Michelle Young Position: Head Coach Experience: 9th Year at Furman Alma Mater: Clemson (1998)

Michelle Young enters her ninth season at the helm of the Furman volleyball program after leading the Paladins to a third-place finish in the 2007 Southern Conference regular season and the most wins (20) since 2002. She heads into 2008 with the goal of leading Furman to the school's first league title since 1993.

Young improved her career record at Furman to 141-111 after a 20-9 campaign in 2007. Her 20 wins were the most for a Furman volleyball team since 2002.

Young's philosophy of a challenging pre-conference schedule seemed to be no problem for the Paladins in 2007. Furman started the season with a 6-3 record, including big wins over Clemson, Colorado, Drake, and Florida A&M. The victory over Young's alma mater Clemson was the first in Furman history and one of the biggest wins in the history of the Paladin volleyball program. Young led Furman to 13 league victories, including season sweeps of Wofford, Georgia Southern, Elon, Chattanooga, and The Citadel. Four Paladins earned all-conference honors under Young's tutelage.

One other area in which progress is clear is that of athleticism. Young continues to recruit student-athletes that are bigger, stronger, and faster. This year's team has the range and size to compete with anyone in the Southern Conference, and that is a direct result of Young's desire to have a more physical lineup wearing purple and white.

Already the Paladins have grown accustomed to residing near the top of the Southern Conference standings. Now the team must believe and work with focus to become the team to beat in the league.

Young spent one year as a Furman assistant under Keylor Chan in 1999 before taking over the head role. In Young's first year as the head coach, the Paladins won 15 league matches, the most in school history. In 2002, Young led Furman to its first 20-win season since 1998, posting a mark of 21-14. Her squads have continued to progress as Young has earned the respect of the Furman team for her volleyball knowledge, her teaching skills, and her own athletic background.

With a 20-11 record in 2007, Young took over the second-highest winning percentage of any Furman volleyball coach, Young's athletes have tallied one league Player of the Year award, 17 all-conference selections, eight All-Southern Conference Tournament scrolls, 16 Player of the Week plaques, 40 conference academic honor roll selections, and two Academic All-District III choices.

A 1998 graduate of Clemson University with a degree in industrial education, Young was a four-year letterwinner at setter for the Tigers. She holds the Clemson record for single- season assists, with 1,561, and the career mark, with 4,305. In addition, she was selected Most Valuable Player at the 1997 ACC Tournament after leading the Tigers to the league title and the second NCAA Tournament of her tenure. Young also was lauded as second-team All-ACC in 1995 and was named to the 1995 AVCA All-District Team. In addition, in 2002 Young was named to the ACC's 50th anniversary volleyball squad.

Coupled with her collegiate experience, Young also coached volleyball, basketball, and track at Greer High School, where she taught industrial technology during the 1998-99 school year. Young has worked Clemson volleyball camps and a number of camps in her home state of Minnesota, and for the last eight summers has gained valuable administrative experience by hosting her own volleyball camps on the campus of Furman University.

A native of Chatfield, Minn., the former Michelle Thieke was married to Will Young on June 27, 1998. The couple has two children: Brody Thieke, born July 23, 2001, and Bailey Ann, born June 10, 2004.