Dec. 15, 2008

BEAUMONT - Lamar University assistant volleyball coach Tess Rogers will be leaving the Lady Cardinals after choosing to return to the court to play professionally in Finland.

Rogers will return to play for Vanajan RC in Finland, the team she was on during the 2007 season. In her first stint in Finland her team won the gold medal and she was selected as one of the top six players in the league.

As an assistant at Lamar, Rogers helped guide the Lady Cardinals to their first NCAA appearance since the 1993 season. As a player and a coach, Rogers has gone to the NCAA all five times possible, four times as a student athlete at Colorado State and once with LU.

"After watching our team play in the NCAA Tournament, it was killing me not to be out there on the floor competing," Rogers said. "If I could play for the rest of my life I wouldn't be going right now, but there is such small window of opportunity to play professionally that I had to do it. I'm very grateful for the opportunity that I was given here at Lamar, and I know this program will continue to get better with the players that are here and the recruiting class coming in."

Lamar head coach Justin Gibert said he is happy for the opportunity Rogers has in Finland, but regrets losing a talented young coach.

"Tess made a tremendous impact on our team this season and was instrumental in helping guide us to the NCAA tournament," he said. "Personally, I am extremely happy for her in that she has been offered such a lucrative opportunity to continue her professional playing career, but we are also disappointed that we will lose such a young coaching talent.

"She brought a wide range of experience and knowledge to the court and challenged the team to play its best every day. I certainly wish her well and know that she will be a difference maker on her professional team. Tess is a fantastic young lady, and I hope that her time at Lamar was as rewarding for her as it was for me."

Gibert will begin looking for Rogers' replacement as soon as possible.