April 14, 2008
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IOWA CITY – Head Coach Sharon Dingman has announced that Chris Gaskill will join the Iowa volleyball staff as an assistant coach. Gaskill served as an assistant coach under Dingman at Illinois State in 2007.
“I am ecstatic to be at the University of Iowa and in the Big Ten Conference,” Gaskill said. “This is a great opportunity and I am thankful to the administration for letting me continue to work with Sharon. I can’t wait to help build a successful Iowa volleyball program.”
Gaskill, who was Illinois State’s recruiting coordinator and camps director, helped Illinois State to one of its most successful seasons in school history in 2007. The Redbirds earned an at-large bid into the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1997 and finished the season with an RPI of 52. Illinois State also reached the championship match of the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament and had four players earn all-Missouri Valley Conference honors, including two first team selections.
“I am excited to have Chris join the Hawkeye volleyball program,” Dingman said. “He has proven he can recruit great athletes, and his competitive drive will be instrumental to us achieving the goals we have established for the program. The players will enjoy his coaching style and will be motivated by his passion for the sport.”
Before joining Dingman at Illinois State, Gaskill was an assistant coach at Appalachian State from 2003-06. Gaskill served as an assistant at Appalachian State while finishing his coursework and playing collegiate volleyball at Division II Lees-McRae College.
While at Appalachian State, Gaskill assisted the Mountaineers to back-to-back Southern Conference North Division championships in 2003 and 2004. Appalachian State also finished runner-up in the Southern Conference Tournament in 2004 and 2005. He trained nine players to all-conference recognition, including the 2004 Southern Conference Player of the Year and Libero of the Year. Gaskill also helped train the first volleyball all-American in Appalachian State history. While at Appalachian State, Gaskill served as a camp clinician at various schools, including Virginia Tech, UNC-Charlotte, North Carolina, Davidson and Wake Forest.
Gaskill received his Bachelor of Science degree in sports management from Lees-McRae College in 2006. He was a three-year team captain and helped Lees-McRae to a four-year record of 66-36. Gaskill ranked in the top seven in hitting percentage in the nation (Division I and II) and was named the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) National Player of the Week (April 10, 2006) as a senior. The New Oxford, PA, native ranked in the top seven for blocks per game (Division I and II) as a freshman, sophomore and junior and helped Lees-McRae to a 21-5 record as a freshman in the school’s first year as an NCAA Division II team.