Southern Illinoise University Athletics
Volleyball announces Kyle Walton as new assistant
04/26/2007 | 12:00:00 | Women's Volleyball
April 26, 2007
www.siusalukis.com
CARBONDALE, Ill. - Southern Illinois head volleyball coach Brenda Winkeler announces Kyle Walton as a new assistant coach Thursday for the 2007 season, replacing Katie Noble who accepted a position as an assistant at Tennessee. Walton will take the position as the second assistant coach behind second-year assistant Julie Yankus.
"I am excited to add Kyle to our staff at Southern Illinois," Winkeler said. "He has been around the sport of volleyball for many years and comes from a volleyball family. He has a passion for the sport and will be a great addition to the staff with his ability to work on the court and to relate to student-athletes."
Prior to accepting the position at SIU, Walton spent one season at the University of Southern Indiana, as an assistant under Leah Mercer, aiding all aspects of the USI volleyball program. The Screaming Eagles finished 17-11 in 2006, good for sixth-place in the Great Lakes Valley Conference.
"I'm very excited about the opportunity I've been given," Walton said. "I've met the team and they seem like a great bunch of girls and I can't wait to start working with them."
Walton was formerly the Director of Volleyball Operations at Synergy Sports and Fitness in Toledo, Ohio, after graduating with a bachelor's degree in sports management from Otterbein College (Westerville, Ohio) in June 2005.
A native of Edon, Ohio, Walton also coached two 16-and-under teams for the Toledo Volleyball Club during the 2005-06 season--an Early Bird squad and an Elite Team.
While attending Otterbein, Walton played basketball and baseball, while also serving as a student assistant coach for the volleyball team. Walton helped lead Otterbein's men's basketball team to the NCAA Division III championship as a sophomore in 2001-02.
As an student assistant on the Otterbein volleyball team, he assisted with daily practices as well as the off-season workout program. Walton has been around the game of volleyball his entire life as his father was the head coach at Edon High School for 22 years.
During his prep career, Walton assisted his father with the volleyball program and was a three-sport star, earning all-conference honors in golf, baseball and basketball.
"Given Brenda's background," Walton added, "this will be a great experience, I will benefit from learning from her. It's my goal to coach at the Division I level so this is a huge step for me."
