The winds of change swept through the College of Southern Nevada volleyball program following the conclusion of the 2017 season.

None of these changes were more impactful than the departure of program architect and head coach Sue Thurman. Thurman was the only coach in CSN history, literally building the program from the ground up during her three seasons at the helm.

Athletic director Dexter Irvin was swift and diligent in his search for a replacement, and his persistence paid off when he locked down former Colorado Northwestern head coach Chris Vergnaud. Chris will enter the 2018 season with a battle tested group of returning sophomores that are hoping to mesh will with a talented group of incoming freshmen. Despite this impressive collection of talent, Vergnaud knows that it will take more than a talented group of individuals to breakthrough and contend week in and week out in a conference as deep as the SWAC. 12 sophomore's in total return from the 2017 roster, with the majority of them garnering significant playing time during their freshman campaign.

Logan Delong, Jackie Yapching, Lexi Riggs, Carlee Becker, Emily Ragsdale, Madison Wolfe, Maya Hill, Maggie Heim and company are familiar with the grind of Scenic West Athletic Conference play, and that alone should be a huge asset to first year coach Vergnaud as well as the incoming class of recruits. Coyote fans can expect the usual growing pains that come with a first -year coach adapting to new surroundings and players, however the overall success of the program in 2018 will depend upon how quickly this talented group of individuals can mesh together.

Fans your Lady Coyotes will open the 2018 season on Friday August 24^th when they host the annual Lady Coyote Volleyball Classic. For match times, future opponents and ticketing information for this opening tournament log onto www.csncoyotes.com or follow us on Facebook CSNCoyotes and Twitter @CSN_Vball.