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A former all-conference outside attacker will return to Loyola to be on the team’s coaching staff.
The Ramblers athletics department announced Tuesday that they hired Kris Berzins to be an assistant coach for the upcoming season.
Berzins played for Loyola from 2007-2010 and was a three-time all-conference selection, including making the First-Team All-MIVA as a junior and senior. The outside attacker during his senior season was also named the school’s Male Athlete of the Year as Loyola advanced to the conference tournament championship match.
“We’re really grateful to add Kris to our coaching staff this season,” coach Shane Davis said in a statement. “Between his past success here as a player and as a professional overseas, his experience will bring a lot to our team. Kris has a great ability to analyze the game and to develop the skills of our pin-hitters, our serve and our backcourt defense that will really help us this season”
Berzins finished his college career as one of the seven players in Loyola’s program history to have more than 1,000 kills and 500 digs.
After graduating in 2010, Berzins spent two years as an assistant coach for the USA Volleyball High Performance Championships.
Berzins is the second assistant coach to join the Ramblers for the 2012 season. Davis in August also hired former Pepperdine setter Mark Hulse as an assistant coach.
Loyola finished last season No. 12 in the national rankings and for the second consecutive year lost to Ohio State in the MIVA Tournament championship game.
The Ramblers have six return starters for the upcoming season. In addition, sophomore Dainis Berzins — the younger brother of Kris Berzins — will return to Loyola after spending the 2011 season playing professionally in Austria.