Marshall University Athletics
MCGILL: Aganus brings varied experience, high expectations to Herd volleyball
3/18/2019 9:15:00 PM | Volleyball, Word on the Herd
Marshall sets spring match dates, summer camp schedule
By Chuck McGill
HerdZone.com
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Ari Aganus made a circuitous route to the Mountain State. The first-year Marshall volleyball coach has never been one to be bound by geography, but guided by experiences.
"I go wherever I feel like I can learn something from someone that I haven't learned," said Aganus, who was announced as the Thundering Herd's new head coach in January. "I've worked for people who have been in the industry at one place for 20-some years; I've worked for people who are fresh head coaches; I've worked for international head coaches; I've worked with coaches who have beach ties.
"I wanted to make sure I learned from every different type of person."
Aganus, 29, wants exposure to all different styles of volleyball, too. She said the west coast has its own style, the midwest its own style and the southwest its own style.
"I wanted to be able to make sure I had all of those things in my toolbox," she said.
Aganus is a native of Shannon, Illinois. She played collegiately at junior college powerhouse Kishwaukee, where she was the team captain of a national championship team. She also played at North Alabama, a Division II program in Florence, Alabama. She stuck around there two additional years as a graduate assistant for Stephanie Radecki, who is now a rival Conference USA head coach at Southern Miss.
Aganus' journey took her to Spartanburg, South Carolina; Clemson, South Carolina; San Francisco, California; and Phoenix, Arizona.
Now she calls Huntington home, and she will make her debut when Marshall hosts three spring matches next month: April 12 at home against West Virginia State (6:30 p.m.); April 13 at Ohio (2 p.m.); and April 24 at home against Eastern Kentucky (6 p.m.). Aganus encourages fans to come out for the matches.
"We have a lot of fighters," she said. "I have not have had to ask them to try hard; I have not had to ask them to put in extra effort. They want to be here. I have been very impressed with the amount of talent that is in the gym. We have a lot of things we need to improve on and we have a lot of work to do, but their attention to detail and their 'coachability' is something I have been impressed by."
Aganus started taking volleyball seriously in the fifth grade, following in the footsteps of her older sisters. She was part of the Northwest Volleyball Club and the Fusion Volleyball Club, and then headed to Kishwaukee after high school. She was a captain and All-Arrowhead Conference selection or a team that finished 56-3. She didn't want to quit winning, so she headed to D-II North Alabama, which had played in the national championship the season before she arrived.
She has chased those high expectations ever since, and pounced at the opportunity to begin her head coaching career at Marshall. She hired Sean Cahill, a coach she calls bright and methodical.
"He's an up-and-comer," Aganus said. "I have high expectations for him. He balances my personality, but his coaching philosophy matches mine and he values the student-athlete."
Aganus also made a surprise hire: Taylor Strickland, a former Marshall player and assistant who had been working for the Big Green Scholarship Foundation.
"I did not originally think it was an option," Aganus said. "But Taylor Strickland is Marshall. To have her passion and work ethic – there's nobody who compares to her. On top of that, she's one of the best recruiters I've come across. I know that as somebody who recruited against her for five years. Hiring her was a no-brainer, and she's going to be a huge part of our success."
Together, the new staff has devoted a lot of time to learning about the student-athletes away from volleyball. When the coaches and players chat in the office, volleyball has been off-limits.
"It's about who you are, where you came from, what you like outside of volleyball and what you're studying," Aganus said. "That has been instrumental in understanding some things on the court."
She also had players create PowerPoint presentations to tell their story to the team.
"We wanted to redefine the culture here," Aganus said. "The players had to tell us where they were from, how they got into volleyball and how they were going to positively affect Marshall volleyball. I thought I was going to be the one learning about them, but they really learned about each other, and they were able to see pieces of each other they hadn't seen before.
"It got emotional. It was very raw. But it set the foundation for where we want to go from here."
In addition to the three spring matches, the Marshall volleyball program has finalized its camp dates. Please contact the coaching staff at marshallvolleyballcamps@gmail.com or 304-696-3980 for more information.
Team Camp
When:Â June 17-19
Who:Â Any age group
Details:Â This camp's balance between team strategies and competition will prepare teams and coaches for the upcoming season. Team tactics will be highlighted along with team development, team chemistry, side out drills, and competing against other schools during each session with an all-camp tournament at the conclusion of the camp.
Registration Info:Â Please submit registration forms as a team. There will be a minimum of seven (7) players per team. A $200 deposit is required to hold the team's place in the camp. The coach of a resident team will receive one (1) free room.
Cost:
$130 per camper (commuter with no meals included)
$175 per camper (commuter with meals included)
$250 per camper (housing provided with meals included)
June 17
Noon – Check In
2 p.m. to 9 p.m. – Two skill / competition sessions, one team practice and one team bonding activity session
June 18
9:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. – Three skill / competition sessions, one team practice and one team bonding activity session
June 19
9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. -- Team competition
Elite Camp
When:Â July 12-14
Who:Â Ages 14-18
Details:Â This three-day camp is designed to give athletes an inside look into the practice setting of a college program. This camp features elite level drills and technical work. Each session will cover proper technique to fine tune skills and cover advanced level aspects of the game.
Cost: Commuter: $175 per attendee (lunch included); Overnight: $295 per attendee (room and all meals)
Schedule:
July 12
8 a.m. – Check In
9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. – Two sessions with lunch included
July 13
9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. – Two sessions with lunch included
July 14
9:30 a.m. to Noon – One session
All Skills Camp
When:Â July 12-14
Who:Â Ages 9-18
Details:Â This three-day comprehensive camp focuses on pushing each camper to take their game to the next level with each skill. Serving, passing, attacking, defense, blocking, and setting will be taught throughout the camp.
Cost: Commuter: $160 per attendee (lunch included); Overnight: $280 per attendee (room and all meals)
Schedule:
July 12
8 a.m. – Check In
9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. – Two sessions with lunch included
July 13
9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. – Two sessions with lunch included
July 14
9:30 a.m. to Noon – One session
Positional Camp
When:Â July 15-16
Who:Â Ages 10-18
Details:Â This camp is designed to focus on the primary techniques of each position and skills. Athletes will receive a lot of repetitions of the skill by splitting into their position for each session. Choose between Setter, Hitter or Libero camp and you can choose up to two (2) positions.
Cost: $165 per camper (lunch included)
Schedule:
July 15
9 a.m. – Check In
10 a.m. to 4 p.m. – Lunch included
July 16
9 a.m. to 4 p.m. – Lunch included
Little Herd Camp
When:Â July 17-18
Who:Â Ages 8-12
Details:Â This camp is designed for beginner volleyball players who are looking to learn the basics of volleyball. All skills will be taught at this camp at the beginner volleyball level. Modifications will be made to allow campers to be successful and most importantly have fun!
Cost: $30 for One Day (lunch included) ; $50 for Two Days (lunch included)
Schedule:
July 17
9 a.m. – Check In
10 a.m. to 3 p.m. – Lunch included
July 18
9 a.m. to 3 p.m. – Lunch included
Note: These camps are open to any and all entrants.
Chuck McGill is the Assistant Athletic Director for Fan/Donor Engagement and Communications at Marshall University and a seven-time winner of the National Sports Media Association West Virginia Sportswriter of the Year award. In addition to HerdZone.com's Word on the Herd, McGill is the editor of Thundering Herd Illustrated, Marshall's official athletics publication. Follow him on Twitter (@chuckmcgill) and Instagram (wordontheherd).
