Will coach indoor and beach teams at West Valley College.

https://westvalley.prestosports.com/sports/wvball/2023-24/releases/20230721vsq572

Wow!! Cal's season starts in less than a month.

He hired Savannah Rennie and Crissy Jones Schoonderwoerd to be assistant coaches.
Neither has head coach experience.

I'm guessing they'll need an interim head coach for this season.

A surprise announcement...and yet not. VB was certainly one of the programs that needed attention from the AD.

Cal's announcement.... Chrissy Jones Schoonderwoerd will be interim coach

https://calbears.com/news/2023/7/22/sam-crosson-resigns-as-cal-volleyball-head-coach.aspx

Why now? For whatever reason, Crosson was not successful but this change could have/should have come in the Spring. I fear there is more to the story - unless it simply is Knowlton did not focus on vb while managing other things.

ncbears said:

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Why now? For whatever reason, Crosson was not successful but this change could have/should have come in the Spring. I fear there is more to the story - unless it simply is Knowlton did not focus on vb while managing other things.

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I agree, I don't think we even got an announcement about Jen leaving,and now Sam leaves just before we start up. Its odd

Lydia Grote's transfer to Minnesota hurts the team's offense. These key transfers of several of the Bear's top players has really set back the program in recent years.

The timing suggests Crosson was the moving party, however he had to know he was on a short leash after an 0-20 conference record in year 4. That's the VB equivalent of Mark Fox in BB.

They finally updated the roster that shows 4 incoming frosh athletes (libero Sophia Johnson, OH Maggie Li,
MB Sawyer Thomsen, and OH Asley Li) and transfer setter Paige Morningstar.

Maggie Li sounds especially intriguing with her experience on China's National U20 team.

2023 Roster

AuntJan said:

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ncbears said:

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Why now? For whatever reason, Crosson was not successful but this change could have/should have come in the Spring. I fear there is more to the story - unless it simply is Knowlton did not focus on vb while managing other things.

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I agree, I don't think we even got an announcement about Jen leaving,and now Sam leaves just before we start up. Its odd

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Knowlton meets with all of his coaches after their seasons to assess the results. Many assumed Crosson was on his way out given the dismal records the past two seasons:

7-23 0-20 conference
7-24 0-20 conference

Instead, he sticks around and hires Savannah and Crissy as assistant coaches and presumably lets Jen walk.

Now this.

Can Jen come back and be hired as the HC? Or who should we be considering?

Schroeder71 said:

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Lydia Grote's transfer to Minnesota hurts the team's offense. These key transfers of several of the Bear's top players has really set back the program in recent year

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He was not able to coach around Mirkovic's injury his first year. The on-again/off-again COVID season led to transfers - but, for whatever reason, Crosson was not able to adapt, keep players and get new players.

Cal needs to have a game where it retires Carli Lloyd's number. They missed the ten year anniversary of the second place finish.

This is another Knowlton F'up. Crossing should have been fired last year, especially after Grote's transfer.

I will admit that I have not followed Cal volleyball much since my undergrad years when I went to a lot of games and talked to some of the players. So I was shocked to see the record under the most recent coach. We cannot claim to care about women's sports and then let that kind of record stand. This is a large prestigious university in California of all places. What does this team need in order to succeed? A dynamic coach? More NIL? Both?

BINGO!!!

harebear said:

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Can Jen come back and be hired as the HC? Or who should we be considering?

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Jen should have been the permanent coach instead of interim and then hired and let go by sam for assistant position. now you have a coach with potential but no real head coaching experience. what a crappy time to look for a new head coach. sam should have be fired earlier this year. Knowlton probably made a mess.and sam probably said screw you to the AD. will be another "zero for" season.

Polodad said:

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A surprise announcement...and yet not. VB was certainly one of the programs that needed attention from the AD.

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Last December, after the Men's NCAA Water Polo Championship, a handfull of players from the Women's Volleyball Team joined the celebration at Kip's Upstairs.

I asked one of the players why their season was so bad. She looked directly at me, didnt hesitate, and said "We have a horrible coach."

And here we are in late July.

Before the CU-Cal game in Boulder, I was at a happy hour with Knowlton. I asked him about Volleyball and he said "Sam is a nice guy. But he has to win some games" and then Crosson went out and didn't win any games. And nothing happened.

DiabloWags said:

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Polodad said:

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A surprise announcement...and yet not. VB was certainly one of the programs that needed attention from the AD.

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I asked one of the players why their season was so bad. She looked directly at me, didnt hesitate, and said "We have a horrible coach."

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Yikes

DiabloWags said:

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Polodad said:

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A surprise announcement...and yet not. VB was certainly one of the programs that needed attention from the AD.

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Last December, after the Men's NCAA Water Polo Championship, a handfull of players from the Women's Volleyball Team joined the celebration at Kip's Upstairs.

I asked one of the players why their season was so bad. She looked directly at me, didnt hesitate, and said "We have a horrible coach."

When players have this or any other type of concern what is their recourse? Who do they contact obviously not that coach.

And here we are in late July.

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https://bearinsider.com/forums/2/topics/110786/replies/2192009
the art of the con#

I thought about cutting my ties with WVB after Sam Crosson didn't retain Jenn Dorr, but with Crosson's resignation, I'll continue supporting our Bears especially with fellow Hawaii native Tara DeSa on the team. GO BEARS!

Our Athletic Director is totally incompetent.
He needs to be fired immediately.