In looking to fill the vacancy on his coaching staff for the upcoming 2023 campaign, legendary Hillsdale College head coach Chris Gravel knew he wanted an experienced hand to add to the program.
He found just what he was looking for in Kortney Addleman, who accepted the assistant coaching position in March and begins her collegiate coaching journey after a successful career coaching at the high school and club levels.
Addleman comes to Hillsdale from nearby Hanover-Horton High School, just 18 miles northwest of the Hillsdale College campus. In one season as the varsity head coach of the tradition-rich Comets program in 2022, Addleman led Hanover-Horton to a MHSAA Division 3 district title and the program's first regional final appearance since 2010, losing only to eventual state champion Pewamo-Westphalia in the regional final match.
That impressive season at Hanover-Horton came on the heels of three seasons as the varsity head coach at MHSAA Division 4 powerhouse Adrian Lenawee Christian, where Addleman led the Cougars to two district titles in three seasons and a 2021 MHSAA Division 4 regional championship, with Lenawee Christian losing only to the eventual state champion, Battle Creek St. Philip, in the quarterfinal round.
Along with her successful high school coaching experience, Addleman also spent time as the head coach of the Team Pineapple 17U Club volleyball team based out of Angola, Indiana, working with a variety of high level prep volleyball players.
Gravel first encountered Addleman when she brought her high school teams to camps at Hillsdale College during the summer, and came away impressed with her knowledge and passion for the game.
"My first impression of Kortney was that she was someone with a tremendous love of volleyball and a serious desire to learn more about the sport and improve as a coach," Gravel said. "In our conversations, she asked the right questions and showed she could think about the game on a deeper level.
"Those traits made her someone I was very interested in as a potential assistant, and I'm excited that we've been able to bring her on."
For Addleman, joining a Hillsdale College volleyball program that's riding a streak of six consecutive 20-plus win seasons and five NCAA DII Tournament berths is an exciting opportunity.
"It means a lot to get this chance," Addleman said. "I've always had tremendous respect for Chris, for his offensive and defensive philosophy, the culture he's built here and the way he runs his program, and the opportunity to work at a place that aligns so closely with my beliefs on top of working with such a great program is a special feeling.
"The work we've done so far has been great, and I'm so excited for the season to come and to see what we can accomplish as a team."
As someone with an extensive coaching background at the high school and club levels, Addleman brings a level of expertise to the staff that's already paying dividends for the Chargers.
"As collegiate coaches, we are involved with club volleyball, but Kortney has been deeply enmeshed in that scene for a while, and her connections and her understanding of what those high level club players are looking for is huge in recruiting," Gravel said. "It's already made a difference for us in our efforts this spring."
Gravel also sees Addleman's experience paying off for his team in other, more intangible ways.
An alumnus of Eastern Michigan University, Addleman earned a Bachelor's of Science in Mathematics in Elementary Education and graduated with honors. In addition to her time as a coach, Addleman also spent several years as an elementary and middle school teacher in the state of Michigan before taking the job at Hillsdale. She's done all this while raising four children, ranging in ages from 8 to 19.
"I think there's tremendous value for the young women on our team to have a female role model on staff that has an established career, and that has been able to successfully balance the responsibility that entails with having a family and raising children," Gravel said. "Kortney is a great example for our athletes, and someone that they can relate to in a different way that's going to benefit our program."
The Hillsdale College volleyball team is training through the spring in preparation for the fall 2023 campaign, which kicks off on Sept. 1 and 2 at the Northern Michigan Open in Marquette, with four matches in two days.