First-year EMU women’s volleyball coach Casey Steinbrecher will see a familiar face on the sidelines, bringing in Tilbe Yaglioglu as his program’s graduate assistant.
The duo spent three years together at nearby D-I James Madison, where Steinbrecher had been the associate head coach and Yaglioglu finished her playing career with the 2018 season.
“The timing couldn’t have been more perfect. Tilbe was just finishing up her internship in Boston and figuring out the next steps in her life after graduation. I was grateful that I was able to offer her this opportunity and even more grateful that she accepted it,” Steinbrecher said.
Yaglioglu played three seasons at JMU, helping the Dukes to a pair of Colonial Athletic Association titles and NCAA National Tournament appearances.
She was a regular on the court as a setter, and played in 113 collegiate matches between her time at James Madison and Eastern Washington.
Yaglioglu, a native of Hamm, Germany, graduated from JMU in the spring with a degree in communications studies and is now enrolled in the master in organizational leadership program at EMU.
“Tilbe was the first person who came to mind for the position, and it wasn’t just because of how perfect the timing was. She brings everything that I need in an assistant; she already knows our systems, she embodies our culture, and she brings strengths where I have weaknesses as a coach. I am very excited to not only mentor her over these next couple of years but also to learn from her and her strong volleyball and sport background.”