ASU hires Penn State assistant Stevie Mussie as volleyball coach
Arizona State is going young for its new volleyball coach, giving Penn State assistant Stevie Mussie her first head coaching opportunity.
Mussie. 30, replaces Jason Watson, who left after eight seasons for Arkansas. Her hiring as ASU's seventh volleyball coach was announced Wednesday.
Massie was sitting out as a redshirt at Washington in 2005 when the Huskies won the NCAA championship and was an assistant on Penn State's national title team in 2014. She was an assistant at Colorado (2008), North Carolina State (2010-11) and Virginia (2012-13) before her two-year stint at Penn State.
ASU volleyball coach Jason Watson leaving for Arkansas
"I am looking forward to creating a program that is consistently elite, not only in the Pac-12 but also nationally," Mussie said in a statement.
ASU is on a four-year streak of making the NCAA Tournament, its longest since 1992-95. The Sun Devils started 15-0 in 2015 and were ranked No. 5 nationally, highest in school history, before injuries changed the course of what ended up as a 19-13 season.
The top returning players are Cassidy Pickrell, BreElle Bailey, Kizzy Ricedorff, Lexi MacLean, Jasmine Koonts, Kylie Pickrell and Halle Harker. Bailee Huizenga, Mmachi Nwoke and Courtney Leffel are recruits who signed in November.
Massie also will coach the beach volleyball team with that season beginning March 4.
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Massie attended Puyallup High School and was Washington Gatorade Player of the Year in 2002. She began her college career at Pacific (2003-04) before transferring to Washington, where she was All Pac-10 first team in 2007. She had 35 kills in a postseason match as a senior.
In less than two full school years, ASU Vice President for Athletics Ray Anderson has hired 10 head coaches including retaining Greg Powers in the hockey elevation from club to varsity and promoting assistant Missy Farr-Kaye in women's golf. Softball is currently being run by co-interim head coaches so Anderson will have another head-coaching decision to make soon.
ASU volleyball coaches
Mary Littlewood, 1973-78
Dale Flickenger, 1979-82
Debbie Brown, 1983-88
Patti Snyder-Park, 1989-2002
Brad Saindon, 2003-07
Jason Watson, 2008-15
Stevie Mussie, 2016