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DETROIT -- The Wayne State University volleyball program will enter the 2014 season with a new leader in head coach Tim Koth. A familiar name in the GLIAC, he came to WSU after 10 highly productive seasons at Northwood, which included 175 victories, five NCAA Tournament appearances and a GLIAC Tournament title in 2012. Koth will look to return the Warriors to the GLIAC Tournament after being absent in 2013 for the first time since 2006 and the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1994.

WSU posted an 11-18 overall record last season including an 8-10 mark in league play. The Warriors opened the 2013 season earning three wins at the GVSU Laker Classic including a victory over No. 6 Southwest Minnesota State as WSU collected its first win over a ranked program in eight attempts.  Wayne State's last previous triumph versus a Top 25 team was on Sept. 23, 2011, against #20 GVSU (3-2). In addition, the loss marked the first loss to an unranked opponent in three years for SMSU. However, an eight match losing streak in October would spoil the encouraging start.

The Warriors will need to replace four-year contributor Kristen Bulkiewicz who finished her career with the second most kills in program history (1,323). The Green & Gold return 10 letterwinners from a season ago. Junior Heather Weiss (Fort Gratiot, Mich. / Port Huron), who finished last year with 242 kills (2.20/set) and was named Honorable Mention All-GLIAC, will look to lead the offense in 2014. Junior Kelsey Bonewits returns after leading the team in blocks a year ago with 80 (0.92/set) while the team's main distributor, junior Madison Reeves, returns after dishing out 909 assists (9.09/set) last season. The Warriors welcome five newcomers who Coach Koth will look to get on the floor early and often as he assembles his first WSU team.

Seven of the first nine GLIAC matches for the Warriors will be inside the Matthaei Center as WSU looks to get off to a strong start in conference play following the Clarion Invitational to begin the season.

Coach Koth took some time during his preseason preparations to answer questions regarding his arrival to the program and the upcoming season with Assistant Director of Media Relations Cameron Weidenthaler.

CW: What was attractive to you about Wayne State University?
TK: There were many things, but I think a couple that stand out are the size and location of the university, and the academic offerings and reputation. Being a large university setting in a major metropolis I believe to be a strong recruiting tool, as our brand is very visible. Academically – being a Carnegie 1 research university that offers 370 majors in 13 colleges and schools across our campus really expands the recruiting base for us. All this being said – Wayne State offered me a strong opportunity to build a very successful program – and that is exciting to me.

CW: What are your biggest strengths as a head coach?
TK: 27 seasons of collegiate experience is helpful! I think I understand what players go through on a daily basis, and have learned how to get the most out of each player. In the last few years, I think I have gained a better understanding of how to blend personalities – that may be very different from each other – into one group that wants the same thing – success.

CW: What type of student-athletes are you looking for when you are recruiting?
TK: The most clear answer to this is – the best athletes possible. So I have certain criteria I am looking for at each position. But more than that – I look for people who have intrinsic motivation; are very competitive; and demonstrate the ability to work with their teammates and coaches to achieve success.

CW: Who was someone who made a major impact on your career?
TK: There are many – but if you want to know just one – it would have to be John Price. He was – at the time – the men's coach at my alma mater and he gave me an opportunity to get involved in every aspect of coaching at the collegiate level. So I knew right from the start the work ethic it took to be successful, and I learned much in that time about success and failure.

CW: What is your favorite volleyball memory?
TK: There are so many good ones – I don't know if I have a favorite – so I will give you a recent one. Winning the 2012 GLIAC Championship on our home floor in front of about 1200 fans with a team that had been preseason picked seventh in the conference. It was just a huge sense of accomplishment for our players and staff.

CW: What can fans expect from your squads?
TK: Hopefully A LOT of wins! But if you are referring to style, I expect for you to see a confident, aggressive game, a team that has a bit of "swag" but definitely a team that will not give up on any play.

CW: What characteristics do NCAA Tournament teams possess?
TK: Many – but the mostly successful teams in the Tournament are always in system – which means they serve, pass, and play great defense. They also understand time and score – so they know when to be very aggressive, and when to play smart and make their opponent work. They also are fearless on big important points.

CW: Preview the GLIAC in 2014 (i.e. title contenders).
TK: As always in these types of analysis – it is very subjective. So what is "on paper" and what happens can be two very different things. Going into 2014, I think very clearly Grand Valley State and Ferris State will be the teams to beat. They both return a major portion of their roster, and both are coming off deep NCAA Tournament runs – which are such valuable experiences for their players. After those two teams, I think there is a group of programs that could make a strong push to be at or near the top – but they all have some question marks. I think this group would include Ashland, Saginaw Valley State, Northern Michigan, Hillsdale, Findlay, and Wayne State. I also look for programs like Michigan Tech, Malone, and Ohio Dominican to be improved. Ultimately the team that is healthy and peaking in November will have the best chance for postseason success.

CW: What needs to happen for WSU to be where we want to be towards the end of November?
TK: This is pretty simple – two things. First - we need to be healthy and have everyone able to train on a consistent basis. We will be young, so mental and physical training is important for these players to be able to reach their current potential. Second – we need to have a successful start. Our GLIAC schedule is front loaded with the first five conference matches at the Matthaei. Defending our home court will very much set us up for postseason opportunities, as we will be an improved team by November.