June 2, 2006

Duquesne University head women's volleyball coach Steve Opperman announced today the hiring of Virginia "Gini" Ullery as assistant coach. Ullery comes to Duquesne after a standout career at the University of Pittsburgh as an outside hitter. She will assume her duties beginning June 5.

Ullery began coaching volleyball in 2002 as a student coach for the University of Pittsburgh Volleyball Summer Camps and most recently with Pittsburgh's own Renaissance Volleyball Club, one of the premier clubs on the East Coast, where she is head coach of 14 Red and assistant coach for 18 Black.

As a collegian, the four-year starter was named an All-Big East first team pick in 2004 and earned a spot on the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) All-Northeast Region team and was an AVCA Division I All-American honorable mention. She captured second team All-Big East honors as a senior in 2005. Ullery, who enjoyed five seasons with the Panthers after receiving a medical redshirt her junior year (2003) due to a season-ending ACL injury, led the team in kills as a junior in 2004 racking up 549 and ranked 29th nationally with 4.9 kills per game. She was second for Pitt as a fifth-year senior with 378 kills and 257 digs.

She is one of only four players in Panthers' history to record over 1,000 kills and 1,000 digs and ranks third all-time at Pitt with 1,487 kills and seventh with 1,024 digs.

Ullery, a native of Tracy, CA, has been named to numerous all-tournament teams throughout her career.

The 23-year old Ullery earned her bachelor's degree from Pitt in Public Service in August 2005 and a certificate in non-profit management in December of 2005.