NORMAL, Ill. – Illinois State head volleyball coach Leah Johnson announced Wednesday that the program's director of volleyball operations, Emily Siefken, has been promoted to full-time status in that same role.
"We are eager to keep Emily on our staff moving into the future," Johnson shared. "She has exceeded our expectations, gone above and beyond for our program and has done it with a positive attitude. Emily is a driven woman and we look forward to having her around full time."
Siefken entered her first season as Illinois State's director of volleyball operations in 2017, after serving as Illinois State's men's golf operations graduate assistant during the 2016-17 academic year. With the volleyball team, Siefken is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the program, handling team logistics, team schedules, team travel and serving as a liaison between a variety of departments within ISU Athletics.
The Burlington, Iowa, native brings a variety of experiences in athletics to her current position. In her previous role with Illinois State's men's golf team, Siefken was responsible for the planning and execution of team travel, meals and lodging, while assisting with scheduling and social media promotion.
Her variety of experiences in athletics will continue to help her succeed and grow in her current position. She served an internship with Western Illinois' marketing and external relations staff, where she helped promote athletics events through various channels, including social media. She has also interned with the Illinois High School Association, where she proposed and evaluated revenue-generating methods.
Siefken was a two-sport athlete at her alma mater of Monmouth College, starring for the school's basketball and softball teams. Siefken earned Academic All-Midwest Conference honors in both sports, earned NFCA All-American Scholar-Athlete honors as a member of the softball team, and was named to the dean's list all four years. She also served as an assistant to the volleyball coach at Monmouth, helping with team operations during the offseason.
Siefken earned a bachelor's degree from Monmouth College in 2016 and recently graduated with her master's degree from Illinois State.
"I would like to thank head volleyball coach Leah Johnson and Deputy Director of Athletics/Senior Woman Administrator Leanna Bordner for granting me the opportunity to continue as the volleyball program's director of operations," Siefken commented. "I am extremely excited to move into the full-time role and to continue making the Redbird Volleyball program top-notch in all facets of the industry. I am truly humbled to be able to work for a first-class institution with remarkable community support."
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