A committee from the athletics department met Tuesday to plan the search for a new volleyball coach after Connie Surowicz, former head coach, was fired in November.

The department has advertised nationally for the position and is already hearing from a large number of applicants, according to Director of Athletics Bill Goldring.

“I think what’s important is that potential candidates…see us as a place where you can be successful,” he said. “I think that’s a real tribute to what we’re doing at Ashland.”

The committee conducting the search for head coach is composed of athletic department staff, coaches, members of the volleyball team and a professor.

Goldring said they’re looking for three main things in the new head coach: character, coaching skills and the ability to recruit.

“The one thing we always look for is a great person,” he said.

Goldring added that it’s important that the new head coach is not only able to lead the existing team, but capable of recruiting new students and helping the team succeed in the long term.

“We have a track record here of success, athletically, academically and socially,” Goldring said, referring both to the athletics department and the school as a whole.

This season, the AU volleyball team finished 17-13 (10-9 GLIAC) this year, reaching the GLIAC Playoffs but losing in the first round to top-ranked Hillsdale, 3-1.

A contributing factor to the first-round exit was the absence of sophomore attacker Brittany Snider.

Snider achieved GLIAC Freshman of the Year last season when she led the team with 504 kills and 541 points. This year, she once again led the team in kills with 429, and had a hitting percentage of .207.

But Snider was dismissed from the team by Surowicz Oct. 28. Snider played in the match against Wayne State that day but did not return after her attacking error ended the third set.

Goldring said he did not know why Snider was dismissed and that her status with the team would have to be decided by the new head coach.

“As far as I’m concerned, she’s still a member of this team,” he said. “Brittany has told me she would like to be back on the team.”

Although AU’s volleyball team had an impressive season this year, Goldring said his goal is to see them do even better in the future and he hopes a new head coach can help with that.

When asked why Surowicz would not be returning next year, Goldring said: “I think it was how we were running our program here. I think we can do better.”

Surowicz had been head coach for eight years, starting in 2003.

“I would like to thank Coach Surowicz for her years of service here at AU and wish her the best of luck in the future,” Goldring said in the press release.