Kate Kiechle, Staff Reporter

This summer CSU Monterey Bay scrambled to find a new women’s volleyball head coach after losing Jerry Gregg.
After the Spring 2007 season came to a close it was announced that Women’s Volleyball Head Coach, Jerry Gregg would be unable to re-new his contract.
After coaching six out of the eleven years that volleyball has been apart of CSUMB, Gregg came out with a compiled 66-99 record. His best season was recorded in 2003 when the team made it to the Cal-Pac Conference playoffs.
Athletic Director, Howard Gauthier and the Human Resources department were unable to explain the reasons for the non-renewal of Gregg’s contract.
As the Fall 2007 season rolls in for the Otters, Jody Garry was named interim head coach. Gauthier, in welcoming Garry to CSUMB said, “She brings a wealth of experience, having coached at the collegiate level for 11 years, most recently as the top assistant coach at Washington State University."
Garry moved to the Monterey area when her husband, Kirby Garry, was hired as CSUMB Director of Marketing and Sports Camps. Her plan was to take a break from coaching to spend time with her two sons, two-year-old Noah and seven-month-old Benjamin.
While keeping Noah from eating sand, Garry explained, “when I was offered the head coaching position I was honored”, but Garry originally turned it down, still wanting to spend time with her children. “The Athletic Department has been amazing”, she stated when reflecting on the compromises they have made to work with her and her family.
Garry has a BS in Kinesiology from North Dakota and a Masters in Education from Saint Mary’s College.
Between the ten-year period of 1996 and 2006, Garry has coached all over the country. She has been an assistant coach for Golden West College, University of South Dakota and Idaho State University.
Garry was a volunteer Assistant at University of North Dakota, Head Coach at Adams State College, and Assistant Coach and Recruiting Coordinator for Saint Mary’s College, California. Her last position was Assistant Coach and Recruiting Coordinator at Washington State University.
With 16 players on her new squad, Garry started practices Aug 5. Garry, having coached and played division II volleyball feels, “there is more to division II than just competition; there is camaraderie.”
While recognizing the team’s strong points, she finds the teams constant commitment is something she plans on improving. The team’s season will start with the Hilo-Hawaii tournament that will be played in Hawaii.