GREEN BAY, Wis. (GreenBayPhoenix.com) --- Head volleyball coach Abbey Sutherland earned her 200th coaching victory this weekend after the Green Bay Phoenix defeated Wright State in straight sets, bringing her overall career record to 200-91.
Sutherland is humble, crediting her team for their consistency and determination. "Even though we played at home on Friday, our match against Wright State on Sunday was a major road test. The travel and match atmosphere made it tough for us to find our rhythm, but the ladies dug deep to grit out that win."
The head coach even acknowledged her opponents in giving her and her team an accomplishment to remember. "I credit Weight State for putting together a solid game plan. We were down by seven in set three, but the ladies kept battling, believing, and ultimately stayed in the moment. I am proud of the character that we showed, and it was an important, special win in Horizon League play."
The first-year coach for the Phoenix has helped the team to a 10-8 winning record so far this season. This win is also highlighted by the fact that it is the fifth win in a row for Green Bay, boasting a 5-1 record in Horizon League play to rank them second in the conference standings.
The last time that the Phoenix had a longer streak was in 2016, when the team started off the season with six in a row. In that same year, Green Bay also held a five-win streak in league play before falling to Oakland, meaning that if the Phoenix gets to its sixth victory this weekend, it will be the longest conference play streak the team has had since 2003, when it qualified for the NCAA Tournament.
Before joining the Green Bay Phoenix as the sixth head coach in program history, Sutherland spent the previous five seasons at nearby UW-Stevens Point, where she led the Pointers to a 146-36 record during her successful tenure. Under Sutherland's leadership, UWSP won two WIAC regular season championships, two WIAC tournament championships and back-to-back runs to the NCAA Tournament Final Four. Â
Prior to coaching at UWSP, Sutherland spent three seasons as head coach at the University of Southern Mississippi. She compiled a 44-47 record as head coach there, taking over the program in 2010 after spending six seasons as an assistant coach with the program and four as the team's top assistant. Sutherland is one of only two first-year head coaches in volleyball to ever record a winning season at Southern Miss.
Sutherland and the Green Bay Phoenix volleyball team will be looking for their eleventh win of the season at the Kress Events Center this Friday, up against reigning league champions Cleveland State at 6:00 p.m.
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