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South Dakota State University Athletics
Staff Directory
Georgalas, Dan
Dan Georgalas
- Title:
- Head Coach
- Email:
Dan Georgalas enters his sixth season as the head coach at South Dakota State in 2025. Through five seasons at the helm, Georgalas (pronounced Jor-JAL-iss) has guided the team to a 79-61 overall record and 49-35 Summit League mark.
In 2024, Georgalas was named the Summit League Coach of the Year and AVCA Northwest Region Coach of the Year following a stellar 27-3 season that included an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. SDSU started the season with a 22-0 mark, the best start to a season and the longest win streak in program history, and went on to win the Summit League regular season and finish runner-up in the Summit League postseason. The Jackrabbits’ first NCAA at-large bid in program history sent SDSU to Lincoln, Nebraska, where the team fell to Miami in the opening round. SDSU's final RPI of the season was 34.
Three Jackrabbits earned Summit League honors in 2024. Sylvie Zgonc was named the Summit League Player of the Year, AVCA All-Region and All-America honorable mention as just a sophomore. Her 4.37 kills per set and 4.88 points per set both rank third in a single season for the Jackrabbits. Zgonc was joined on the All-Summit First Team and All-Region team by Sydni Schetnan. Schetnan also set a new program record with a .388 hit percentage in 2024 and tallied 146 total blocks on the year, the second most in a single season at SDSU. Madison Burr was tabbed the Summit League Freshman of the Year and was an honorable mention all-league selection. Her 130 blocks in her freshman season is the fourth-most my an SDSU player in a single season. Rylee Martin tallied 38 ace serves on the year, also program record.
The Jackrabbits set six team statistic records in 2024 - kills per set (13.13), hit percentage (.242), aces per set (1.59), total blocks (310.0), blocks per set (2.74) and points per set (17.47). SDSU also set a new volleyball attendance record at its home opener against Kansas City with 2,853 fans. It was also the first official event held at the newly-renovated First Bank & Trust Arena.Â
In 2023, SDSU went 9-20 overall and 7-9 in Summit League contests. The team returned to the Summit League postseason for the third straight season. Jackrabbit freshman Sylvie Zgonc was named the Summit League's Freshman of the Year and was an all-conference first team honoree.Â
The Jackrabbits went 18-15 overall and 11-7 in Summit League action in 2022. The team finished with a winning record for the second straight season, marking the first time SDSU has had consecutive winning seasons since 2006-2007. The Jackrabbits accepted an invitation to the National Invitational Volleyball Championship and beat Louisiana in the opening round for the first national postseason victory in program history.
Jackrabbit volleyball set a number of program records in 2022, including single-season kills (1,701), single-season assists (1,566) and single-season ace serves (183). SDSU also set the program’s single-match home attendance record October 1 when 1,524 fans were on hand for the Jacks to take on in-state rival South Dakota at Frost Arena. SDSU was led by fifth-year senior Crystal Burk, who finished the season ranked third nationally in total kills (589) and 13th in kills per set (4.50). Burk graduated from SDSU ranking highly in a series of career and single-season records, most notably as the Jacks’ single-season kills leader (589) and all-time career sets played leader (495). Burk signed a professional contract with the Gislaved Volleyball Club in Gislaved, Sweden following the completion of her final season. Burk was named to the all-Summit League first team for the second straight season and Masa Scheierman was an all-freshman team selection.
In 2021, the Jacks went 19-12 overall and 10-8 in the Summit League. The team's 19 total wins was the most for SDSU since 2011 and its 8-3 start was the best since 2012. State went on to qualify for the Summit League postseason for the first time since 2010 as the No. 6 seed. SDSU upset No. 3 Denver in the opening round before pushing No. 2 South Dakota, the eventual tournament champion, to five sets in the semifinal. The Jacks' win over Denver was the program's first postseason victory since the Jackrabbits won the tournament in 2007. Crystal Burk was honored as a Summit League first-team selection and Ella Thompson was named to the Summit League's all-freshman team.
In the 2020 season, which was played in the spring of 2021 due to COVID-19, Georgalas led SDSU to a 6-11 overall record and 6-10 record in league play. The team claimed six Summit League wins, the most since 2012, and finished sixth in the conference standings. Although six teams would qualify for the Summit League Championship in a typical year, the tournament field was narrowed to just four in 2020 as a COVID-19 precaution, leaving the Jacks out of the postseason. Crystal Burk was an honorable mention All-Summit League pick.Â
Prior to South Dakota State, Georgalas spent seven seasons on the coaching staff at Wyoming, helping lead the Cowgirls to a 143-74 overall record, including an 87-19 home record. He was an assistant coach for five seasons before being promoted to associate head coach and recruiting coordinator prior to the 2018 season.
The Cowgirls finished in the top three of the Mountain West Conference five times, including runner-up finishes in both 2017 and 2019. The 2019 squad ended the year with a 22-9 overall record, including a 16-2 conference mark, and made its third consecutive appearance in the National Invitational Volleyball Championship.
