Stephanie Radecki won her 400th game as a collegiate volleyball coach last Tuesday Oct. 29, when MSU defeated East Central in straight sets.
Radecki is thankful for the people that have helped her get to her 400th career win as a collegiate coach.
“I think it’s just it means that I’ve really been lucky that I’ve worked with a lot of amazing people and when you hit a milestone it just forces you to reflect back on that and remember all the people that you been lucky enough to have around you during your career which is why we coach,” Radecki said.
Radecki was an outstanding volleyball player, representing Edinboro University between 1994-1998. She was named Female Athlete of the Year, was recognized as the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Player of the Year in her last year of college and made the All-PSAC and All-Atlantic Region twice. In 2008, Radecki was inducted into Edinboro’s Athletics Hall of Fame.
This fall marks Coach Radecki’s third season at the helm of MSU’s volleyball team. With a 21-year coaching background, Radecki marked her coaching debut at Saint Leo University in 2003.
Radecki still remembers the thrill of coaching her first team at Saint Leo.
“I remember that team specifically because it was my first team as a head coach . . . it was a program that was in a building phase, and they were in need of a fresh face and I brought a fresh face and so I think they just enjoyed every part of it and we had fun together,” Radecki said.
She also mentioned the challenges she found when transitioning from being a volleyball player to coaching a team of volleyball players.
After Saint Leo, Radecki took on the volleyball head coach position for Southern Missouri followed by University of North Alabama (UNA).
Coach Radecki was named Gulf South Conference Coach of the Year three consecutive times during her tenure at UNA where she also had the most successful season of her coaching career, leading her team to the NCAA National Final in 2006.
Looking back, Radecki remembers the thrill of playing for the national championship.
“It is exciting and it’s a really cool feeling and I think one thing that as you know as you know there’s just something really special about the teams that are able to achieve that level because it’s not always yes those kids are very talented but it’s not always just about talent it’s about the personalities on that team and the leadership on those teams,” Radecki said.
However, Radecki can’t help but wonder if she is ever going to get another team that far again.
“I remember we lost to Tampa in the championship match, and I remember that feeling afterwards like, ‘What if I’m never back here again like we were so close to winning the national championship,’” Radecki said.
But that only gives her something more to strive for with the current team at MSU.
This season is looking to be one of Radecki’s best ones since taking up the head coaching position at Midwestern with a current overall record of 13-13. The Mustangs are currently heading into the last three matches of the season and are ranked 10th in Lone Star Conference standings.
