UTSA volleyball coach Laura Groff
Laura Groff named UTSA head volleyball coach
(Feb. 14, 2002)--UTSA athletic director Lynn Hickey announced Wednesday that Laura Groff, 37, has been named the Roadrunners' head volleyball coach.
Groff spent last season as an assistant coach with the Roadrunners after eight seasons at St. Mary's University in San Antonio where she put together a 256-62 career record.
"It's a great opportunity for me to be the head coach at UTSA," said Groff. "It's a chance to pick up where Katrinka Jo Crawford left off in continuing to build the Roadrunner volleyball program to prominence. I see a tremendous amount of potential in UTSA as a school and athletic program, and am proud to be part of it."
While at St. Mary's, Groff guided the Rattlers to three national tournament playoffs, wrapping up her eight-year reign with a 35-5 mark, a Heartland Conference title and Heartland Conference Coach of the Year honors. Groff's 2000 Coach of the Year award marked the fifth time in her career to earn the top coaching honors.
"Laura Groff is an outstanding coach who will be a tremendous asset as head of the UTSA volleyball program," Hickey said. "Not only does she possess a tremendous knowledge of the game, but she's been a head coach in the past and has been very active in San Antonio volleyball before coming here. She gives us a great chance to continue the excellence that has been UTSA volleyball over the years."
Groff, the sixth head coach in UTSA volleyball history, takes over for Katrinka Jo Crawford, who died on Nov. 22, 2001 following a long battle with cancer. Crawford had been head coach at UTSA since 1996.
Prior to joining St. Mary's, Groff was an assistant coach at Texas A&M from 1990-92 and the head volleyball coach at Hondo High School from 1988-1990. She continues to serve as the director of the Alamo Volleyball Club, a position Groff has held since 1993.
Groff spent her collegiate days in Austin as an all-Southwest Conference member of the Texas volleyball team. An all-American and team captain for the Longhorns, she helped guide Texas to four Southwest Conference Championships. In 1992, Groff was named to the Southwest Conference All-Decade Team.
She was a member of the National Sports Festival in 1983 and participated in the World University Games in Japan in 1985. From 1986-87, Groff played professionally for the West German Volleyball League before joining the Chicago Breeze professional volleyball team in 1988. She has been an annual participant in the United States Volleyball Association National Tournament since 1987.
"I feel like I've come full circle," Groff said. "As a former Texas player to be back in the University of Texas system and also in San Antonio is a like a dream come true."
Groff graduated from Texas in 1987 with a bachelor's degree in physical education
and received her master's degree in educational leadership from St. Mary's
in 1996.
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UTSA
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Laura Groff named UTSA head volleyball coach
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© The University of Texas at San Antonio, 2001