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Longtime assistant and former UAA player Stacie Meisner has been named the new head coach of the University of Alaska Anchorage volleyball program, the university announced Friday.
Meisner replaces Chris Green, the most successful coach in program history who resigned last month. Meisner was both an assistant coach and player under Green.
“As an alum and former player, I am thrilled to be in this new role as head coach,” said Meisner in a release from the school. “I am deeply committed to the success and well-being of our student-athletes and am excited to give back to the institution that has played such a crucial role in my development. I look forward to building on the strong foundation that Coach Green established, and leading the Seawolf volleyball program to new heights.”
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A 2011 UAA graduate, Meisner was on Green’s staff for six years, during which the Seawolves posted a 119-42 record and NCAA tournament appearances in four of those five full seasons, excluding the COVID-shortened 2020 season. The Seawolves are coming off one of the best seasons in program history in 2022, posting a 27-3 record. UAA won the Great Northwest Athletic Conference title and earned the No. 1 NCAA West Region seed.
“We are thrilled to have Stacie Meisner serve as our next volleyball coach,” UAA athletic director Ryan Swartwood said in a release. “Her experience as a former student-athlete and assistant coach made her our top candidate for continued success with the program.”
[Chris Green resigns as most successful volleyball coach in UAA history]
Meisner was a graduate assistant on UAA’s 2011 team that went 18-9 and earned an NCAA berth. She rejoined UAA in 2018 and was promoted to top assistant in 2019. She was executive director of the Anchorage Sports Association from 2015 to 2018.
UAA’s starting libero from 2008-09, Meisner was part of Green’s first two Seawolf teams. She earned honorable mention All-GNAC and was an academic all-conference honoree. She graduated with magna cum laude honors in English in 2011. Meisner went on to earn her Master of Arts in English from UAA in 2015.