LOGAN, Utah –  With the Utah State volleyball team under the direction of a new coaching staff, the Aggies were working hard in the gym through spring practice when the world turned upside down. 

While the first few months on the job have not gone the way they expected, the new staff is making the most of the time outside of the gym.

Chloe Hirst joined the Aggies as an assistant coach and the recruiting coordinator. The native of Bountiful, Utah, played at Woods Cross High School before playing collegiately at Idaho State. Since graduation, Hirst has had stops as the director of volleyball operations at Weber State and Utah.

We recently caught up with Hirst for a Q&A.

Q: You're a few months into the job, how are things going?
Hirst: The job is fantastic. I absolutely love our volleyball staff. The entire athletic department has been so welcoming and helpful, and our players are unbelievable. It's been a unique experience for everyone with the COVID-19 restrictions. The team has been so willing to be flexible in how we're able to work together and to accept change and feedback from us. They worked so hard in the amount of time that we had in the gym training and are still finding ways to stay strong and improve every day. I am very grateful to be a part of Utah State volleyball.

Q: What is your role on the coaching staff?​​​​​​​
Hirst: In addition to assistant coach, my main role is recruiting coordinator. Researching, scouting and recruiting top talent for the Aggies is my daily focus. In the gym, I primarily work with the outside hitters, but throughout practice, the entire coaching staff gives feedback to nearly every player.

Q: This is your first collegiate coaching job, but you have spent the last two seasons as an ops director. How will that experience benefit you as a coach?
Hirst: As a director of volleyball operations, I had a great opportunity to gain experience with two amazing head coaches: Jeremiah Larsen (Weber State) and Beth Launiere (Utah). I respect both of them so much and appreciate their life-long mentorship and friendship to me. As a director of operations, I was able to see the "big picture" and gain an understanding of the detailed components of running a Division I volleyball program from A-Z. I learned the importance of communicating effectively and creating relationships with support staff (athletic trainers, academic staff, sports information, compliance, ticketing, nutrition, sport psychology, etc.). With this experience, I am eager to focus my attention on player developing and recruiting future Aggies. Being a volleyball coach alongside Rob Neilson at Utah State is a dream job!

Q: As the recruiting coordinator for the Aggies, what does that involve?
Hirst: Recruiting is all about building genuine relationships with prospective student-athletes, their families and club coaches. We want to make sure Utah State is a great fit for recruits we are bringing into our program, both culturally and athletically. On a daily basis, being the recruiting coordinator means a lot of phone calls and emails. Rob has really pushed me to think outside of the box with our approach to recruiting during the COVID-19  pandemic. I appreciate him pushing me and aiding in my development. When we are not restricted by COVID-19, recruiting involves a lot of travel on weekends to club tournaments and practices.

Q: How do you think being a Utah native and former Division I volleyball player will benefit your work?​​​​​​
Hirst: Being from Utah definitely makes being an assistant coach at Utah State that much more special. So many of my classmates from high school went to Utah State and I have lots of family who have attended and graduated from here. The biggest benefit I have seen so far is having a lot of previous relationships with different club directors, club coaches and high school coaches. A lot of the players in the state who are now 17 and 18 were playing at the same club as me when they were 10-12 years old. It is pretty crazy being able to recruit those players now. I feel like I've watched some of these player's grow up overnight. 

Being a former Division I player is definitely a benefit for my work. I was in our players' shoes coming up on three seasons ago. I know what they are feeling and understand the time demands that are placed on our student-athletes. It definitely helps with building relationships and being relatable with our current players and recruits. I love being able to share ideas with our players about things that I felt worked well for me as a student-athlete. I loved my time as a Division I athlete and want to help our players have a great experience. as well.

Q: What have you been up to during this social distancing and quarantine period?
Hirst: During quarantine and social distancing we have been able to meet daily as a staff via Zoom. Besides working from home, I have been hanging out with my dog, playing piano and doing lots of puzzles.

Q: What is your favorite way to fill your free time outside of coaching?
Hirst: Snow skiing is easily my favorite activity to do outside of coaching. My family and I enjoy water skiing, as well. You typically could find me doing something active or just hanging out with my dog.

Q: What is the movie you can watch over and over again without getting tired of?
Hirst: That is such a tough question for me, I'm a huge movie fan. Right now, my top pick is "Wonder Woman." 

Fans can follow the Aggie volleyball program on Twitter, @USUVolleyball, on Facebook at /USUVolleyball or on Instagram, @usuvolleyball. Aggie fans can also follow the Utah State athletic program on Twitter, @USUAthletics, Facebook at /USUAthletics and on Instagram, @USUAthletics.

-USU-