Lisa Mathes-Peters enters her sixth season as the head volleyball coach for the cougars, having accumulated a record of 74-107. In 2009 the Cougars compiled a 19-19 overall record, finishing eighth in the Great Plains Athletic Conference standings, and hosting a first round match of the GPAC tournament for the first time since 2003. Several highlights of the 2009 include defeating Hastings College, who finished with a 27-9 record, taking then-No. 14 Dordt College to five sets and winning the first round GPAC playoff match against Midland Lutheran College.
USF received much recognition for their efforts on and off the court. Junior libero Rachel Heeney was named to the GPAC all – conference 2nd team and also selected GPAC Libero of the Week twice during the season. Junior outside Danielle Roers was named GPAC honorable mention for the second year in a row and junior right side/ setter Amber Sneller received GPAC Setter of the Week once. Heeney and junior Kayla Rolsma both received the Scholar Athlete awards for achieving academic excellence. As a team, the Cougars received the American Volleyball Coaches Association’s Academic Award for maintaining a minimum of a 3.30 team grade point average. It is the first time the Cougars have received the award in the 17 years of the award.
Mathes-Peters was named the head coach on January 14, 2005, coming to USF after two seasons coaching at Des Moines Area Community College. While at DMACC, Mathes-Peters led her team to a 61-32 record. She coached two second team All-Americans, two All-Region first team selections, and three second team All-Region honorees. Prior to DMACC Mathes-Peters served as the assistant coach at Indian Hills Community College from 1999-2003. Mathes-Peters is a graduate of Simpson College, where she earned her degree in Sports Administration. Mathes-Peters and her husband Tim Peters reside in Sioux Falls.