Wittenberg University Athletics - Volleyball Head Coach Connie Surowicz (1994-2002)

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Wittenberg Volleyball Head Coach Connie Surowicz

Connie Surowicz
Office: 937-327-6492
E-mail: csurowicz@wittenberg.edu
Record: 253-94 (1994-2002)
Overall: 283-128 (1992-2002)

Through nine winning seasons, Connie Surowicz built a program with a solid, winning tradition into a national title contender. With a 253-94 record at Wittenberg between 1994 and 2002, Surowicz and the Tigers built a reputation as a perennial power, as evidenced by seven North Coast Athletic Conference titles since 1995, including six straight between 1997 and 2002.

The Tigers won six consecutive NCAC regular season and tournament championships and seven in Surowicz's nine seasons. Wittenberg compiled a 69-3 regular season NCAC record under Surowicz, including 43 straight wins dating to October 1997. When conference tournament matches are factored in, the win streak balloons to 61 consecutive.

The Tigers parlayed their regular season success into seven straight NCAA Division III tournament bids between 1996 and 2002. Wittenberg made the "Sweet 16" three times during that span, including 2000, when the Tigers won two tournament matches for the first time ever before falling to Mt. St. Joseph in the regional final. In 2002, the team topped itself with a national quarterfinal appearance before losing to eventual national champion Wisconsin-Whitewater.

Surowicz has the proven ability to draw talented student-athletes to a traditionally dominant Division III program. Wittenberg players have earned NCAC Player of the Year honors in each of the last six seasons and seven times in Surowicz's stint in Springfield. Four of them went on to be selected All-American, including Sarah Yuskewich in 2002, while Dawn Reinhardt was also an Academic All-American honors. Surowicz also has had the distinction of coaching the NCAA Ohio Woman of the Year honoree (Reinhardt).

To top things off, Surowicz was named NCAC Coach of the Year four times, including back-to-back honors in 1999 and 2000, and she was named Great Lakes Region Coach of the Year twice.

A 1981 graduate of The Ohio State University, Surowicz earned a master's degree from the University of Akron in 1994. Before coming to Springfield, Surowicz coached at Louisville High School in Stark County, Ohio for 10 years before moving on to the college ranks and Walsh University in North Canton. She led the Cavaliers to the NAIA District Tournament in her final season there (1993).

Assistant Coach Jen Parsons
Office: 937-327-6471
e-mail: jcparsons@wittenberg.edu

Wittenberg graduate Jen Parsons spent seven seasons as an assistant volleyball and basketball coach at her alma mater.

One of the finest all-around athletes in Wittenberg history, Parsons won 12 letters - four each in volleyball, basketball and softball - before graduating in 1994. She also had the distinction of serving as captain in each sport and was first-team All-North Coast Athletic Conference in volleyball, second-team in basketball and all-region in softball.

Parsons was part of NCAC titles in both volleyball and basketball as a player, and she has no less success working from the sidelines. She has helped the Tigers to a variety of titles in both sports in the last four years, and she hasn't been a part of a losing season yet.

A native of Bowling Green, Ohio, Parsons is a graduate of Pemberville Eastwood High School. She holds a master's degree in exercise science from Arizona State University.

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