“Emily not only brings her experience both with USC and stints training with the National Team but was also a gifted scholar-athlete and will serve as an outstanding role model for our players," said head volleyball coach Kurt Matthews. "We are thrilled that someone with Emily’s background is interested in helping build our volleyball program.” 
 
New head coach Kurt Matthews announced that Adams will be joined by three new assistant coaches including Iulia Harper (two-time All-Southern Conference at Georgia Southern & two-time Junior College All-American), Courtney Clark, (former starter for Bucknell University and Patriot League All- Academic receipent) and long time Juniors Director/Trainer Zack Zollias.

The criteria for selection to the All-American Scholar Team are some of the most stringent of all college athletics. The minimum cumulative GPA is 3.50 and student-athletes must have competed in at least 50% (Division I) or 66% (Division II & III) of the college’s regularly scheduled competitive rounds during the year.



Dale, who majors in biology, was also a star on the links for the Stormy Petrels. She recorded six top-10 finishes in nine starts during the 2007-2008 season and recorded a tied for 64th place finish in her first trip to the NCAA Division III Women's Golf Championships held in Waverly, Iowa in May.
 

The National Golf Coaches Association, founded in 1983, is a non-profit organization representing women’s collegiate golf coaches. Today, the NGCA represents nearly 500 coaches throughout the U.S. and is dedicated to educating, promoting and recognizing both its members and the student-athletes they represent.

Over the past decade, the Best-Buy Charity Classic, supporting the Best Buy Children’s Foundation, has encompassed a celebration of women’s professional golf which has proven to be mutually beneficial for both Best Buy and the LPGA professionals alike. In recognition of the 2008 U.S. Women’s Open to be held at Interlachen Country Club in Minneapolis, M.N. June 26-28, Best Buy has elected to alter the traditional format to honor the All-American selections of women’s collegiate golf. Invitations to the event were extended to Duramed FUTURES Tour NGCA All-Americans honorees of NCAA Division I women’s collegiate golf and also to 1^st Team All-Americans for Division II and III.
 
Gates, who graduated from Oglethorpe in May, said in anticipation for the event that she was "thrilled to have the opportunity to play alongside the best golfers in the world."

The Petrels won their league-high seventh SCAC men’s golf title at this year’s Spring Sports Festival and went on to post a sixth-place finish at the 2008 NCAA Division III men’s championships – the program’s seventh consecutive Top 10 finish at the national championships.
 
With his nine men’s golf COTY awards, Owen joins a short list of SCAC coaches who have won nine or more COTY honors in the same sport. Robert Shankman of Rhodes (men’s cross country), Paul McGinlay of Trinity (men’s soccer), Julie Jenkins of Trinity (volleyball) and Butch Newman of Trinity (men’s tennis) have each been named the league’s COTY nine times in their respective sports. Trinity’s Steve Mohr (football) leads the way with 10 COTY honors in his sport.

The Petrels laced up their high-tops for the first time on foreign soil when they squared off with Virtus Valencia in Venice on May 22. After seeing the game promoted on posters throughout the city, Oglethorpe came out to play and raced to a 75-53 victory. The Petrels closed the game on a 22-3 run to secure the victory and were lifted by freshman Reginita Howell's 9 points and 4 blocked shots. All fourteen of Oglethorpe's travelling players on the trip saw action in the contest.
 
In their second game, Oglethorpe tasted defeat at the hands of the Italians for the first time when they fell to the semi-pro titans Athena Basket of Rome in the Stella Azzurra Sports Hall, 67-64. Head coach Ron Sattele reported the game was nip and tuck from the start and that Athena Basket "just made a few more plays down the stretch than we did" to earn the win.
 
Following a three day basketball lay-off, the women travelled to Sorrento for a game against POL Sorrento on the basketball court at Campo Della Scuolo Media on May 27. Led by reigning SCAC Player-of-the Year Katie Kulavic, the Petrels ran up and down Sorrento en route to posting an easy 105-53 win.
 
The women returned home on May 29 having earned three course credit hours for the studies under the guidance of Dr. Collins and two out of three victories in games against Italian club teams.

Freshman Joe Kennedy led all scorers with 27 points as the Petrels proved deadly from 3-point range by burying a staggering seventeen 3's in the contest. Sophomore Wade Weldon continued to show signs of a full recovery from an MCL injury this past August by piling in 19 points of his own.
 
In three games against European competition, the Stormy Petrels averaged 98.7 points per game and outscored their opponents by an average of 28 points per game. Freshman Joe Kennedy averaged 22 points a game, sophomore Wade Weldon averaged 19.7 and freshman Alex Richey averaged 19 points per game to demonstrate the talented youth that head coach Phil Ponder carries into the 2008-2009 campaign.

Matthews, who officially begins his tenure July 1st, spent 3 years as an Assistant Coach at the University of Arkansas and one year with Piedmont College.
 
While at Arkansas, he was mentored by 2-Time SEC Coach of the Year, Chris Poole. During his tenure with the Lady'Backs, the program achieved 3 NCAA appearances as well as winning 3 SEC Western Division Championships. Kurt primarily worked with the Libero's, team & individual defense as well as the setters.
 
At Piedmont College he coached under 2-Time Great South Athletic Conference Coach of the Year, Katie O'Brien and was a part of a staff that led the program to it's first ever GSAC Championship. Coach Matthews primarily was in charge of team training during practices.  
 
As a NCAA Division I & III assistant coach, Coach Matthews has a record of 98-37 with a winning % of .721.
 
Coach Matthews is also the former Owner/Director for the Ozark Junior Olympic program located out of Arkansas. Under his direction the fledgling club expanded from 11 returning players to well over 400 members in his four years and gained a national reputation. Ozark produced the state's first ever Top 30 recruit, members of the National High Performance Programs, numerous prep All Americans, as well as producing a number of Division I, II, and III performers. Ozark placed athletes to The University of Arkansas, Kansas State, Mississippi State, University of Hawaii, Arkansas State, as well as a host of other programs. Ozark was featured on www.prepvolleyball.com for its growth under his direction.
 
Matthews has been actively involved in the Atlanta Volleyball Community for well over 18 years including managing various Junior Olympic Volleyball programs, administering adult leagues & tournaments, participating on competitive adult USA Volleyball Men's A/AA teams, and hosting a number of camps/clinics for both children and adults. He has coached numerous college camps including University of Arkansas, University of Alabama, Emory University, and East Tennessee State University.
 
Coach Matthews is a graduate of Georgia Southern University with a degree in Recreation Administration and currently resides in Berkeley Lake, GA.