Colorado University Athletics

Gippe Joins VB Staff As Director Of Operations

Gippe Joins VB Staff As Director Of Operations
Related Links

BOULDER GÇö University of Colorado volleyball coach Liz Kritza is pleased to announced former Santa Clara volleyball player and AVCA All-American Crystal Gippe has joined her staff as the director of operations.

GÇ£Crystal has a unique combination of being a highly successful collegiate and professional volleyball athlete, an educator, and a successful professional,GÇ¥ Kritza said. GÇ£She is a welcome addition to the CU volleyball program.  She is creative, direct, and decisive; qualities that represent efficiency.GÇ¥

Gippe came to the Buffs after spending the previous year in the athletic department as an assistant special events coordinator. During her time there, she helped plan CUGÇÖs Football Preview Luncheon, Champions Banquet and numerous sports banquets.

Prior to her time at CU, Gippe was a teacher. She was a special education teacher at WINGS Learning Center and Springer Elementary School from 2011-13 in California; working with special needs children. After moving to Colorado, she was a substitute teacher with Jefferson Country Public Schools for the 2013-14 school year.

Gippe is a 2008 graduate of Santa Clara University, earning her bachelorGÇÖs degree in liberal studies while lettering four years on the volleyball team. She also attended San Jose State University and earned her California Teaching Credential in special education teaching in 2012.

After graduating from SCU, Gippe played professional volleyball from 2008-11, playing with NUC Volley (Neuchatel, Switzerland), CV Tenerife (Canary Islands), Iftisadchi Volley Club (Baku, Azerbaijan) and Pinkin Corazol (Dorado, Puerto Rico). She also spent time with USA Volleyball. In 2007, Gippe was a setter on the A2 team and in 2009, she trained with the national team in Anaheim under then-head coach Hugh McCutcheon.

A four-year starting setter on the Santa Clara volleyball team, Gippe was a 2005 AVCA Third Team All-American and in 2007 she was an AVCA All-America honorable mention honoree. Both of those seasons, she helped direct the Broncos to a pair of West Coast Conference Championships and was also named to the AVCA All-Pacific Region first team. 

In 2007, she was named the WCC Player of the Year and a first team All-WCC selection. During the 2005 season, Gippe guided SCU to a final four appearance where the Broncos lost in the semifinal to Nebraska. She was named one of the Top 5 Setters in the nation according to Collegiate Volleyball Update and handed out a career-best 1,517 assists during the year.

While at SCU, Gippe recorded 4,384 assist, 693 digs, 306 kills, 145 blocks and 123 aces. She tallied a career-high 70 assists against Pepperdine on Oct. 2, 2005.

Born in Redding, Calif., she graduated from El Molino High School, where she lettered in volleyball, basketball and track and field. Gippe enjoys being active outdoors. She loved running, snowboarding, hiking and wakeboarding. The former Crystal Matich is married to Curtis Gippe and resides in Broomfield with their chocolate lab Parker.

GÇ£We are excited to be adding Crystal and Curtis Gippe to the volleyball family,GÇ¥ Kritza said. GÇ£GÇ£Her experience in and around volleyball will help contribute to increased success for our program as we continue in our overall goal of winning championships.GÇ¥