TNT Volleyball Club of Glenside brought in Russ Rose, the legendary former head coach of Penn State women’s volleyball, to speak to the club’s coaching staff and players on Sunday.
Rose’s lifetime head coaching record is 1330–229, which ranks first in NCAA Division I history. He has the most wins and highest winning percentage of any Penn State intercollegiate athletic coach in Penn State history, and seven national titles to his name (1999, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2013, and 2014).
Roughly a month ago, the Big Ten Network released a documentary titled “The Streak” featuring Penn State’s 109 consecutive match wins (including four consecutive national championships from 2007-2010), the most in NCAA volleyball history. You can watch a trailer below:
“The things that he talked about were things that we’re doing. It was a nice confirmation that our model is aligned with his philosophy,” Chuck Dougherty, club director and Glenside resident, said. “It was a really good day for us. One of our coaches, Randy Syracuse, has a relationship with him. He reached out to Russ and then we set up the date. It put us on the map.”
You can listen to a TNT podcast featuring Coach Rose on Apple and Spotify.
The club, now in its eighth year, has generated more teams, court time, and enthusiasm than its North Wales facility can handle. Players ranging in age from 10 to 17 were parceled into 51 teams last season. This season, they’re adding roughly 10 more.
By January, Dougherty and company hope to officially open a second facility in Horsham. Dubbed “The Bunker 2.0”, the space will be youth-centric with plans for adult programming and adult leagues as well.
“We’ve grown so big that we need more space for instruction and adult leagues,” Dougherty said. “Right now, we just do adult pickup on Sundays. I’d love to do pickup with higher level players, and we’re also looking at putting together an adult league.”
For updates on youth and adult volleyball opportunities with TNT, you can check out their Instagram page.
“I’m excited to see the growth of TNT and see the level the club is at,” John Cheng, an assistant coach and TNT’s Program Director, said.
“I’m honored to be part of an amazing club that truly believes in grassroots grow the game mindset,” Jea Lee, a TNT coach and a 1995 graduate of Abington High School, said.
For our previous coverage on TNT’s expansion, you can click here. More information about the club can be found on their website.
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