Coach Durst set to lead Comets Volleyball

Don't let the qualifier fool you.

While Laurel Durst may be a "first-time" college head coach, she has the track record of a long-time vet, earned over a 10-year coaching career that started as a college freshman.

That experience resulted in a vision that she's now applying as the new head coach of Western Iowa Tech's volleyball team.

Durst started in early February and began her tenure full speed and mid stride. She's run practices, led conditioning sessions, hit the recruiting trail, set expectations and much more as she works to improve the program in the mold of her vision.

"Coach Durst is the right person for the job because she stepped right into the vacant spot without missing a step," WIT athletic director Mike Brown said. "Her experience with stepping in as a head coach at her previous college along with her extensive club experience sealed the deal."

By the time fall rolls around Durst wants her team to be one the sparks joy, both in the players on the roster and the supporters in the stands.

"I want my team to have fun, I want them to be enjoying what they're doing," Durst said. "A team that celebrates every point, doesn't get down on themselves when they make mistakes. Knows how to mentally bounce back after an error. You shouldn't be able to tell if we're winning or losing." 

That being said, Durst believes the program is in position to win more in the second year of WIT athletics. About half of the inaugural team is set to return – including two All-Region players – and another recruiting class is on the way to increase the overall talent level.

"Since the returning players have a year under their belt now, I would expect them to compete at a higher level," Durst said. "My goal recruiting is to bring in kids who are better than who's here. That's how you continually get better."

Durst has her eyes set on the ICCAC region tournament.

"That's definitely an achievable goal and just trying to continue raising the bar as far as the win-loss column," Durst said.

Durst, from Ozark, Missouri, was a two-year assistant at Emporia State University, an NCAA Division II program in Emporia, Kansas. Before that she was a two-year assistant at Independence Community College in Independence, Kansas, where she also served as interim head coach.

She's experienced first-hand what it takes to succeed at the junior college level, and knows how things operate at the level WIT student-athletes want to transfer to.

"I've worked under four different head coaches in the four years that I was an assistant," Durst said. "I've gotten to see a lot of different things. What works, what doesn't work. How different kids respond to different types of coaching."

She's also experienced two college athletic departments and communities, as well as the countless campuses, gyms and towns that dot a decade full of road trips.

"I've seen hundreds of junior colleges and this one is really good," Durst said. "Everything is super updated and nice. You can tell they put a lot of time, thought and effort into something that student-athletes are going to want to come play at."

That, paired with the welcoming community of Sioux City and the WIT campus made her confident in her decision to join the Comets.

"It was a no-brainer for me," she said.

Durst has honed her coaching style over her four seasons at the college level, six at high school and 11 in club (this year is only the second she hasn't coached club since she was 18 years old). The talent differs at each level, as does the expectations of and from the coach. "Everything falls on me, it's my responsiblity" Durst says of her new role. But at every level the players share something in common: they're people, and every person is different.

That's why Durst rejects the notion of a one-size-fits-all coaching style.

"I definitely try to get to know the players beyond just the two hours that I see them every day," Durst said. "Some of the kids have bigger personalities than others. Some kids need you to get on them a little bit more. Some of them you kind of have to leave them alone a little bit.

"Basically, just trying to figure out how to get the best out them." 

The Comets will take the court under Durst for the first time on April 10 against three teams at a spring tournament hosted by Iowa Central in Fort Dodge.