Women's Volleyball
- Title:
- Assistant Coach
PLAYING EXPERIENCE
• 1998-02: Bradley University
• 2002-03: USC Freiburg
• 2003-04: USC Braunschweig
• 2004-05: USC Freiburg
• 2005-06: FTSV Straubing
COACHING EXPERIENCE
• 2006-Present: Oregon State Assistant Coach
Laura Benzing is in her sixth season at Oregon State having joined the volleyball program in August 2006. She begins her seventh season as assistant coach.
Benzing played in the German Bundesliga for four years before retiring and accepting the Director of Volleyball Operations position that she held for the Oregon State volleyball program in the 2006 season.
Benzing played Division I volleyball for the Braves earning First Team All-Missouri Valley Conference honors as a sophomore and junior, and Second team honors as a senior despite a season-ending knee injury sustained with 12 matches to go in the year. She also earned MVC Scholar-Athlete first team honors three times and was a two-time Verizon District V Academic All-America first team member. Benzing's role as a student-athlete included representation on Bradley's Gender Equity Committee, the NCAA Certification Committee and she was a team captain.
At Oregon State, Benzing's primary responsibility is to coordinate the program's recruiting efforts. Since taking over the role, the Beavers have seen both the 2009 recruiting class be nationally recognized and the 2010 class having the program's first ever Fab 50 recruit. Benzing also acts as the liaison between the players and the athletic department's academic services. In the past three seasons, the team has been a recipient of the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Team Academic Award three times and has had the highest GPA of all OSU teams in nine of the past 12 terms.
On the court, Benzing focuses on both team and individual blocking, with the 2010 and 2011 squads finishing second in the Pac-10 in blocks per set. She also works with team and individual defense and trains middle hitters.
A native of Sparta, Wis., Benzing graduated magna cum laude from Bradley in 2002 with a Bachelor's of Science in pre-law. Benzing, who is fluent in German, also earned a Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults (CELTA) from the University of Cambridge while overseas. She also obtained her USA Weightlifting Level I Sports Performance Certification in January 2011.
