It is officially the embarking of a new era for WSU volleyball. WSU director of athletics Pat Chun announced the 13th modern head coach in program history Friday, former assistant Korey Schroeder.
“I am humbled and grateful for the opportunity to lead Washington State Volleyball into the next chapter of the program’s storied history,” Schroeder said. In my first year at Washington State, the energy I have felt from the Pullman community, Cougar fans, and the individuals within the Washington State Athletic Department has been phenomenal. They are all reasons why Pullman feels like home, and it is the same reason our student-athletes love their experience at Washington State. We have a group of high-character players returning next season and I am excited to build on the foundation we will create together this spring.”
Schroeder takes over a team he served as an assistant coach on during the 2023 season. Beyond coaching on the court, he embarked on organizing recruiting databases and creating recruiting content, running statistical analysis of WSU and future opponents and implementing the use of NueroFuel to improve mental performance during practice and competitions, according to a WSU press release.
“We are excited to name Korey as our head volleyball coach,” Chun said. “Korey brings a new energy and passion for WSU Volleyball. It was clear throughout this year he had earned the respect of our team and was a key component in the overall success of this past season. We look forward to watching Korey lead and build our volleyball program.”
The 2023 season was the first with Schroeder in Pullman, as he spent the previous five seasons before that on the staff at University of Wisconsin – Green Bay. There, he served as the associate head coach and recruiting coordinator and proved vital in three 20-win seasons over the five-year stretch.
He helped the team win the Horizon League Championship in 2018, punching their ticket to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2003.
Experiencing multiple trips to the NCAA Tournament as an assistant, Schroeder now takes the challenge of being the leader of a staff with expectations to build for the future. While the 2023 team had a lot of seniors, and since a lot of transfer departures, the Cougs have several players still on the roster.
At the top of the list remains Katy Ryan, an All-Pac-12 honorable mention recipient and a player entering her senior season. She will be the most experienced player on the roster if she returns for her final year and already has a career average of 2.31 kills per set and a hitting percentage of .291% in her three years as a prominent piece in the rotation.
Joining her on the roster for 2024 is Emma Barbero, Lucie Blazkova and Shea Rubright. While currently in the transfer portal, the trio of Jasmine Martin, Magdalena Juric and Logann Golden can all still return to the team.
WSU is set to play in the West Coast Conference in 2024 and 2025, with the team being eligible for a Conference title and automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament in the agreement. Last season, Pepperdine won the WCC with a 19-9 record overall and 19-1 record in Conference play. San Diego, a team that beat WSU in the 2022 NCAA Tournament, is also in the Conference, proving that the Conference has some hard hitters.
