Pavlina Steffkova Named Volleyball Assistant Coach

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www.goccusports.com/sports/w-volley/spec-rel/080510aaa.html

CONWAY, S.C. – Coastal Carolina University head volleyball coach Kristen Bauer has named Pavlina Steffkova an assistant coach for the Chanticleers.

“I am blessed to have another assistant with as much experience and talent as Pavlina Steffkova,” Bauer said. “I know she will bring a wealth of volleyball skill and knowledge to our program. Pavlina is very loyal, organized and extremely driven to succeed. I can't wait to get our season started and see all the new and exciting ideas she will bring to the table.”

Steffkova, a 2007 National Junior College Athletic Association Hall of Fame inductee, comes to Coastal Carolina after being on staff at Alabama for two seasons.

Prior to her arrival in Conway, she served as Birmingham-Southern College's head volleyball coach. Steffkova spent a total of six years at Birmingham-Southern, two as head coach and four as an assistant. She helped guide the Panthers to an overall record of 59-11 while at the helm. At the conclusion of the 2008 season, two of Steffkova's players, junior Alex Norten and sophomore Christine Denning, were recognized on both the conference and national level. Norten earned a spot on the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference's Volleyball All-Sportsmanship Team, and Denning received Third-Team CoSIDA Academic All-District honors.

As an assistant coach with Birmingham-Southern, Steffkova helped steer the Panthers to three straight appearances in the Big South Conference Tournament semifinals. She coached nine all-Conference selections that included the program's first-ever First-Team All-Big South selection, Lindsey Herzog, in 2004.

Before joining the Birmingham-Southern staff, Steffkova served as an assistant coach at the University of Arkansas. As a member of the Razorbacks' crew from 2000-2002, she helped lead Arkansas to two NCAA tournament appearances while compiling a record of 64-32. In her final year in Fayetteville, the Razorbacks went 27-6 and were ranked among the top teams in the country. In the summers, Steffkova took on additional duties as the assistant director of the Arkansas volleyball camps in 2001 and 2002. She also served as a coach for the Ozark Juniors Volleyball Club.

Steffkova began her coaching career as a graduate assistant coach at the University of Tennessee at Martin from 1999-2000. Her recruiting efforts were seen just two years after her departure when the Skyhawks captured the 2002 Ohio Valley Conference title earning an NCAA Tournament appearance.

Steffkova was a two-year letterwinner at the University of Texas where she received Big 12 All-Academic Honor Roll distinction. She spent her first two years of college at Jefferson College in Hillsboro, Mo. where she was an NJCAA All-American and member of the National Championship All-Tournament Team. Steffkova also earned AVCA Junior College All-America honors and NJCAA Academic All-America recognition. In 2007, she was inducted into the NJCAA Hall of Fame for her illustrious career at Jefferson.

Steffkova received her bachelor's degree in economics as well as a business foundations certificate from Texas in 1998. In 2002, she went on to earn her Master of Education in recreation and sports management from Arkansas.