Former U.S. National Team setter Charlene Tagaloa has been hired as an assistant volleyball coach at Nebraska, head coach John Cook announced Monday. Tagaloa, who will fill the vacancy left by former Husker assistant Staci Wolfe (2000-02), will coach the setters and provide a supportive role in recruiting. Her first day will be March 3.
"Our goal was to hire a coach who could work with our setters and provide a strong role model for our student-athletes, and we were very fortunate to attract someone like Charlene," Cook said. "She is one of the best setters this country has ever produced. You can count the number of Olympic setters the U.S. National Team has had on one hand, and Charlene is one of the select few. Her playing experience will be a huge plus for our setters. She understands what it takes to make it to the top of her sport, and she has worked with USA Volleyball?s future setters.
"We were also very impressed with Charlene?s warm and caring personality. Our student-athletes will benefit from her perseverance and passion for the sport of volleyball."
At Nebraska, Tagaloa?s (pronounced SHAR-leen Ton-ga-LOE-uh) duties will also include serving as the video coordinator and as a liaison for academics and community involvement. She will also assist with summer camps.
"I was very honored when Coach Cook offered me this position," Tagaloa said. "My family and I are very anxious to become part of the Husker volleyball family, and I am looking forward to doing everything I can to help continue the great tradition at Nebraska."
Tagaloa previously served one season as an assistant coach with the U.S. Junior National Team, helping to guide the squad to a silver medal at the 2002 NORCECA Women?s Continental Championship. Tagaloa?s other previous coaching experiences include a stint as BYU?s graduate assistant coach in 1995. She also runs Tagaloa?s Setting/All Skills Clinics and currently serves as the Director of Volleyball for the American Coaching Connection. In 2002, she was elected to the USA Volleyball Board of Directors to serve a three-year team as an international female player representative.
Tagaloa made a Nebraska connection during her time with the U.S. National Team when she competed alongside three-time AVCA All-American and former U.S. National Team captain Allison Weston (1992-95). Tagaloa and Weston were roommates during the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
Tagaloa brings extensive international experience to Nebraska. A member of the U.S. National Team from 1997 to 2001, she was the starting setter for the squad from January of 1999 to August of 2000. In her first season directing the U.S. National Team?s offense, Tagaloa earned the best setter award at the 1999 NORCECA Championships after leading her team to a second-place finish. She also guided the squad to a bronze medal at the 1999 Pan American Games. In 2000, Tagaloa helped Team USA qualify for the Sydney Olympics as the starting setter at the NIKE Americas Volleyball Challenge. She also earned the best setter award at the four-team event. However, Tagaloa sprained her wrist at the Grand Prix one month before the Olympics and was relegated to a supporting role in Sydney.
Tagaloa has played professionally overseas, competing in Italy for Barrese Volley Napoli and in Switzerland for Adliswil. She also competed professionally in Salt Lake City in the National Volleyball Assocation (1994-95) and the Professional Volleyball League (1995-96).
Before her international career, Tagaloa played collegiately at Brigham Young from 1991 to 1994. A two-time AVCA All-American, Tagaloa guided BYU to the school?s first-ever NCAA semifinal appearance in 1994 after earning Western Athletic Conference Player-of-the-Year honors. During her four-year career at Brigham Young, the Cougars produced three WAC Championships and a 109-16 (.872) record. Tagaloa, the 1991 WAC Freshman of the Year, ended her career as the Cougars? all-time assist leader with 5,321, and her 1,180 digs rank third on the BYU career charts.
A native of Phoenix, Tagaloa attended Clark High School in Las Vegas, Nev., where she was named a Volleyball Magazine Fab 50 recruit and a Mizuno First-Team Prep All-American.
Tagaloa earned a bachelor?s degree in therapeutic recreation from Brigham Young in 1999. The former Charlene Johnson, Tagaloa is married to Saofaiga John Tagaloa. They have a 9-year-old son, Kaipo, and a daughter, VaiLin, who was born Aug. 12, 2002.
Courtesy: Scott Bruhn/NU Media Relations
