Ashland University announced today that Carey Cavanaugh has been hired as an assistant women’s volleyball coach.

   Cavanaugh comes to Ashland from Oberlin College, where she served as the head volleyball coach since 2005. She guided Oberlin to a 15-win season, the best victory total in school history.

   Over her last four years at Oberlin, the volleyball team broke 11 school records and recorded its highest finish ever in North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) play.

   “Carey is a great addition to our program,” AU head volleyball coach Cass Dixon, who is in her first year with the Eagles, said. “She brings a wealth of knowledge to our program. She’s been a head coach and an assistant coach and that experience is invaluable. I think it’s definitely an advantage that she has head coaching experience.

   “We had a lot of great applicants and for me it was a matter of finding the best fit. I wanted the best fit for me and for the volleyball program. I was looking for balance.”

   Before becoming the head coach at Oberlin, Cavanaugh was an assistant coach at Kent State (2002-05).

   She has also worked as a Junior Olympic volleyball coach in Johnson City, Tenn.

   Cavanaugh played volleyball at The Ohio State University for one year and for three years at East Tennessee State. Cavanaugh was a setter at East Tennessee State and was the 2001 Southern Conference player of the year.

   She was a three-year All-Southern Conference selection and a three-year team captain. Cavanaugh was named the 2000-01 East Tennessee State athlete of the year.

   In her one year at Ohio State, Cavanaugh lettered as a setter.

   Cavanaugh is originally from Stow, Ohio. She was a four-year starter at Stow-Munroe Falls High School.

   During her prep career, Cavanaugh was a two-time first team all-state pick and a two-time honorable mention all-state honoree.

   In 1998 she was the All-Ohio player of the year.

   Dixon believes that Cavanaugh’s background will play a major role in recruiting. That’s a point of emphasis for Dixon at this stage of the year.

   “She’s an Ohio girl,” Dixon said. “She’s well known throughout the state. But at Oberlin, a lot of the players they recruited were from out of state. She had to branch out and do regional and national recruiting. As I said before, this gives us some balance. I have a lot of experience in Ohio and Carey has that in Ohio and some contacts around the country.”

   Cavanaugh is a 2002 East Tennessee State graduate. She earned her degree in sport management.