Colorado University Athletics
Henican Named CU Assistant Volleyball Coach
March 09, 2009 | Volleyball
BOULDER - University of Colorado Head Volleyball Coach Liz Kritza has announced that Meg Henican will join her staff as an assistant coach.
"I am pleased to announce that Meg will be joining the Colorado Volleyball staff very shortly," Kritza said. "She is an enthusiastic young coach who is very knowledgeable in the game of volleyball. She is an intensely positive young woman who serves as an excellent role model for the current and future CU Volleyball players."
"I am really excited to be joining Liz Kritza and the staff she is assembling," Henican said. "There is no doubt in my mind that Colorado has the opportunity to become one of the premier volleyball programs in the country. Having had the privilege of coaching with Liz for the past two years, I know that her dedication, enthusiasm and insight together with her leadership will pave the way for unprecedented success at CU. It is a thrill to be a part of what will be happening in the months and years to come."
Henican comes to Colorado after two years as a member of the Tulane coaching staff. In her two seasons, she helped the Green Wave to a 56-12 record, which saw Tulane win the Conference-USA regular season and tournament championship in 2008. The Green Wave also earned their first automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament in ?08.
Henican assisted in all facets of team training and competition at Tulane. She was called upon for specific technical training with the liberos and defensive specialists, including 2007 Conference USA Libero of the Year and AVCA All-America Honorable Mention Jenn Miller.
"I hired Meg at my last coaching stop as I saw a lot of promise in her as a young coach," Kritza said. "In just two years, she has made great strides in learning to coach the college game and is positioned well to be one of the most effective recruiters around. Her ability to connect with players and recruits as well as her insatiable desire to succeed will prove very positive for our program; her ability to teach and demonstrate in the practice gym will add another positive dimension as we seek great improvement within the program.
"Most importantly, Meg is an outstanding person with strong integrity and solid character. We are very excited to have her join our family here at Colorado."
She will be primarily responsible for player development, as well as the personal development of the student-athletes. Henican will monitor the academic progress of the student-athletes and will work closely with the academic student-services coordinator. She will also coordinate the community service program of Colorado volleyball. Henican will take the lead on recruiting for the Buffs as well.
Henican played at the University of Notre Dame from 2002-2005 as a standout libero and outside hitter. Henican finished her career owning 22 of Notre Dame's 25 digs records and is the Fighting Irish' all-time digs leader. She was a First Team All-Big East selection in 2005 as she helped Notre Dame to its 15th-straight NCAA Tournament berth. The Fighting Irish advanced to the Sweet 16 in 2005, the second round in 2004 and 2002, and the first round in 2003. Henican served as team captain in 2004 and 2005. In addition to her athletic accolades, she was also a Big East Academic All-Star.
"I loved coaching Meg," University of Notre Dame Head Volleyball Coach and former Olympian Debbie Brown said. "One of the best things is that she is really competitive and absolutely hated to lose. I think that intangible thing is an added bonus with someone like Meg; in fact it made her a better player. She played nearly every match here as either an outside hitter or libero; Meg was a really well balanced player that could soundly play all of the positions. Meg's passing and efficiency made her one of the best that I have ever coached."
"I am sure her competitive fire is evident in her coaching. That fire is valuable to have on the staff and she will bring it out in the players there. She is someone who can step into any drill in practice and really raise the level of the play around her."
Henican graduated from UND with degrees in marketing and sociology in 2006 and stayed on at Notre Dame as the marketing and special events assistant within the athletic department. Her primary responsibility was organizing and carrying out the Fighting Irish' season long celebration of the 35th Anniversary of Women's Athletics at UND.
Henican grew up in uptown New Orleans and was a standout volleyball player at Isidore Newman High School. She helped the team to a state title and was named an All-American by Student Sports Magazine in 2001. She also earned AAU volleyball All-America honors in 1995, 2000, and 2001.
