ST. LOUIS, Mo.— Fontbonne University Director of Athletics, Maria Buckel, is pleased to announce alumnus Jimmy Stika as the next Head Men's Volleyball Coach.
"We're excited to have Jimmy come back to us to take the helm of the men's volleyball program," said Buckel. "He comes back to us with a breadth of outside of Fontbonne Volleyball and is truly one of the sharpest minds in the game. He understands and was part of the hard work that built the program to a national contender and I'm excited to see him continue to build the program."
She continued, "I'd also like to thank Coach Ryan LeGrand for leading both volleyball programs for the past two years. It's time for each program to have a coach focusing their efforts on each individual program."
"I'd like to thank Athletic Director Maria Buckel for this incredible opportunity as well as Ryan LeGrand for his dedication to the program during his tenure as Head Coach," said Stika. "These two individuals have been instrumental in the success Fontbonne Men's Volleyball has seen in recent years and I'm grateful to have the chance to lead the team going forward."
He added, "As a program we've set a very high standard for ourselves and have no intention of changing that any time soon. I'm looking forward to getting to work and doing my part to help build a program that our university, our community, and the city of St. Louis can be proud of. Go Griffins!"
Stika is no stranger to Fontbonne as he's been on the sideline as an assistant coach for three seasons. During that time, he helped lead the Griffins to multiple firsts in program history, including an MCVL Championship, an NCAA Tournament appearance, an appearance in the AVCA National Rankings, and a school-record 26-win season in 2019.
He's also contributed to the development of multiple MCVL All-Conference performers, as well as a two-time MCVL Defensive Player of the Year, and an MCVL Tournament Most Valuable Player.
Outside of Fontbonne, Stika spent a season on the coaching staff of the women's volleyball program at Saint Louis University where he helped the Billikens reach the A-10 Tournament Semifinals in 2019.
He's also spent a number of years coaching at the club and high school levels in the St. Louis Area, including spending time with High Performance STL and Missouri Thunder Volleyball Club, while having been an assistant coach for the 2016 Affton High School State Championship Team.
As a four-year starter at libero for Fontbonne, Stika ranked in the top 25 nationally in digs per set each season and currently sits at third in school history for career digs. He was named to the 2014 CVC West All-Conference Team, along with multiple Fontbonne Dean's Lists and CVC/MCVL All-Academic Teams between 2013-16.