Sean Arbaut Minot State’s Alex Courtney coaches during a match in November against Minnesota Crookston at the MSU Dome.

The Minot State University volleyball program will have a familiar face guiding it this fall, as Alex Courtney will remain as interim head coach for the upcoming season, the university announced in a press release Tuesday evening.

“I feel very grateful for the opportunity to lead this program, and I’m excited about starting a new chapter of Beavers volleyball next season,” said Courtney. “We will have a great mix of seasoned returners and fresh, incoming players that I think will round out the roster nicely and allow us to showcase the talent within the program.”

Courtney has served as interim volleyball head coach for the past five months. She replaces former head coach Alex Lehocky, who resigned in January.

“I’m grateful that Alex has agreed to serve as our interim head volleyball coach,” said Kevin Harmon, Vice President of Student Affairs and Athletics. “She embodies what we expect from our coaches as she respects the student-athletes and wants to be at Minot State. She has been excellent in leading the program over the past few months, and I’m excited to see what she will do with the program this year.”

Courtney has been at Minot State since April of 2022, when she joined the staff as an assistant coach. She took over leading the program in mid-October, after Lehocky was placed on administrative leave.

She coached the final 11 matches of the 2023 season, going 0-11 over the span. However, the team returns ten players from last year’s roster, and it has also signed a pair of junior-college transfers to the roster: Bailey Munson, a 5-foot-4 libero from Lake Region State, and Emily Barker, a 5-foot-8 setter and right-side hitter from Milwaukee Area Technical College.

“The team has shown a lot of resilience this spring and are making big improvements in practice together,” said Courtney. “It’s my goal to continue cultivating their athletic talents and to foster a positive program environment where they can grow as students, as athletes and as young women.”

Courtney’s continued role with the program concludes a coaching search that saw the university bring two external candidates to campus to meet the team and broader university community.

According to the statement announcing the decision, the university hopes Courtney can bring a sense of stability to the program.

“I believe I bring a feeling of stability and trust to the team from being a part of the coaching staff the past two seasons,” said Courtney. “The players know my leadership style, my expectations and my goals for them as student-athletes.”

Courtney earned her bachelor’s degree in nutrition, with a concentration in women’s health, from Johnson and Wales University, and holds a master’s degree from Montana State University.