Washington Huskies head volleyball coach Leslie Gabriel highlighted the return of alumna and new assistant coach Krista Hendrickson in her opening remarks Tuesday at Big Ten Volleyball Media Days in Chicago.
“I'm incredibly excited to welcome back a Huskies legend, Krista Hendrickson, formerly known as Krista Vansant, who has joined our coaching staff this summer,” Gabriel said. “Krista knows this program inside and out, and her leadership and perspective will add so much to our team and culture.”
Hendrickson joins the Huskies after two years as an assistant coach for Big Ten opponent Illinois. The outside hitter played for Washington from 2011-2015 and recorded one of the most impressive careers in program history. Her No. 16 jersey is one of only three ever retired by the Huskies’ volleyball program.
“I think it's huge,” Gabriel said. “There's a familiarity. There's a pride, being that it's theschool that you came from. Krista, she's done it all in our program. We were just at camp the last two weeks, and when we do staff introductions in our arena, after she would introduce herself, all of our players would be like, look, and her jersey is retired up in the rafters. Someone who has done it. Shecan relate with these players and help them do what she did at Washington I think is really motivating and exciting.”
The Huskies finished 9th in the Big Ten Conference last season with a 19-12 (9-11) record. This season, they’ll look to break into the top half of the conference.
“It brings us closer to home, to our support system, and to the city that shaped so much of who I am. As an alum of the Washington Volleyball program, stepping into an assistant coaching role is incredibly meaningful — it's a chance to give back to a program that had a lasting impact on my life,” Hendrickson said in a June 9 media release.
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