- In her sixth season at UIS in 2020
- Primary focus at UIS is developing the blocking scheme and working with middle blockers
- Helped UIS rank in the top-10 nationally in blocking over the last three seasons
Tina Salinas is in her sixth season as an assistant coach for the University of Illinois Springfield volleyball team in 2020.
Salinas has helped the UIS program have a record of 84-77 since her arrival. Over the last three seasons, the Prairie Stars have gone 66-33, including at least 19 wins in each year. In 2018, she was part of the coaching staff that UIS to its first GLVC Regular Season Championship, and its first berth in the NCAA Division II Tournament.
Salinas’ primary responsibilities within the UIS program is on developing the blocking scheme, and training and recruiting middle blockers. The program has developed into one of the top blocking programs in NCAA Division II. UIS has ranked in the top-10 in the nation in blocking in each of the last three years, including being third with 2.89 blocks a set in 2018.
Salinas has played a key role in the development of three of the top middle blockers in program history. Alyssa Hasler and Alli Splitt were both named All-Americans during their careers, and Brianna Bush is a two-time all-GLVC selection entering her senior season in 2020. That trio all rank in the top-four in program history in career blocks, and are on pace to be the top-three players in the program’s NCAA era in career kills.
Salinas comes to UIS after serving as the varsity women’s volleyball coach at South Point high school in Belmont, N.C. She also served as a head coach at Lake Norman Volleyball club, Colorado volleyball association, and Juggernaut volleyball club. Prior to moving to North Carolina, she served as women’s varsity volleyball coach at Bishop Machebeuf high school in Denver, Colo.
Prior to her coaching career, Tina was an all-American middle blocker for Hastings College in Hastings, Neb. where she ranks as one of the top all-time career blocks leader with 406 blocks.
