UIS, home of the Prairie Stars, has a lot to offer the NCAA this year with the addition of new coaches.  It is all about “changing the culture here,” said Head Volleyball Coach Noelle Rooke.

She is excited about the up and coming season and will do well conquering what she calls the “unknowns” of this season with her new assistant coach, Stephanie Sagat. Coach Rooke, like many other coaches this year, is no beginner. Previously she worked at Mercer University, a Division I school, for eight years.

Coach Rooke is not the newest member of the UIS athletic department however. The newest coach, Coach Oletzke, has recently been chosen as the women’s basketball head coach. Entering with 15 years of coaching experience, he is sure to bring a new take to his team.

The hiring process for staff is a strenuous one to begin with, but when it comes to coaches, it can be even more difficult. “The Division I, Division II experience is important because we want to make sure we are bringing in coaches that have a background in recruiting scholarship student athletes, under the NCAA rules,” said Athletic Director Kim Pate.

She went on to say that she needs coaches “that want to come and be a part of a building and growing program, that have an interest in developing a program.” Pate also said she is “expecting progress in all of our sports.”

This year’s returning coaches will do what they need to do to keep great stats. One of those coaches is Mat Mundell, head coach of the UIS softball team. The softball team had an “outstanding year” according to Pate and they will turn up the heat this season with Mundell at their side. Mundell is entering his fourth full season with UIS and will try to continue setting records and increasing stats.

This is only the beginning of an incredible season for the Prairie stars. There are many more sports that are well prepared to give this school the uplifting it needs. UIS sports have made a major improvement not only over the years but also over a few months with the addition of new head coaches and assistant coaches. Coach Rooke said it the best “believe in their [the chancellor and athletic director] vision” and know that “there are a lot of exciting things to come for UIS and our athletic programs.”