Amy Phelps Joins Nanooks as Assistant Volleyball Coach
FAIRBANKS, AK-A former National Intercollegiate Association of Athletics All-American who has coached at both her alma mater and in the NCAA Division II ranks is the new assistant volleyball coach at the University of Alaska Fairbanks.
Amy Phelps, who played and coached at Graceland University and was a graduate assistant coach for the last two years at Northwest Missouri State, will join the Nanooks at the end of June. Phelps succeeds Bev Krupa, who resigned in April.
A setter at Graceland, Phelps earned first team All-Conference and first team All-Region honors and was named an honorable mention NAIA All-American, as well as an NAIA All-American Scholar-Athlete. Her team won both the regular season and post-season titles in the Heart of American Conference, and she served as a co-captain.
After her playing career ended, Phelps began her coaching career at Graceland, assisting with both the men's and women's teams. The GC women were Region V finalists and qualified for the NAIA National Championships.
At NWMSU, Phelps assisted Head Coach Lori Slight in Slight's first two years with the Bearcats. Northwest Missouri finished with a 15-18 mark in 2004, a vast improvement over their performance in 2003.
"I'm really excited to have Amy join our staff," said UAF Head Coach Phil Shoemaker. "She'll bring a lot of good, new ideas and a lot of energy to our program. She's had great teachers, she's learned well, and she already has coaching experience far beyond her years. The fact that has been an assistant coach for a men's team is a strength, and I liked the fact that after she left Graceland, she went to a program that was a challenge and helped turn it around."
Shoemaker said that Phelps will be involved in all aspects of the program, especially recruiting. "Amy will have her hands in a lot of things, and one of her major responsibilities will be spearheading our recruiting efforts. That's something we're both excited about."
Phelps will begin her new duties June 26th.
-UAF VOLLEYBALL-
