Jan. 25, 2010

Krista Burrows to Lead Volleyball's Resurgence as Head Coach

Youngstown -- Krista Burrows, one of the top young coaches in the NAIA, has been charged with leading the Youngstown State volleyball program to regional and national heights similar to those she enjoyed at Walsh University.

Burrows, the eighth head coach in YSU school history, helped Walsh average more than 27 wins in her six seasons as the head coach on the campus in North Canton, Ohio. The Cavaliers finished in the top 25 nationally three times in her tenure and advanced to the NAIA Tournament the last two seasons.

"I would like to thank Ron Strollo and Elaine Jacobs for the opportunity to join the Youngstown State staff," Burrows said. "I believe the athletic department is making the necessary adjustments for the volleyball program to be successful in the Horizon League.

"I know it is going to take hard work and dedication to build this program, both by the coaching staff and athletes, but I am not afraid of hard work. I am ready to make a move in the right direction and make winning a tradition at Youngstown State. We will be a program that will be exciting to watch and one that the community will want to support. Volleyball and winning are two of my passions, and I am ready to instill those passions as a Penguin."

"We are excited and fortunate to have someone with Krista’s success as a collegiate head coach and former Division I student-athlete lead our volleyball program," Ron Strollo, YSU’s Executive Director of Intercollegiate Athletics. "She has demonstrated that she has a winning formula at each of her coaching stops. She’s shown that she can recruit in Ohio with her success at Walsh, and she’s seen what it takes to win in the Horizon League from her years at Cleveland State."

Burrows comes to Youngstown after leading Walsh to a record of 164-59 from 2004 to 2009. She was named the American Mideast Conference and Regional IX Coach of the Year in 2006 and 2008.

Walsh advanced to the NAIA Tournament in each of Burrows’ last two seasons, finishing 28-9 with an AMC Tournament title in 2009 and 29-13 with an AMC regular-season crown  in 2008. The Cavaliers received a final national ranking of No. 21 in 2008 and No. 23 in 2007, and they were 16th in 2006 when they went 35-3.

On the individual level, Burrows tutored seven NAIA All-America selections, 11 NAIA All-Region IX honorees and 11 first-team All-AMC picks during her tenure. She also coached two Region IX and AMC Setter of the Year honorees, four AMC Freshman of the Year selections, one AMC Player of the Year, and the 2007 National Libero of the Year.

Burrows’ squads were also strong in the classroom at Walsh. Her 2008 squad earned the AVCA Team Academic Award, and she coached three AMC and NAIA Scholar-Athletes.

Prior to her stint at Walsh, Burrows spent time as an assistant coach at three Division I schools - Bradley University, Cleveland State University and Clemson University.

Burrows spent the 2003 volleyball season as an assistant at Bradley where she assisted in recruiting and helped develop two first-team All-Missouri Valley selections. She also was in charge of scouting opponents, organizing camps and assembling the inaugural volleyball booster club for the Braves.

Burrows spent the 2000-02 seasons as an assistant at Horizon League member Cleveland State under current coach Chuck Voss. As a recruiter, she helped assemble Cleveland State’s 2002 squad that posted an 18-12 mark, which was the first winning record in over 15 years. Burrows also assisted with practice planning, game management, travel and film exchange. She also monitored team progress in academics, conditioning and weight training.

Burrows got her start in coaching as a volunteer assistant at Clemson in 1999. Burrows organized promotions, analyzed game film, composed highlight tapes for All-America nominations and assisted at practice. The Tigers finished 31-3 that season and were ranked as high as No. 13 nationally. They advanced to the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament Final and the NCAA Tournament.

On the club level, Burrows has coached the Cleveland Volleyball Company for seven seasons. She led the CVC 17 Black squad to a first-place finish in the 17 National Division of the 2009 USA Junior Olympic Girls' Volleyball Championships.

As a player, Burrows (formerly Singleton) was a four-year starter at Auburn University from 1994-97 and was a Southeastern Conference Academic Honor Roll honoree twice. She still ranks seventh all-time in career block assists (261) and eighth in career total blocks (276). Burrows led the Tigers in aces as a junior, and her nine blocks against LSU as a freshman ranks as the 17th-most for a match in school history.

Burrows graduated from Auburn in 1998 with a bachelor’s degree in rehabilitation services. She earned her master’s at Cleveland State in sport and exercise psychology in 2002.

Burrows and her husband, Rob, were married on Jan. 17, 2009. She has two stepchildren, Amber, 11, and R.J., 7. The Burrows family resides in Akron, Ohio.