Indiana University Athletics
Getting to Know Keith Schunzel
4/8/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
April 8, 2008
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Hoosier Volleyball fans may remember the "10 Questions With..." weekly series during the fall season. On Tuesday, IUHoosiers.com tracked down the newest member of the coaching staff, Keith Schunzel, for his installment of the get-to-know feature.
Why did you choose to come to IU?
"There is something very special about Indiana University as well as Big Ten volleyball. IU is at a perfect point right now where we are building this program. We have a really, really good staff and the support here is unbelievable. It's a beautiful campus, great school, and there are so many great things about it. With the kids we have here, the ones we have coming in and everything that IU offers its' student-athletes, big things are coming for Hoosier volleyball."
What motivates you and drives you to succeed?
"I really, really hate losing. I hate losing more than I like winning. I can't stand losing at anything, so I work until the team is winning."
Have any pets? If so, tell us about them?
"I have a dog named Abby who is a beagle and a cat named Moshe, which is Hebrew for Moses. They are great, I take them everywhere with me. My dog even came to the volleyball tournament with me last weekend. I run for miles with Abby when it's nice outside. It's really funny when they fight with each other and roll around on the floor. They are like my little kids."
What's your most memorable moment while playing volleyball?
"That would have to be the Final Four at Penn State in 2002 when we (Schunzel was a member of the Ball State men's volleyball team) played number one-ranked Pepperdine. The crazy environment, a sold-out crowd and being on ESPN was pretty neat."
What's your most memorable moment while coaching volleyball?
"One of my most memorable moments was coaching a boys' club team. It was a developmental team that only played for a couple months one summer. None of my guys had ever played club volleyball before, had never played together, nor were they very good at volleyball. In our last tournament of the summer, we ended up playing one of the two very good boys' clubs in St. Louis, called Missouri Thunder. I told my guys that we were going to walk on the floor, win the first point, go absolutely crazy, and proceed to destroy them the rest of the match. We got up 8-0 before they scored their first point, and my team won the match easily. I will never forget the smiles on my guys' faces after that match was over. That is why I coach."
Where is your favorite place on the Bloomington campus and why?
"I like the areas on campus with the bridges and creeks that go underneath. Not one bridge in particular, but I think they're unique to IU. Those are my favorite places to walk by, the bridges."
Who do you look upto in terms of volleyball?
"My volleyball hero would have to be Karch Kiraly because not only is he the best player ever, but also because he has done so much for the sport. People know about the sport because of that guy. At an AVP tournament a couple of years ago in Cincinnati, I was there trying to qualify at seven thirty in the morning on Thursday. The professionals didn't play until the next day, but he was the only pro there to watch the qualifier matches, just because he loved volleyball. He wanted to talk to all the volunteers who were helping to run the tournament. I though that was really neat."
Who is your hero outside of volleyball?
"My dad didn't have many enemies and had lots and lots of friends because of how he treated people. He didn't like fighting or getting into arguments because he was a really peaceful guy. He treated people the right way and respected them and I really learned to admire that as I got older."
If you could have anyone, dead or alive, in your fantasy golf four-some, who would it be?
"Tiger Woods and two of my best friends. I enjoy hanging out with my friends who I don't get to see enough. Famous people don't do a lot for me, but Tiger is maybe the most dominant athlete in the history of sports so that would be pretty cool."
What is your number one goal for the 2008 season?
"Our number one goal is to fight for 12, which is our team motto. We want to be playing in December, the 12th month. Whether that means to compete harder every day, going above and beyond, breaking down more video, whatever it takes we're going to be playing in December next season!"
