Ben Kaszeta inherited a senior-dominated team in 2011, and will guide a young squad led by two seniors in 2012.

Kaszeta, a former Huron Valley Volleyball Club coach and Eastern Michigan University volunteer assistant, took over as Lake Superior State's head volleyball coach in March, 2011. His first Laker squad, which finished 8-19, included three senior attackers and LSSU career digs leader Brittany Newberry, who also graduated.

Kaszeta is a high-energy coach who has head coaching experience with elite volleyball players of various ages. Several Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference schools, including LSSU, have players that have been coached by Kaszeta, who is a 2010 graduate of EMU.

"I am very much a defensive-minded coach," Kaszeta said. "I believe that defense wins matches. A good, disciplined team will prevail."

Kaszeta, who is originally from Rochester, Mich., was a volunteer assistant at EMU in 2009-10 and was the Mott Community College head coach from 2007-09. His club experience includes the USA Volleyball Lakeshore Region High Performance team (2009-10), Huron Valley (2008-11), Michigan Elite (2004-08) and Oxford Heat (1998-05).

Kaszeta was the head coach of the Huron Valley 17 National Team for four years. He also assisted EMU head coach Kim Berrington with the Lakeshore Region Youth Team, which qualified for the USA Volleyball High Performance Championship in 2010. He is working to re-establish club volleyball in the Eastern Upper Peninsula.

He also coached volleyball, track and field, and swimming at several high schools.