Spring Break
Volleyball coach McKay hires new assistant
Issue date: 6/24/09 Section: Sports
Western Illinois volleyball coach Kym McKay has announced the hiring of Kayani Turner as a graduate assistant coach for the Fighting Leathernecks.
Turner will assist in the Western Illinois volleyball camp July 10-12 and will begin her coaching duties with the team Aug. 10.
"I met Kay at the AVCA convention in December through colleagues and I enjoyed her personality, her love for volleyball and her desire to coach," McKay said. "She has club coaching experience and gives the extra effort to have her teams focus on the critical elements that make players and teams perform well."
Turner graduated from the University of Illinois in December 2008 with a bachelor's degree in communications.
While at Illinois, the Bel Air, Md., native was a five-year player on the Fighting Illini volleyball team. A middle hitter, Turner was a standout player for Illinois during her freshman and sophomore seasons in 2005 and 2006.
She led the Illini in kills and ranked fifth in the Big Ten Conference in kills per game in 2006 before having to sit out the 2007 season because of Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (RSD) - a neurological syndrome characterized by severe burning pain.
She returned to action in 2008 and helped contribute to the Illini's NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 run.
"Kay has a maturity that is beyond her years and this allows her to make the best of any situation," McKay said. "She will be an excellent role model for the current players for not only her playing experience, but also for the athletic challenges she has had to overcome."
In addition to her playing experience, Turner has also spent time with a whistle around her neck as the head coach of the Prime Time Volleyball Club in Champaign from fall 2008 through spring 2009.
She has served as a camp coach at the U of I volleyball camps from 2005 to 2008 and is currently serving as a camp coach at Precision Volleyball Camps.
At Western, Turner will be responsible for pregame and postgame administrative duties and will scout Western's serve receive and opponent's serving tendencies.
She will gain experience with training all positions and serve in close capacity with assistant coach Melissa David, who helped coach Turner at Illinois in 2007 and 2008.-Western Illinois University Athletics Media Services
Turner will assist in the Western Illinois volleyball camp July 10-12 and will begin her coaching duties with the team Aug. 10.
"I met Kay at the AVCA convention in December through colleagues and I enjoyed her personality, her love for volleyball and her desire to coach," McKay said. "She has club coaching experience and gives the extra effort to have her teams focus on the critical elements that make players and teams perform well."
Turner graduated from the University of Illinois in December 2008 with a bachelor's degree in communications.
While at Illinois, the Bel Air, Md., native was a five-year player on the Fighting Illini volleyball team. A middle hitter, Turner was a standout player for Illinois during her freshman and sophomore seasons in 2005 and 2006.
She led the Illini in kills and ranked fifth in the Big Ten Conference in kills per game in 2006 before having to sit out the 2007 season because of Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (RSD) - a neurological syndrome characterized by severe burning pain.
She returned to action in 2008 and helped contribute to the Illini's NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 run.
"Kay has a maturity that is beyond her years and this allows her to make the best of any situation," McKay said. "She will be an excellent role model for the current players for not only her playing experience, but also for the athletic challenges she has had to overcome."
In addition to her playing experience, Turner has also spent time with a whistle around her neck as the head coach of the Prime Time Volleyball Club in Champaign from fall 2008 through spring 2009.
She has served as a camp coach at the U of I volleyball camps from 2005 to 2008 and is currently serving as a camp coach at Precision Volleyball Camps.
At Western, Turner will be responsible for pregame and postgame administrative duties and will scout Western's serve receive and opponent's serving tendencies.
She will gain experience with training all positions and serve in close capacity with assistant coach Melissa David, who helped coach Turner at Illinois in 2007 and 2008.-Western Illinois University Athletics Media Services
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