Athletics

2008-09 Volleyball
Coaching Staff

Gary VanCauwenberge Head Coach 7th Season
(ph): 440.375.7471 (fax) 440.375.7474 GaryV@lec.edu	Gary VanCauwenberge is in his seventh season as the head coach for the Lake Erie College volleyball and softball teams. On the volleyball side, his teams made it to the conference tournament the past three seasons, making back-to-back appearances in the semifinals in the most recent seasons. In 2006, his squad posted the most wins in more than a decade of competition and then improved upon that mark by one game in 2007. Last season, VanCauwenberge’s Storm posted the best conference finish in program history, recording the most league victories in a season in 11 years of membership as he earned Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) Co-Coach of the Year. On the softball side, he earned AMCC Co-Coach of the Year honors in 2004 and led his 2006 team to the greatest number of victories in program history. His teams also appeared in the AMCC playoffs the past three seasons, in addition to the East Coast Athletic Conference (ECAC) Tournament in 2006 and 2008. Last year’s team earned the highest league standing ever in second place with the most league wins, while recording only the second 20-plus win record in program history. A 2000 graduate from Ohio Wesleyan, VanCauwenberge earned a health and physical education degree. He played three seasons of volleyball as an outside and middle hitter for the Battling Bishops, serving as captain. VanCauwenberge also played one year as an outfielder for the Ohio Wesleyan baseball team. After graduating from Ohio Wesleyan, VanCauwenberge received a master’s degree in exercise and sports studies and a National Council for Accreditation of Coaching Education Level IV certificate from Smith College in 2002. In addition to his duties as head coach of the two Storm teams, VanCauwenberge serves as the academic liaison for the Lake Erie College athletics department. Prior to coming to Lake Erie, VanCauwenberge spent two seasons at Amherst College in Massachusetts as an assistant volleyball and softball coach. While at Amherst, the Jeffs made a second round appearance in the NCAA Championships and won the New England Small College Athletic Conference title in volleyball. VanCauwenberge File   Assistant Coach - Amherst College   2000   27-5 2001   24-7 TOTALS   51-12   Head Coach - Lake Erie College   Year / Overall ; AMCC 2002 1-19; 0-12 2003 1-25; 0-12 2004 2-23; 1-8 2005 8-23; 4-5 2006 12-23; 5-4 2007 13-21; 6-3 TOTALS   37-134;  16-44

Ben Gorris Assistant Coach 6th Season
(fax) 440.375.7474	Ben Gorris is in his sixth season with the Storm volleyball program as an assistant coach. He arrived at Lake Erie College with much of his coaching experience at the high school level with several talented private institutions. He was the boys’ varsity head coach at Brecksville-Broadview Heights High School for two seasons, an assistant for the St. Edwards High School boys' varsity team where they went to the regional finals in his first season and the Ohio Elite Eight in his final season, in addition to coaching three seasons at St. Ignatius High School where the boys’ varsity team earned a third place regional finish. He also coached a combined five years at the Ohio State and Penn State boys’ summer camps, Kent State team camps and Ohio State girls’ summer camp. Currently, he is the head boys’ coach at Villa Angela St. Joseph’s High School. As a player, Gorris spent two years at Ohio State University on the rugby team that reached the sweet sixteen and placed 12th in the USA Rugby College Championship. He then transferred to Ohio Wesleyan University and captained the Battling Bishops rugby team to the Ohio Small Colleges Championship while also playing club volleyball. He earned a bachelor’s degree in business management from Malone College in 2005 and now works for Analex, as a NASA contractor.