In early December, Jennifer McCall was fired after five abysmal seasons as UNCW head volleyball coach. In those five years, McCall won only two conference games and the Seahawks never finished above last in the CAA. The Seahawks have named Amy Bambenek to clean up the mess.

Bambenek brings 11 years of Division I coaching experience to UNCW, having assisted three years at Florida State, and most recently, eight years at George Washington University. The change of scenery will be drastic for Bambenek, who is leaving the nation’s capitol for the quiet coastal town of Wilmington, but is enthusiastic about the opportunities that the UNCW campus has to offer.

“This campus is paradise,” she said, referring to its proximity to the beach. “It is a very recruitable campus. I will be able to bring in top recruits in North Carolina as well as top recruits around the nation.”

Recruiting will be one aspect of the volleyball team that should see quick improvement. Bambenek specialized in recruiting while serving as the primary recruiting coordinator at George Washington. While spending less than one month on campus, she has already brought in two players from the class of 2009 to visit UNCW, one of which came on only Bambenek’s third day.

“Amy is one of the rising stars in the volleyball coaching profession,” Kelley Merhtens, UNCW’s athletic director said. “We’re thrilled to have her join the Seahawk family. She has a proven background as a successful recruiter and brings a lot of enthusiasm, passion and drive to the position.”

Turning around the UNCW volleyball program will be an uphill battle, but Bambenek is up for the challenge.

“I expect a quick turnaround,” she said. “Next year, we will be very competitive. In two years, we will surprise people. In three years, we will be competing for the top one or two sports in the conference.”

Bambenek is a graduate of Coastal Carolina and makes her way back to the area for the first time since 1996, when she led the Chanticleers to a Big South championship. She looks to bring that same winning mentality and competitiveness to UNCW.

“These girls need to be held accountable and need to be coachable,” she said. “The way they have been doing things in the past hasn’t been working. They will need to be open to learning new things in order for the program to turn around.”

Bambenek signed a one-year contract and will be evaluated at the end of next fall. Hopefully she can find a home in this port city paradise and lead the Seahawks to the top of the CAA.