M State has found a serendipitous successor to former Lady Spartans Volleyball Head Coach Abby Crowser, who ended her run with the team last fall after nine celebrated seasons: One of Crowser’s former players.
Laura Tungseth, who was an outside hitter for the Lady Spartans from 2015 to 2017, has been hired as the team’s new Head Coach. She will also serve as the Assistant Student Life Director at M State’s Fergus Falls campus.
“I’m super grateful for my time with Coach Abby, and now, I’m so honored to apply what I’ve learned from her as I take over the role of Head Coach myself,” Tungseth says. “I’m excited to be back at M State, and to be able to invest back into the school that invested in me.”
Tungseth graduated from M State with an Associate of Arts degree in 2018 and has since been a volleyball and Junior Olympic coach for her high school alma mater, Hillcrest Lutheran Academy in Fergus Falls.
“I’ve always loved volleyball, since I was a young girl,” she says. “Playing at the college, and then coaching at the high school level, I grew my knowledge of the game. Now, I love helping other, newer players love the game as I do, and helping them grow their skills and knowledge.”
Tungseth describes herself as an upbeat, energetic and competitive person, and says those personality traits show through in her coaching style.
“I’m always wanting players to be better than they were before they joined my team – not just better volleyball players, but better women,” she says. “That’s going to be a big thing for me at M State, helping these women prepare for the future, teaching them life skills along with volleyball skills.”
Her holistic focus promises to serve all M State Fergus Falls students well as she connects with them in her role as Assistant Student Life Director. Wanting to ensure that students fully enjoy their college experience, Tungseth plans to hold events and activities to bolster student engagement in campus life. She also wants to teach and encourage students to serve others and give back to their community. Her overarching goal, she says, is to help students grow and prepare for life beyond college.
“I’m excited about Laura’s coaching style and connection to M State and our mission,” says M State President Carrie Brimhall. “She brings energy and a positive attitude to our college.”
Tungseth will begin at M State full-time in July. Until then, she’s working part-time to recruit volleyball team members for next season. She says she’s focusing her efforts on players who are reliable, accountable, coachable and willing to work hard, and who prioritize their studies and exemplify what the M State and Lady Spartan Volleyball program stand for, on and off the courts.