February 2006
Peterson Resigns As Volleyball Coach
Tuesday, February 21 2006
It marks the end of an era at the University of Montana Western. After 13 seasons, head volleyball Coach Jenny Reynolds Peterson resigned her position to devote more time to her family. Assistant Coach Katie Ryan Howells will move up to take over the top spot. Peterson will stay at the school as Wellness Director.
“It was a very hard decision,” said Peterson. “At first it was hard to think of not coaching anymore. I know I will miss working with the girls. Volleyball in itself I’ll miss. And I know I’ll miss the competitive atmosphere. “
In her thirteen years at Montana Western, Peterson compiled a 217-188 record. That included three conference co-championships and the schools first ever trip to regional or national post-season play by a women’s program. Peterson was named Frontier Coach of the Year of the year in 2002. Her programs produced 47 All-Conference Players, 12 All-Region Players, four NAIA All-Americans, two conference Most Valuable Players and one region Most Valuable Player. Peterson’s players not only excelled on the court, but in the classroom. Her program produced 71 Academic All-Conference selections and 11 Academic All-Americans. Her 2004 team was ranked third in the nation in academics.
“Coach Peterson has been the ultimate role model for all of us,” said Montana Western Athletic Director Tom Yahraes. “Her dedication, integrity and sense of fair play as a student athlete are reflected in her coaching style and as a member of the campus community. She is widely respected by student athletes, coaches, and colleagues. Her contributions to this university are greatly appreciated.”
Peterson graduated from Montana Western in 1991 after an outstanding athletic career. She earned All Conference honors in basketball and volleyball. Peterson was named the Most Valuable Player in the Frontier Conference after her senior season. That same year, she was selected as an NAIA All-American. She was the first female athlete at Western to earn All-American honors. Peterson also excelled in the classroom, earning both Conference All-Academic and NAIA Academic All-American honors. She elected to Montana Western Athletic Hall of Fame in 2002.
Peterson and her husband Jesse are the parents of four-year old Justus. She is expecting the couple’s second child in August.
“I have always been the kind of person that if I am going to do something, I am going to it to the best of my ability, and put everything I have into it,” said Peterson. “I knew it would hard to do that with just having a baby and being the head coach. Those are two huge things, but the priority has to be my family. It wouldn’t be fair to the girls if I told them that my assistant would take over for a month. That’s not giving them what they deserve. For everybody, I thought the best thing was for the team to have a coach who could give them everything and I can give everything to my family, because you can’t get that time back. I am excited now. At first it was hard, but the more I release my duties to Katie, the better I feel about my decision. Katie is going to do an awesome job. It would probably be different if I didn’t know the coach and didn’t know what their philosophy would be. This way, Katie has been here for so long. She gets along with the players and they really respect her.”
Katie
Howells was Peterson’s assistant for the past four years. She is a graduate of Great Falls High School where she earned All-Conference and All-State honors in volleyball, basketball and softball. From the classroom, she maintained a 3.7 GPA and was selected to the Honor Roll, National Honor Society, Who’s Who, and earned Academic All-State honors. During her Lady Bulldog, Ryan earned 1st team All-Conference, 1st Team Pacific Northwest Region, and NAIA Honorable mention All-American honors. She is the daughter of Bill and Elaine Ryan and is majoring in secondary education. Katie and husband Craig are the parents of daughter Ryan, age 2 and son Benjamin, age six months.
“Katie Ryan Howells is the ideal person to continue the continuity and vitality of this outstanding program,” added Yahraes.
“It is a very exciting opportunity for me,” said Howells. “I don’t see it as the start of new program, but the continuation of the program that Coach Peterson started. I am really looking forward to it. I have met with the girls and told them that Coach Peterson and I are so alike in our thinking. Her program was how I saw how a program should be.”
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Lady Bulldogs Earn Academic All-American Honors
Wednesday, February 1 2006
Three University of Montana Western volleyball players were named to the 2005 Datronics-NAIA Academic All-American Athletes team.
The players from Western are senior Shannon O’Keefe from Missoula, senior Lindsey Scott from Dillon and senior Katherine Sunwall from Great Falls.
Players are nominated by their coaches. They must be a junior or above in academic standing and maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher.
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