The Book 2005-06 UL Lady Cajuns Volleyball

[NewsCopy]

LOUISIANA La. – Louisiana Director of Athletics Nelson Schexnayder announced Tuesday he has named Amy Kraljev, previously an assistant coach for the past three seasons with the school, as the Ragin’ Cajuns volleyball program's 11th head coach.

Kraljev, a native of Portland and alumnus of the University, replaces Becky Madden who resigned last month. Her hiring is pending approval from the University of Louisiana Board of Trustees and she will officially take over the post on June 6.

Kraljev spent the previous six years involved with the Ragin’ Cajuns program either as a player or a coach.

She lettered for two seasons under Chris Campbell during the 1999 and 2000 seasons after transferring from Clackamas Community College. In 2001, Kraljev served as a student coach under Campbell and was hired on as an assistant coach when Madden arrived in 2002 serving in that capacity until her current appointment.

“I’m very excited about this opportunity,” Kraljev said. “I’ve been a part of this program for six years as a student, athlete, assistant and now the head coach – everything has come full circle for me.

“I’m anticipating great things happening in the volleyball program,” Kraljev added. “I’m grateful to be a part of its past, present and most importantly its future.”

Under Madden, Kraljev served as the program’s head recruiting coordinator and handled the team’s defensive instruction and serving techniques. She also handled the Cajuns’ marketing and promotion efforts along with supervising the team’s community service projects.

As a player, Kraljev was a member of the Ragin’ Cajuns’ 2000 team which won the most Sun Belt matches in program history. As a senior, the squad posted 11 SBC wins and she led the team with 378 digs.

Kraljev received her bachelor’s degree from Louisiana-Lafayette in December 2001.

LOUISIANA SI

[NewsCopy]

LOUISIANA La. - Louisiana Director of Athletics Nelson Schexnayder announced Tuesday he has named Amy Kraljev, previously an assistant coach for the past three seasons with the school, as the Ragin' Cajuns volleyball program's 11th head coach.

Kraljev, a native of Portland and alumnus of the University, replaces Becky Madden who resigned last month. Her hiring is pending approval from the University of Louisiana Board of Trustees and she will officially take over the post on June 6.

Kraljev spent the previous six years involved with the Ragin' Cajuns program either as a player or a coach.

She lettered for two seasons under Chris Campbell during the 1999 and 2000 seasons after transferring from Clackamas Community College. In 2001, Kraljev served as a student coach under Campbell and was hired on as an assistant coach when Madden arrived in 2002 serving in that capacity until her current appointment.

"I'm very excited about this opportunity," Kraljev said. "I've been a part of this program for six years as a student, athlete, assistant and now the head coach - everything has come full circle for me.

"I'm anticipating great things happening in the volleyball program," Kraljev added. "I'm grateful to be a part of its past, present and most importantly its future."

Under Madden, Kraljev served as the program's head recruiting coordinator and handled the team's defensive instruction and serving techniques. She also handled the Cajuns' marketing and promotion efforts along with supervising the team's community service projects.

As a player, Kraljev was a member of the Ragin' Cajuns' 2000 team which won the most Sun Belt matches in program history. As a senior, the squad posted 11 SBC wins and she led the team with 378 digs.

Kraljev received her bachelor's degree from Louisiana in December 2001.

LOUISIANA SI

[JMV JustMyView]

Congrads on the promotion. Looks like we just promoted within. Nothing wrong with that.

[NewsCopy]

Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns opened practice for the 2005 volleyball season on Wednesday at Earl K. Long Gym, and it was easy to see how eagerly first-year head coach Amy Kraljev has awaited the opportunity to lead the program.

"It's absolutely exciting," said Kraljev, who ascended to the top position when Becky Madden resigned earlier this year. "So much has been going on in the last few days. Yesterday we had check-in, physicals, photos, and I was totally antsy.

"Today is our first team practice, and it's exciting for both of us (nodding toward first-time assistant Summer Campbell), too."

