Missy Soboleski
Head Coach

Jenn Ax
Ass't. Coach

Tiffany Trgovac
Ass't. Coach

Missy Soboleski, Head Coach

Edinboro University President Dr. Frank G. Pogue announced the hiring of Missy Soboleski as head volleyball coach on February 3, 2005. Soboleski replaced Dale Flickinger, who was hired on an interim basis in late July to replace Lynn Theehs, who went to the University of Maine.

After a slow start, Soboleski returned the Fighting Scots to the ranks of the elite in the Atlantic Region. Edinboro finished its first season under Soboleski’s tutelage with a 26-16 ledger, and was selected for the NCAA Division II Playoffs.

The 26 wins were particularly impressive since the Fighting Scots were struggling at 7-12 entering the final weekend in September. They would go on to win 17 of their final 19 regular season matches to qualify for the PSAC Tournament with a third place finish in the Western Division.

With a four-game win over Millersville in the quarterfinals, Edinboro reached the semifinals before falling in three games to Lock Haven. The same fate held true in the Atlantic Regional, as the Fighting Scots defeated Mount olive in three games in the quarterfinals, but then lost in three games to Lees-McRae in the semifinals.

Soboleski is well-known in local volleyball circles. She has previously coached at two local institutions, Mercyhurst and Gannon. She took over the Edinboro program after serving as the head coach at Mercyhurst from 1999-2004. At Mercyhurst, she inherited a volleyball program that had not had a winning season since 1993, had won only five games in four years in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC), and had recorded just 26 wins in five previous seasons. She proceeded to lead the Lady Lakers to three winning seasons in six years at the helm, including a 21-8 finish in 2002, winning the Southern Division championship. The 2001 team went 19-16, and her 2003 team was 16-15.

Prior to taking over at Mercyhurst, Soboleski spent four seasons as the head coach at her alma mater, Gannon, where she was previously a standout player. Her 1995-98 Lady Knight editions reached the GLIAC Playoffs twice, including a 21-14 record in her first season, with Gannon reaching the NCAA Division II Playoffs. Soboleski's final team was 18-16 and qualified for the GLIAC Playoffs. She was an assistant coach under Gerry (Burbules) Vensel, a member of the Edinboro Athletic Hall of Fame, in 1994.

"It has always been our intention to keep Edinboro University volleyball in the forefront of the PSAC and the region," related Director of Athletics Bruce Baumgartner. "We think coach Soboleski has what it takes to continue Edinboro University's winning tradition. We feel our program is in very good hands. Missy brings a great deal of energy and experience to our program, and she is very familiar with what Edinboro volleyball represents. We also like the fact that she enjoyed an excellent graduation rate at Mercyhurst.”

A native of Ravenna, Ohio, Soboleski graduated from Gannon in 1993 with a bachelor's degree in Education and a minor in Sports Management and Health & Physical Education. A four-year letterwinner for the Lady Knights from 1990 to 1993, Gannon was 116-22 during that period. That included three straight trips to the Elite Eight to conclude her playing career.

Soboleski enjoyed a distinguished career as a player, serving as a co-captain in 1993. The outside hitter earned a spot on the Hamot Classic All-Tournament team as a senior, then capped her career by earning All-Tournament accolades in the NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional. She totaled 14 kills and 16 digs in the regional final win over Slippery Rock, propelling Gannon to its third straight trip to the Elite Eight.

Soboleski and her husband, Mark, reside in Edinboro with their three children -- Madison (5) and twins Braden and Abigale (2). While at Gannon she also served as the SWA/Assistant Athletic Director. Mark is the head football coach at Central High School and a teacher in the Millcreek School District.

Missy Soboleski’s Career Coaching Record

Jenn Ax, Assistant Coach

Jenn (Barba) Ax joined the Edinboro coaching staff as interim assistant coach in August. Ax is no stranger to head coach Missy Soboleski, having played for the current Edinboro head coach when she served in a similar capacity at nearby Mercyhurst College.

In fact, Ax enjoyed a record-setting career for the Lakers, culminated by her selection as Mercyhurst’s Female Athlete of the Year in 2004. She earned second team All-GLIAC honors as a junior and senior, and was an honorable mention choice her first two years. In addition, she was named to the GLIAC All-Academic Team three times.

Ax holds Mercyhurst career records for games played (449), career block solos (165), career block assists (355), and career total blocks (520). She ranks second in career kills (1,311) and career kill percentage (.328) and is third in career attempts (2,949). In addition, she is tied for the school record for kills in a game with 27, along with block assists (9) and block solos (10) in a match.

A year ago Ax served as a graduate intern at Westminster College.

A native of Meadville, PA and a former standout at Meadville High School, Ax received her bachelor’s degree in Art from Mercyhurst in May 2004. While playing for Meadville High School, she was a second team All-State selection in 1999-2000 and was named the Tri-County Athletic Conference MVP both years. She currently resides in Meadville.

Tiffany Trgovac, Assistant Coach

Former Edinboro University standout Tiffany Trgovac will serve as a student assistant coach while completing work on her bachelor’s degree in Business Marketing.

A native of Irvine, CA, Trgovac played the last two seasons for the Fighting Scots after transferring from Irvine Valley Community College. While playing outside hitter, Trgovac finished third on the team in kills in 2005 with 250, while ranking second in digs (416). She capped her career by being named to the NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional All-Tournament Team.

As a junior, Trgovac finished third in kills (198) and digs (313) while leading the Fighting Scots with 37 service aces.