Volleyball Adds Shemanova, Kratzer to Staff for 2023 Season
6/28/2023 11:25:00 AM | Volleyball
One of the best players in Syracuse Volleyball history is staying home. Polina Shemanova will join head coach Bakeer Ganesharatnam and his staff on the sidelines as an assistant coach and director of volleyball operations. Additionally, Megan Kratzer is joining the staff as a graduate student data analyst.
Shemanova is a two-time AVCA All-America Honorable Mention selection and a four-time AVCA All-Region honoree. She finished her career at Syracuse as the all-time leader in career kills (1,845) this past season. She was the 2018 ACC Volleyball Freshman of the Year and helped guide the Orange to their first NCAA Tournament appearance, and win, in program history her rookie season.
"Having the opportunity to have Polina join our staff is incredible for our program," Ganesharatnam said. "She is an established player, an important player and one of the best, if not the best, in our history. Having her join us on the sideline is going to be so valuable for our current and future players. We are excited about this opportunity and are looking forward to working with Polina this upcoming fall."
In her new role with the Orange, Shemanova will have coaching responsibilities while running the day-to-day operations of the program.
Shemanova graduated from Syracuse with a bachelor's degree in 2022 and will complete a master's degree in broadcast and digital journalism from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications this August.
The three-time All-ACC First Team selection signed a professional contract earlier this month with the newly founded Pro Volleyball Federation which begins its inaugural season in February 2024.
Kratzer was a four-year letterwinner at High Point University. She appeared in 89 matching during her time with the Panthers and averaged 1.57 kills per set. The Big South All-Conference honoree averaged 1.27 digs per set and 40 blocks during her time in the Purple and White.
"We are very happy that Megan is joining our staff," Ganesharatnam said. "She is a former student-athlete that competed at a high level and has experienced success in the postseason. To have her in this role as data analyst, her service will provide us opportunities for game prep, give detailed feedback to our student-athletes after practices and competition."
High Point went 23-10 this past season with a 14-2 record in the Big South en route to winning the Big South Championship and earning a bid to the NCAA Tournament.
Kratzer was awarded the prestigious Christenberry Award by the Big South as a senior. The Christenberry Award is given to the male and female student-athletes who attain the highest GPA during their undergraduate collegiate careers.
Kratzer graduated from High Point in May with degrees in data analytics & statistics, actuarial science and French.
Syracuse posted a 11-17 record last season and has added nine players for the upcoming 2023 season.Â
Make sure to follow @CuseVB on Twitter and Instagram for updates on all things Syracuse Volleyball.Â
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Shemanova is a two-time AVCA All-America Honorable Mention selection and a four-time AVCA All-Region honoree. She finished her career at Syracuse as the all-time leader in career kills (1,845) this past season. She was the 2018 ACC Volleyball Freshman of the Year and helped guide the Orange to their first NCAA Tournament appearance, and win, in program history her rookie season.
"Having the opportunity to have Polina join our staff is incredible for our program," Ganesharatnam said. "She is an established player, an important player and one of the best, if not the best, in our history. Having her join us on the sideline is going to be so valuable for our current and future players. We are excited about this opportunity and are looking forward to working with Polina this upcoming fall."
In her new role with the Orange, Shemanova will have coaching responsibilities while running the day-to-day operations of the program.
Shemanova graduated from Syracuse with a bachelor's degree in 2022 and will complete a master's degree in broadcast and digital journalism from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications this August.
The three-time All-ACC First Team selection signed a professional contract earlier this month with the newly founded Pro Volleyball Federation which begins its inaugural season in February 2024.
Kratzer was a four-year letterwinner at High Point University. She appeared in 89 matching during her time with the Panthers and averaged 1.57 kills per set. The Big South All-Conference honoree averaged 1.27 digs per set and 40 blocks during her time in the Purple and White.
"We are very happy that Megan is joining our staff," Ganesharatnam said. "She is a former student-athlete that competed at a high level and has experienced success in the postseason. To have her in this role as data analyst, her service will provide us opportunities for game prep, give detailed feedback to our student-athletes after practices and competition."
High Point went 23-10 this past season with a 14-2 record in the Big South en route to winning the Big South Championship and earning a bid to the NCAA Tournament.
Kratzer was awarded the prestigious Christenberry Award by the Big South as a senior. The Christenberry Award is given to the male and female student-athletes who attain the highest GPA during their undergraduate collegiate careers.
Kratzer graduated from High Point in May with degrees in data analytics & statistics, actuarial science and French.
Syracuse posted a 11-17 record last season and has added nine players for the upcoming 2023 season.Â
Make sure to follow @CuseVB on Twitter and Instagram for updates on all things Syracuse Volleyball.Â
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Players Mentioned
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