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Head Coach Carin
Avery
In 1999, Avery became a part of the Valpo family, joining then Head Coach Becky Madden’s staff that faced the challenge of restoring a program that had followed up three straight 24-plus win seasons with back-to-back losing years in 1997 and 1998. In her three years as an assistant coach, Avery worked with Madden to rebuild the program and to recruit players to get the Crusaders back to the next level. When Madden left to take over the Louisiana-Lafayette volleyball program before the start of the 2002 season, Avery was thrust into the head coaching role and quickly helped her squad fulfill that potential. The 2002 Crusaders were young but talented, mixing an up-and-coming crop of juniors that included three All-Conference performers with four freshmen, Katie Bova, Liz Mikos, Lauren Moulton and Jessi Novak, who would eventually join Avery in taking the Valpo volleyball program to its current height. After beginning the year 8-3, the 2002 squad would sputter in early October before ripping off six straight conference wins and posted a second consecutive second place finish in the Mid-Continent Conference. While the 2002 team bowed out in the first round of the Mid-Con Tournament in Tulsa, Okla., the 2003 squad had the luxury of knowing they could claim a league title at home when the Crusaders were named as hosts for the 2003 conference tournament. After blitzing through the regular season with 25 wins and a 13-1 mark in the Mid-Con, Avery and Valpo set a school record for wins and reached their first NCAA Tournament in seven years by defeating Oral Roberts 3-2 in the conference tournament final. Avery would be rewarded for the Crusaders’ 27-8 season with the Mid-Con’s Coach of the Year award, but saw Valpo fall in three games to #9 Nebraska in the NCAA Tournament. Then, in the fall of 2004 coming off the best season in school history, the Crusaders put together a run for the ages. After starting the year with a home loss to Michigan in front of 1,029 fans at the Athletics-Recreation Center, the Brown and Gold won three straight in Muncie, Ind. to improve to 3-1 before another major test. On September 7, 2004, Valpo traveled to Notre Dame, Ind. for their annual meeting with the Fighting Irish. In the six previous seasons, the two teams had met six times, with Notre Dame not only winning but dominating, taking 18 straight games from the Brown and Gold. In fact, no Valpo team had defeated the Irish since 1980, a span of 17 matches. On September 7, 2004, 24 years of history were erased. In a thrilling five-game duel, five Crusaders put up double-digit kills and Valpo knocked off Notre Dame 15-12 in the fifth and decisive game. Following the historic win, however, Avery’s troops dropped two of their next four matches to fall to 6-3 on September 14. Three days later Valpo got back on the winning track, taking down Saint Louis 3-0 on the road. One month later, the Crusaders were still winning. Avery guided her group to a school-record 14 match winning streak that spanned 37 days and included a 3-2 win at rival Oral Roberts one day before the streak was snapped by Arkansas. But the Crusaders were not done winning. On November 12, Valpo finished off an undefeated Mid-Con regular season with a 3-0 win at Oakland despite a fire that ignited on the team’s bus as they arrived on the Rochester, Mich. campus. A little over one week later, Avery led the Brown and Gold to another Mid-Con Tournament title, sweeping Oral Roberts in the decisive match. When the season ended December 3 in the NCAA Tournament, Avery and the Crusaders had put together the best season in school history, going 29-5 (14-0 Mid-Con) and earning Avery a second straight Mid-Con Coach of the Year award. The streak finally ended October 14 at Oral Roberts, but Avery and the Crusaders would get their revenge, dropping the Golden Eagles at home to round out the regular season and again one week later in the final of the Mid-Continent Conference Tournament. Again the season would end in a loss at the NCAA Tournament, this time to #16 California, but Avery’s would still send her first class of freshmen out with a 103-31 record, the best four year run ever at the program. Avery herself had etched a spot in the Crusader record books, becoming the winningest coach in school history with her 93rd win on October 21 against Western Illinois and becoming the first coach in program history with 100 wins on November 13. 2006 looked on the surface like it would be a rebuilding year for the Crusaders with the loss of the previous year’s senior class, but Avery had compiled a group of players determined not to let the word rebuild enter the vocabulary of the program. Avery guided the Crusaders to a record-setting year on the offensive side of the ball, as the team set new single-season records for kills, assists and hitting percentage. When the season’s final totals were in, Avery had led Valpo to 23 victories, marking a fifth consecutive 20-win season for the Crusaders. In 2007, the Crusaders made the jump to the Horizon League, but did not miss a beat, as Avery led Valpo to 21 victories. Valpo upset regular season champion Milwaukee on its way to the Horizon League Championship match. For the first time in school history, the Crusaders had an All-American, as Avery coached Angie Porché to the national honor, as well as All-Region recognition. The sixth consecutive 20-win season made the Crusaders one of just 19 programs nationwide to win 20 or more games in each of the last six years. Avery’s winning percentage of .719 in her eight seasons as a collegiate head coach is among the top-20 active Division I coaches. In addition, Avery’s squad earned the AVCA Team Academic Award for the fifth consecutive season in 2007. For her efforts putting together a stellar program on the court and in the classroom, Avery was rewarded with a four-year contract extension this summer. Before arriving at Valpo, Avery sharpened her coaching teeth in the NAIA ranks, serving as an assistant at Bethel (Ind.) College from 1995-96 before taking over as Head Coach in 1997. After going 43-10 and leading the Pilots to the NAIA Great Lakes Region Championship Game that season, Avery was named NCCAA Regional Coach of the Year. In 1998, Avery moved out west, leading Southern California College (now Vangard University) to four wins over NAIA Top-20 opponents with four freshmen starters, and finishing the year 12-14. Before her coaching career began, Avery was a standout player, honing her skills at Mishawaka High School where she was twice named a High School All-American by USA Today and earned the Mental Attitude Award for the state of Indiana in 1990. One of the top athletes in the school’s history, Avery was inducted into the Mishawaka High School Hall of Fame in 2002. Avery began her collegiate playing career at the University of Kentucky, playing on an NCAA Tournament “Sweet Sixteen” team in 1992. Following that season, Avery transferred to Ball State University and led the Cardinals to three straight NCAA Tournament appearances. During her time at Ball State, Avery earned All-Mid East Regional, First Team All-Conference and was named Most Valuable Player of the MAC Tournament. In 1995, Avery recorded 408 digs (3.61 per game) for the Cardinals, the second highest total and average in school history. Today, Avery ranks among the career leaders in 11 different statistical categories. A 1996 graduate of Ball State with a degree in Special Education, Avery has played professionally on the Midwest Professional Volleyball Association Beach Tour since 1995, twice being named the tour’s Most Valuable Player (2000 and 2002). Avery and her husband, Valpo men’s soccer head coach Mike, reside in Valparaiso with their son Alex, born in 2003. |
Carin Avery took over the Crusader volleyball program in July, 2002, and immediately began a run of unprecedented success on the court and in the classroom. The Brown and Gold have won at least 20 matches in each of Avery’s first six seasons, a first for the program, and have won three conference regular season and tournament championships, as well as advancing to the NCAA Tournament on three occasions. Most recently, Avery led the Crusaders to the Horizon League Championship match in 2007.Powered by Camp Registry