Q&A with Denver’s Megan Pendergast, the ex-Husker looking to turn the corner in Year 2

Pendergast was hired last summer on June 12 for her first head job after previously being an assistant coach at UCLA, Oklahoma and Tulsa.

“When I took the job, we had nine people on the roster, no setter and one middle blocker,” Pendergast said.

BYU transfer Briley Decker became the setter, and the Pioneers ended the season with a 14-12 record. In The Summit League regular season, Denver was part of a four-way tie for first place at 12-4. At the conference tournament, Denver reached the semifinals before losing a five-set match against Omaha.

On Saturday, Denver will challenge itself in a big way with a spring match against Nebraska, played in front of more than 5,000 fans in Kearney at the UNK Health and Sports Center. The 2 p.m. match will be on TV on Nebraska Public Media.

Pendergast is familiar to many Nebraska fans, having played defensive specialist for the Huskers in 2009 and 2010. She finished her career playing for Texas A&M, closer to her home in the Houston area, where she was the starting libero for two seasons.

She remained connected to the Nebraska program and says it’s a personal highlight to coach in a match against the Huskers.

“For me, it’s special to be a head coach in a match against (Nebraska coach John Cook) because he’s been such a huge part of my career,” Pendergast said. “He’s been on my (job) reference letter since the beginning, so for me, it’s a cool thing. I’m grateful we got the call and got the opportunity.”

Also, Denver accepted an invitation to play in a tournament in Lincoln this season, although the Pioneers will play two other teams, not Nebraska, that weekend.

While this is Nebraska’s only spring match, Denver has already played Northern Colorado, Colorado Mesa and Metropolitan State University of Denver.

Below is more from Pendergast on her coaching career, recruiting and college transfers. 

When was being a college coach something that you were serious about?

MP: “I think I’m one of those weirdos at 14 (years old) I said I was going to do this. I kind of always knew this is what I wanted to do. I think even talking with Coach (Cook) when I first got to Nebraska, this was always on the radar.”

How did you and Denver get on each other’s radar?

MP: “They were hiring late, and it was definitely a job that I was interested in. I did actually ask Coach Cook to make a call for me, so he helped me out, per usual. I think it was the right time, right place to a program that was suited for me, and me suited for it. We were in the process, and then I asked Coach Cook to make a phone call. He didn’t know anybody at Denver, but he sent a note pretty quick after I asked him to.”

How did you feel about your record during the first season?

MP: “When I took the job, we had nine people on the roster, no setter and one middle blocker. In June. So for me, (it was) how quickly can I build this roster and find quality athletes that can do what Denver has done historically, which is to be an NCAA Tournament team and compete for conference championships? To go from that situation to winning the regular season and being two points away from beating Omaha and competing to get in the NCAA Tournament, I was pretty pleased. I don’t think our record necessarily reflected how good we got, and what kind of opponent we were. Our biggest opponent last year was time. I think we just needed a little bit more time and we would have been able to make a little bit further of a run.

“It was a lot of fun. It was a year where there was not a lot of pressure, just because the expectations of us were to get the program going again. And then I think we got it going a little quicker than they expected.”

What’s your plan in recruiting? What can be your niche?

MP: “I think Denver is a place where we can recruit nationally. We’ve got national championships in hockey and skiing. You get that national attention. And I think Denver is a city where you can attract people from all over. Historically, I’ve done a lot of recruiting in Texas and California.”

Will you try to recruit Nebraska (none of the 10 players on the roster this spring are from the state)?

MP: “Of course. With the clubs there and the high school there, the athletes are elite. Obviously you’re competing with a couple of really great programs in that state from Omaha to Creighton all the way up with Nebraska. It’s stiff competition, and the Midwest has a ton of great schools, but with us going to Omaha every year, I think we’d be missing out if we’re not going after some Nebraska kids.”

How did you end up playing Nebraska in a spring match?

MP: “Nebraska is going a little later this year into May and Denver is a quarter school and we’ll still be training into May. I think it was just a good fit. We’re within driving distance. Coach gave me a call, and we went from there.”

Are there things you had to consider before you decide that’s a good thing for you to do?

MP: “There are little things here and there. But it’s too good of an opportunity to go against the national runner-up and a program like Nebraska. And be in an arena filled with fans. I understand the Husker fans pretty well, and they’re not just cheering for Nebraska. They want the Huskers to win bad, but they’re cheering for good volleyball. It’s a no-brainer for me to go and play in front of fans like that.”

How do you look at players transferring in and out, having done that yourself as a college athlete?

MP: “I always joke, the portal giveth and the portal taketh away. I think the transfer portal is a huge part of what we do now. The May window just opened and we’re looking and going to be going after it. I don’t think we’re losing anybody — hopefully that quote ages well. The portal is a huge part of what we do now. I think there are a lot of people who have a really negative view of it. I’m pretty neutral on it. I think if someone is looking for a different situation — better situation, closer to family, whatever it is — they have the right to do that.”

There is a lot of talk right now about growing the sport of college volleyball. What does that look like for you?

MP: “I’ve actually thought a lot about this. Denver has got a super vibrant volleyball community. So to tap into that, and the young volleyball community, is a huge priority and goal of mine. There are 50 grass courts set up right around the corner from here every weekend. All of those people love to play, so hopefully we can get them to love to watch it. I’ve thought a lot about (former Nebraska coach) Terry Pettit and how if you had a Nebraska football ticket you could get in free to a volleyball game. So how can we do that here? Our hockey is sold out, so if you have a hockey ticket, how can we get you to a volleyball game?

“I think when you look at the landscape of women’s athletics right now, where else are you going to be investing right now except for in women’s sports? The growth is immense, and it’s hard to say where the ceiling is because we haven’t put enough into it as a whole, and I’m super-excited to do my part in that in the city of Denver.”