Volleyball returns to Kish College, Zachery Salapatek named Head Coach

For the first time in three seasons, volleyball will return to Kishwaukee College in the fall, and Kish has named its next coach to lead the revitalized program. In January 2023, Zachery Salapatek was hired as Head Coach of the Kish Volleyball Team.

The Kish Volleyball program, which last competed in the fall of 2019, has a long history of success. Kish won five National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) titles in 2001, 2002, 2006, 2007 and 2008. The program has made 14 NJCAA tournament appearances and captured numerous regional and conference titles.

Salapatek said he appreciates the program’s rich history and hopes that tradition can influence the Kougars as they establish their new identity.

“The history here is great and an inspiration for what we can accomplish,” Salapatek said. “My goal from day one is to establish a culture and a mentality for the future. This first year, the legacy this team leaves behind is the building block for everything going forward.”

Salapatek brings a wealth of volleyball experience to the program, both playing and coaching. As a coach, he worked as an assistant under Keith Foster at both Aggression Volleyball Club in Sycamore and Genoa-Kingston High School, where he helped the Cogs win an IHSA state title in 2022. He also served as an assistant coach for the Elgin High School boys team. Salapatek said his experience working with multiple levels of athletes within the Kish district will help build Kish’s initial roster.

In addition to his coaching experience, Salapatek had an extensive playing career. He first discovered his passion for volleyball playing in grade school, but his high school did not have a men’s team. Salapatek said he was often told he didn’t have the height or skills to compete at the college level. But when he was a student at the University of Kansas, he attempted to make the roster of the men’s club volleyball team and earned a spot after multiple days of grueling tryouts. As a member of the varsity squad, Salapatek said he had the opportunity to coach players on KU’s secondary units.

“For those few years playing volleyball at the University of Kansas, I had never worked as hard as I did at anything in my life. But I proved I belonged,” Salapatek said.

Salapatek said establishing the right mindset of hard work on and off the court will be the catalyst for success. He emphasized being a student will come first, and it’s important for future success, both academically and athletically, for student-athletes to focus on their studies.

“You can inspire people in a lot of different ways other than winning,” Salapatek said. “We want to help our student-athletes to be the best they can be.”

Kish’s Volleyball program has seen numerous athletes earn All-Academic, All-Conference and All-American honors. Additionally, multiple players have continued their careers at four-year colleges or universities.

For more information on the Volleyball program at Kishwaukee College, contact Zach Salapatek at zsalapatek@kish.edu or 815-825-9810, or visit www.kishkougars.com. For more information on Kishwaukee College, visit www.kish.edu.