UNM filled its final coaching vacancy Tuesday with the hiring of Northern Arizona University head volleyball coach Kelley Sliva.
Sliva, the eighth head coach in the 27-year history of the program, replaced Tom Petersen, who resigned as head coach in late May to take over the men's volleyball program at Brigham Young University.
Sliva said her priority is rebuilding the volleyball program, which had declined after a successful run from 1990 to 1994 that included berths in the NCAA Tournament four out of those five years.
Sliva, a 1995 graduate of the University of Arizona, said she can help the program return to the success it saw at that time.
"I'm like one of those CEOs who goes into a business that's bankrupt and rebuilds it," she said. "It doesn't make me nervous at all. There are lots of good ingredients to build a program there."
Sliva compiled a 143-104 record in nine seasons at NAU, winning conference titles in 1999 and 2000. Under Sliva, the Lady Lumberjacks posted winning seasons in each of the past five years. In 1999, she was named Big Sky coach of the year after leading the Lady Jacks to the Big Sky Tournament championship and their first appearance in NCAA Division-I Tournament. The Lady Jacks finished 2002 with a 16-7 record overall, 10-4 in conference.
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After two years as an assistant at Arizona, Sliva spent seven years as an assistant for Lisa Love, first at the University of Texas-Arlington, then at the University of Southern California. She took over the NAU volleyball program in 1993.
Sliva takes over a team that finished with a record of 5-20 overall and 3-11 in Mountain West Conference play. Despite the poor overall showing of the team, Sliva said she sees good things within the team, as well as the community.
"From a community standpoint, there's a great support system in Albuquerque," she said. "We need to revitalize it and get people back to volleyball games. But the number one thing is academics. We want to recruit young women who'll be successful academically as well as athletically."
UNM is scheduled to begin the 2002 season on the road, first at the Wichita State University Tournament Aug. 30-31, then at the Arizona Tournament Sept. 6-7 and finally at the Borderland Invitational hosted by New Mexico State University and the University of Texas at El Paso, Sept 13-14.
The Lobos first home matches will be during the UNM Tournament, Sept. 20-21. UNM opens MWC play on Sept. 28 at home versus the Air Force Academy.
