After a national search, the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point (UWSP) athletic department announced that Lyndsay Kooi was named as the permanent head coach for the women’s volleyball team Wednesday, Dec. 13.

As the interim head coach this season, Kooi guided the Pointers to an 18-16 record, after she took over March 5 when former head coach Abbey Sutherland was named the head coach of the NCAA Division 1 UW-Green Bay women’s volleyball team.

“I gratefully and humbly accept the opportunity to continue to lead the Pointers’ volleyball program,” said Kooi. “I want to thank Mr. Brad Duckworth and the search committee for their confidence in me and for this tremendous opportunity.

“I also want to thank our current athletes for their commitment and efforts this past season and their continued belief in me,” she said. “I understand the responsibility that comes with being a head coach within this athletic department and at this university. I also accept and look forward to the opportunity and challenge to make our mark in one of the best Division III conferences in the country. We will continue the rich tradition established by previous coaches and players, competing every time we step on the court, striving for excellence in the classroom and leaving our mark in the community.”

This season, Kooi mentored AVCA All-American and First Team All-WIAC selection April Gehl, who led the country in total attacks and was second in the nation with 582 kills, which set a school record.

In 2017, Kooi was an assistant coach at Millikin University, which won the CCIW Regular Season Conference Championship and was ranked 12th in the nation at the end of the year. Three Millikin players earned AVCA All-America honors in her one season on the staff.

Prior to that, Kooi was an assistant for the Pointers for two seasons and helped UWSP to a 54-16 record.

She also spent time as the varsity girls assistant coach at Rochelle Township High School in Illinois, where she served as a physical education teacher, and assistant girls track coach.

In college, Kooi was a four-year starter and two-time team captain in volleyball for Quincy University in Quincy, Ill., from 2009-12.

She finished her career ranked fourth all-time on Qunicy’s assists list (3,191), while she graduated Summa cum Laude from Quincy and was a four-time Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) Academic All-Conference honoree and the recipient of the All-Sports GLVC Sportsmanship Award 2011-2012.

A native of Minooka, Ill., Kooi earned her bachelor’s degree in education with an emphasis in physical education from Quincy in 2013, before her role at Rochelle Township High School. In 2017, Kooi earned her master’s degree in health education from Northern Illinois University.

“We are thrilled to have Lyndsay remain as the head coach of our volleyball program,” said UWSP athletic director Brad Duckworth. “Our national search provided us with a strong candidate pool and Lyndsay was the clear choice for us.

“Her experience and success at UWSP was a natural fit,” he said.