Coach aims to lift UCI

IRVINE — Newly hired UC Irvine women’s volleyball coach Paul Weishoff, formally introduced on campus Wednesday, made several references to getting the players on board when discussing her immediate to-do list.

But John Speraw, the Anteaters men’s coach and the school’s director of volleyball who was integral to the hiring process, said Weishoff’s arrival is more about creating a bow wave.

“She was definitely a no-brainer hire,” said Speraw, who guided the UCI men to the 2007 NCAA title and helped the U.S. men’s national team win gold at the Beijing Olympics last summer. “We knew what we wanted to do and we didn’t mess around. We wanted to move on this as quickly as possible and we wanted to make a splash in the volleyball community. We wanted to let people know that Irvine is going to be a national player. We’re going to compete for national championships in men’s and women’s volleyball in the future and we wanted to hire Paula before anyone else in the United States of America could fill [their coaching openings].”

Speraw said when Charlie Brande let him know in October that he would be retiring after nine seasons at the helm, he quickly met with Athletic Director Mike Izzi and Senior Women’s Administrator Paula Smith to outline a plan of attack for lining up a replacement.

“We knew Paula [Weishoff, who was the NAIA Coach of the Year in 2008 after guiding Concordia University of Irvine to a runner-up finish at the national tournament completed Saturday in Iowa] was the best candidate and would potentially be a candidate for a lot of different programs and we wanted to be the first one in,” Speraw said. “The first step in our plan was to talk to Paula Weishoff and that’s what we did. We’re grateful it all worked out.”

Weishoff, a three-time Olympian who was part of three NCAA championship teams as a player and assistant coach at USC, said Wednesday there is still much to be worked out, since she only finalized her decision to take over at UCI upon returning to her Huntington Beach home on Sunday.

She said her immediate plans included overseeing a smooth transition at Concordia, where she was 162-31 for a winning percentage of .816, after spending eight seasons (1997 to 2004) as a USC assistant, the final two as associate head coach. She was also intent on getting to know her UCI players, assembling a coaching staff, initiating fundraising efforts and beginning to recruit.

“It’s a whole process,” said Weishoff, who added that she believes, like Speraw’s men’s teams, the UCI women can compete on a national level.

“What John has done with the men’s team is great,” Weishoff said. “You want to be competing for a national championship ... I think at the end of this season, [the Anteaters, who won 10 of their last 12 to claim second place in the Big West Conference, but at 17-12 were denied an at-large berth into the NCAA Tournament] showed they could compete with anybody. Starting with next season, we want to show people who we are and that we’re a force to be reckoned with.”

Weishoff said she foresees an extended stay at UCI, and she identified making the NCAA Tournament as a goal for next season.

UCI is 1-2 in NCAA Tournament appearances in 2003 and 2004.

Weishoff, a longtime neighbor of two-time first-team All-Big West outside hitter Kari Pestolesi, who will be a junior next season, said she is good friends with Tom and Diane Pestolesi, Kari’s parents, with whom she has attended several UCI matches.

“I’ve seen what the core group of returners can do,” Weishoff said. “I think they’re feisty and I like that. I think we’ll be feisty, we can run a fast offense and I think we can play some pretty good volleyball.”

Weishoff’s strong reputation as a recruiter, Speraw said, should help UCI get better quickly.

“I absolutely think we can get top-level talent,” Weishoff said.

“She can recruit,” Speraw said. “I got feedback from everyone I talked to about her that she is a great recruiter. I know she’ll do a good job of that, which is crucial here.”

Tom Pestolesi, the men’s and women’s coach at Irvine Valley Community College who coached boys and girls previously at Estancia and Newport Harbor high schools, also said Weishoff has an impressive reputation as a recruiter.

“She will get so-called Fab 50 kids every year,” Tom Pestolesi said. “She has a lot of respect within the volleyball community. But more than that, she is just a really good person.”

Pestolesi added that Weishoff, a 6-foot-1 middle blocker who still competes in national age-group tournaments, continues to contribute to her legendary reputation as a player.

“Arguably, she is the best indoor player this country has ever produced and you won’t get too many people arguing against that,” said Pestolesi, whose wife, a former All-American at Hawaii, played with Weishoff on several youth national teams in the 1970s. “[Weishoff] was MVP of the 1992 Olympics and that means you’re the best player in the world. She’s 46, but she would still be a first-team All-American [among collegians]. She’s still unbelievable, which gives her instant credibility on the practice floor. I’ve seen her demonstrate skills in her sweatsuit, with no warmup, that made players’ jaws drop.

“She not only has the ability to do it, but can show others how to do it, which is hard to do. She’s one of those rare great players who can transfer her knowledge to others.”

Said Kari Pestolesi: “She’s just one of the studliest people I know. I think she has more to offer than any coach out there. I’m very excited that she’s here.”

Speraw said the more he learned about Weishoff, whom he has known for a couple years, the more he wanted to bring her to UCI.

“I can’t tell you how many phone conversations I had from highly respected coaches across the country who told me: ‘This is your hire,’ ” Speraw said. “First, she’s a great role model for the girls. You can take one look at her and know that she could still go out there and sideout with the best of them.

“She obviously comes from a diverse background of quality coaching. And, I know she has high expectations and has achieved success at every level.”

Weishoff said UCI assistants Sabrina Hernandez and Jay Hosack will be considered among a short list of candidates to fill out her staff.

BARRY FAULKNER may be reached at (714) 966-4615 or at barry.faulkner@latimes.com.