carolina was a 2002 first team All-Southern Conference selection and a four-year starter for the Catamounts. She ranks as WCU's all-time leader in blocks, amassing 450 during her career also ranks third on Western's career kills (1,470) and career hitting percentage (.303) charts, and is fifth all-time in digs with 1,192.
The Catamount volleyball team opens its 2006 season August 25-26 in Oxford, Miss., in tournament action at Ole Miss.
