Raptors hire Ashburn as new volleyball coach

• Lindsay Ashburn

East Ridge High School filled the last of its three coaching vacancies with the hiring of Lindsay Ashburn as head volleyball coach. Photo courtesy St. Cloud State University.

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East Ridge High School filled the last of its three coaching vacancies with the hiring of Lindsay Ashburn as head volleyball coach.

Ashburn last coached high school volleyball from 2005-08 as the coach of the St. Cloud Cathedral varsity club that went 126-11 and made four consecutive appearances in the Class AA State Tournament, climaxing with a runner-up finish in 2007. She also was named the Section 5AA Coach of the Year in 2006.

"I think we really hit the jackpot on this one," ERHS activities director Trent Hanson said of the hiring. "We were very lucky to have a great candidate like this come along at a time when we had an opening."

After leading the Class AA team in the Minnesota High School All-Star Game in 2008, Ashburn left her post as head coach of the Crusaders to spend the 2009 season as a graduate assistant at St. Cloud State University, where she had previously played for the Huskies womens team until 2004 — a stint that included a trip to the NCAA Tournament in her final season in which she was a captain.

"She took a break to knock down some Master's credits, but wanted to get back into coaching," Hanson said.

A connection with East Ridge was made through, among others, Raptors boys lacrosse coach Aime Caines — both recently in the employ of the Minnesota Swarm professional lacrosse team.

"There was a mutual connection there," Hanson said.

The East Ridge A.D. said that the Raptors upstart first season, in which the club won 16 games and advanced to the sectional semifinals under the watch of then-coach Katie Plummer, did not hurt the school in fielding a number of qualified applicants for the opening that was created after Plummer departed to pursue an employment opportunity in Florida.

"It let people know what kind of potential the program had," Hanson noted.

In Ashburn, Hanson believes that the Raptors have the kind of coach that will help the spikers to achieve even greater heights in the future.

"Our kids are fortunate to have yet another dynamic leader," he said.

A meet-and-greet event with Ashburn is scheduled for 6:30 p.m., Monday, May 17 at East Ridge High School. Event attendees are asked to enter the school through the activities entry on the east side of the building.

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