Both coaches are ready to put their signature on the Cajun program, which finished 7-23 in 2004 and begins the 2005 campaign Aug. 26 at home against Rice University.

"I've taken little things from every coach I've worked under, and I've worked with all sports," Kraljev said. "Negatives, positives, I've taken something from all the resources I can. Then I mold that into what I want to do.

"I was a sponge to Becky's style last year, so in a lot of ways we're very similar."

Kraljev did promise that UL fans would see "a lot of communication, a lot of discipline and hard work ... a lot of hard work. Our players will go all-out. You never know what you can do until you give it everything you have.

"We're also going to encourage each other."

The rest of the story

Bruce Brown
bbrown@theadvertiser.com

[NewsCopy]

Louisiana's Ragin' Cajun volleyball team has switched gears this week, moving from individual drills to team strategies in preparation for the opening weekend of competition.

The Cajuns host Rice tonight at 7 p.m. at Earl K. Long Gym, to be followed by a 7 p.m. Saturday matchup against McNeese State, as coach Amy Kraljev begins her first year at the helm of the program.

"It's progressing the way I thought it would," said Kraljev, who succeeds Becky Madden as head coach after serving as Madden's assistant.

Half the UL roster is new, so fans will be in for a different look in more ways than one.

"There won't really be surprises to me, but we have a lot of newcomers with the freshmen and transfers so there will be players the fans won't know," Kraljev said.

"Tara Cote, a transfer from North Carolina A&T, is our starting setter. She's kind of the quarterback of the team, and she continues to bring leadership to the team."

That unknown element - a new coach and new personnel - will keep foes guessing until they can get a working scouting report on the Cajuns in 2005.

"I think it definitely is an advantage for us," Kraljev said. "Rice hasn't been in our gym in a long time, if ever, and they're used to playing in larger facilities. If they come in here and we have 200 people here, it sounds like 1,000.

"That will require a little adjustment for them, and hopefully they won't adjust until it's over."

The rest of the story

Bruce Brown
bbrown@theadvertiser.com

[shof]

Very cool opening script

[cajunvbmom]

My daughter is a freshman on the volleyball team...I sure hope they have alot of support. I'm very excited about the Volleyball Season...wish I could be there for their first game...GOOD LUCK LADIES!

Geaux Cajuns!

[gorcajun]

Keep the Ragin Cajun faithful informed with inside information on the team and your daughter. Thanks.

[RaginDave]

Keep the Ragin Cajun faithful informed with inside information on the team and your daughter. Thanks.

They unfortunately lost tonight in the home opener to a very good RICE team. Rice is predicted to win the WAC.

Geaux Cajuns, outplayed tonight by a better team, but we have many games we are going to win.

Also the Lady Cajun Soccer team lost tonight to USM 5-2 in there opener.

[NewsCopy]

Louisiana's Ragin' Cajuns knew the Rice Owls would be a difficult opening assignment.

Rice was 25-5 last season and has aspirations on a national scale, while the Cajuns took the Earl K. Long Gym floor for the first time under coach Amy Kraljev.

So Friday's 30-17, 30-22,30-22 Owls victory was not a shocking outcome. But the Cajuns learned some things about themselves in the process.

"I think we underestimated ourselves when we came out," Kraljev said. "We had to realize that the other side is human, and they're going to make mistakes. Once we figured that out, we realized we can fight with them. We can compete."

"Rice is a really good team," said junior Kim Rodgers, who had seven kills without an error. "I think that got in our heads a little bit. But after that, we gave them a run for their money.

"We had to find out their weaknesses and strengths, and pick up where they like to hit it. We communicaed better, then we got on top of our game."

Indeed, the second and third games were more competitive contests.

"We started communicating better on defense," Kraljev said. "Some of our early problems there came from people worrying about playing their position instead of focusing on the team concept."

The Cajuns' best moment came with Rodgers serving, as UL rallied to within 18-17 in the third game. But the veteran Rice squad was up to the challenge posted by the underdog Cajuns.

The rest of the story

Bruce Brown
bbrown@theadvertiser.com