With only six players returning from a squad which struggled in 2008, the new additions to the Marquette women's volleyball program are confident their prior successes lead to a giant turnaround in 2009.

A tumultuous 2008 culminated with the hiring of head coach Bond Shymansky, bringing new blood and an energetic approach to a squad which struggled out of the gate early in the season and faltered toward its end.

After seven highly successful seasons at Georgia Tech, sporting a 172-64 career record, Shymansky leaves Atlanta looking to build a BIG EAST power in the volleyball-rich state of Wisconsin. With high-caliber talent strewn across the prep and club ranks of the Midwest, Shymansky, a native Iowan, looks to get back to his roots by recruiting players he feels fit his motto of “Success Today.”

“'Success Today' is about trying to focus on the little steps along the way and the details that you have to take care of to be successful, both as a student and an athlete,” Shymansky said. “I think that a lot of times you can get swallowed up by the big picture and don't focus on what you have to do in the moment. We want to make sure that everyday the players are feeling some sort of success and that they are making those incremental improvements on their way to becoming their best.”

In 2003 the Yellow Jackets reached the NCAA Elite Eight under the tutelage of Shymansky who also led to squad to the NCAA Second Round in 2002 and the Sweet 16 in 2004. Shymansky captured one ACC Tournament championship and two ACC regular season titles at Tech in addition to coaching two Atlantic Coast Conference Players of the Year in 2003 and 2004.

At Tech, Shymansky earned 2004 ACC Coach of the Year honors and the AVCA East Region Coach of the Year that same season. In filling out his coaching staff, Shymansky focused on individual attributes and skill sets which he believes will allow the program to benefit as they move forward.

“I like the character and the staff harmony that we have,” Shymansky explained. “It gets tested, your limits get pushed and you get out of your comfort zone when you work 17 hour days. That is where the rubber will really meet the road and it will test us as a staff.”

Michaela Franklin joins the staff as an assistant coach and will focus on elements ranging from academic performance to opponent scouting. Franklin won a Big 12 volleyball title at Kansas State University and helped the Wildcats to three NCAA Tournament berths in her four seasons. Also an academic all-conference performer, Franklin was awarded with the Snell Award for academic success.

“Michaela has a tremendous amount of positive energy and I think it is easy to feed off of that,” Shymansky said. “She has a great competitive fire and I think the players respect that because they know that she has played at the highest Division I level and had a tremendous amount of success.”

Craig Dyer joins the staff following three seasons as an assistant coach for the Penn State men's volleyball team and has spent time as an interim head women's coach at Seton Hall and Rutgers making him familiar with other BIG EAST programs.

“Craig has a lot of experience and has been around the game for a long time on both the men's and women's side,” said Shymansky. “It is good to have that kind of experience and perspective on things. He is an even-keeled type of person and laid back.”