After spending the 2000 and 2001 seasons as University of St. Francis' assistant volleyball coach, Cara Currier took over the Lady Saint program in 2002 and found immediate success. Her initial team not only posted a 35-9 mark, but also advanced to the NAIA national tournament, where it tied for 11th place in the country.

In addition, Currier and her contingent added a Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference tournament title and a NAIA Region VII tournament championship to their list of accomplishments in her inaugural campaign.

In her sixth season in 2007, Currier added two more firsts to her coaching credentials at St. Francis - a CCAC regular-season championship and a CCAC Coach of the Year award. She directed the Saints to a share of the title with rival Saint Xavier and the team claimed the No. 1 seed in the CCAC post-season championship tournament thanks to a three-game sweep of the Cougars in the regular-season meeting. The Saints narrowly missed adding the CCAC tournament title to their 2007 accomplishments, losing a hard-fought four-game match at home to defending champion Olivet Nazarene.

Currier, who posted her 100th career collegiate coaching victory in 2005, stands 177-121 in her seven years at the USF helm. She was promoted to head coach after Kendall Villa resigned upon the completion of the 2001 season.

Along with her responsibilities as head coach, Currier also is the Assistant Director of Athletics at USF.

Prior to arriving at St. Francis, Currier spent five years as a math teacher and coach at Plainfield High School. In her four years as the girls' varsity volleyball coach, the Wildcats went 46-68-6. She also served as the head softball coach on the sophomore level all five years.

Currier received bachelor of arts degrees in mathematics and secondary education from Augustana College in 1990 and a master of science degree in sports management from Western Illinois University in 1998.

While attending Augustana, Currier posted a 3.31 grade point average and earned a total of 11 letters in volleyball, swimming and softball. Her collegiate honors included being named a softball Academic All-American, a member of the Dean's List and a team captain. She also was an all-conference performer in both softball and swimming, not to mention being the recipient of the Outstanding Participant Award at the Collegiate Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin Swimming Championships.

During her prep career at Hononegah High School in Rockton, Currier was a three-sport athlete, competing in volleyball, basketball and softball.

Currier is the mother of twin daughters, Ashley and Haley, who were born in 2003 and can't wait until they turn six years old in December. The family resides in Minooka.

Former University of St. Francis volleyball player Erica Gustafson begins her first season as an assistant coach on the USF staff. 

Her previous coaching experience includes a stint with the UNO volleyball club in Joliet.

Gustafson completed her career (2001-05) as the Saints' all-time leader in assists with 5,521. She was a four-time All-Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference first-team selection and was twice (2002 and '04) named to the NAIA Region VII first team. She was named the CCAC Freshman of the Year in 2002.

She redshirted her freshman season in 2001 and came back in 2002 to quarterback the Saints to their most recent visit to the NAIA Championship Tournament. The Saints finished in a tie for 11^th at that tourney at Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego, Calif., and posted an overall 35-9 season record. In her four seasons as the starting setter, she led the Saints to an overall record of 112-57 (.663).

Gustafson came to USF after a stellar high school career at Downers Grove South where she helped the Mustangs capture the 1999 Illinois state title in her junior season and a third-place title in her senior season in 2000.

Gustafson is single and resides in Joliet.

Former University of St. Francis volleyball player Jeana (Carrico) Pekol enters her seventh season as Cara Currier's right hand on the Saints' coaching staff.

Pekol played her senior season at USF and was named to the All-Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference team that year (1998). She also was recognized twice as the league's player of the week.

Before transferring to USF, Pekol competed at the University of Missouri-St. Louis her freshman year and at NCAA Division I Northeastern Illinois University the following two seasons.

While at UMSL, Pekol was voted as the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association freshman of the year. She gained honors at Northeastern, as well, making the All-Mid-Continent Conference team.

Pekol, a member of the Kappa Delta Phi International Honor Society, also was the vice president of the Student-Athlete Advisory Board while at Northeastern.

Pekol's coaching background includes working at St. Francis' All-American Camp and both the Peru Park District and La Salle-Peru High School summer camps. She also coached the Illinois Valley Volley Power club team.

After receiving a bachelor's degree in elementary education from USF in 1999, Pekol went on to get her master's in educational leadership from Aurora University in 2004.

In addition to coaching at USF, Pekol serves as an assistant principal at Minooka Junior High. She and her husband Scott, a former USF basketball player, live in Joliet with their twin sons Zach and Luke, who celebrated their fourth birthdays in May.