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A native of the Chicago area, Georgalas began his coaching career as a student assistant at the University of Kansas while working toward a degree in sports management. After graduating in 2010, he stayed on for a year as a volunteer assistant for the Jayhawks and also coached with the Lawrence Juniors Volleyball Club. He also played for the Kansas men's club volleyball team.
In 2012, Georgalas moved on to Stephen F. Austin, where he was an assistant coach for a squad that posted a 22-12 record. While there, he was involved in the on-court training with the middle blockers, outside hitters and passers, plus played a large role in the recruiting process for the Ladyjacks.
GEORGALAS YEAR-BY-YEAR
In 2024, Georgalas was named the Summit League Coach of the Year and AVCA Northwest Region Coach of the Year following a stellar 27-3 season that included an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. SDSU started the season with a 22-0 mark, the best start to a season and the longest win streak in program history, and went on to win the Summit League regular season and finish runner-up in the Summit League postseason. The Jackrabbits’ first NCAA at-large bid in program history sent SDSU to Lincoln, Nebraska, where the team fell to Miami in the opening round. SDSU's final RPI of the season was 34.
Three Jackrabbits earned Summit League honors in 2024. Sylvie Zgonc was named the Summit League Player of the Year, AVCA All-Region and All-America honorable mention as just a sophomore. Her 4.37 kills per set and 4.88 points per set both rank third in a single season for the Jackrabbits. Zgonc was joined on the All-Summit First Team and All-Region team by Sydni Schetnan. Schetnan also set a new program record with a .388 hit percentage in 2024 and tallied 146 total blocks on the year, the second most in a single season at SDSU. Madison Burr was tabbed the Summit League Freshman of the Year and was an honorable mention all-league selection. Her 130 blocks in her freshman season is the fourth-most my an SDSU player in a single season. Rylee Martin tallied 38 ace serves on the year, also program record.
The Jackrabbits set six team statistic records in 2024 - kills per set (13.13), hit percentage (.242), aces per set (1.59), total blocks (310.0), blocks per set (2.74) and points per set (17.47). SDSU also set a new volleyball attendance record at its home opener against Kansas City with 2,853 fans. It was also the first official event held at the newly-renovated First Bank & Trust Arena.Â
In 2023, SDSU went 9-20 overall and 7-9 in Summit League contests. The team returned to the Summit League postseason for the third straight season. Jackrabbit freshman Sylvie Zgonc was named the Summit League's Freshman of the Year and was an all-conference first team honoree.Â
The Jackrabbits went 18-15 overall and 11-7 in Summit League action in 2022. The team finished with a winning record for the second straight season, marking the first time SDSU has had consecutive winning seasons since 2006-2007. The Jackrabbits accepted an invitation to the National Invitational Volleyball Championship and beat Louisiana in the opening round for the first national postseason victory in program history.
Jackrabbit volleyball set a number of program records in 2022, including single-season kills (1,701), single-season assists (1,566) and single-season ace serves (183). SDSU also set the program’s single-match home attendance record October 1 when 1,524 fans were on hand for the Jacks to take on in-state rival South Dakota at Frost Arena. SDSU was led by fifth-year senior Crystal Burk, who finished the season ranked third nationally in total kills (589) and 13th in kills per set (4.50). Burk graduated from SDSU ranking highly in a series of career and single-season records, most notably as the Jacks’ single-season kills leader (589) and all-time career sets played leader (495). Burk signed a professional contract with the Gislaved Volleyball Club in Gislaved, Sweden following the completion of her final season. Burk was named to the all-Summit League first team for the second straight season and Masa Scheierman was an all-freshman team selection.
In 2021, the Jacks went 19-12 overall and 10-8 in the Summit League. The team's 19 total wins was the most for SDSU since 2011 and its 8-3 start was the best since 2012. State went on to qualify for the Summit League postseason for the first time since 2010 as the No. 6 seed. SDSU upset No. 3 Denver in the opening round before pushing No. 2 South Dakota, the eventual tournament champion, to five sets in the semifinal. The Jacks' win over Denver was the program's first postseason victory since the Jackrabbits won the tournament in 2007. Crystal Burk was honored as a Summit League first-team selection and Ella Thompson was named to the Summit League's all-freshman team.
In the 2020 season, which was played in the spring of 2021 due to COVID-19, Georgalas led SDSU to a 6-11 overall record and 6-10 record in league play. The team claimed six Summit League wins, the most since 2012, and finished sixth in the conference standings. Although six teams would qualify for the Summit League Championship in a typical year, the tournament field was narrowed to just four in 2020 as a COVID-19 precaution, leaving the Jacks out of the postseason. Crystal Burk was an honorable mention All-Summit League pick.Â
Prior to South Dakota State, Georgalas spent seven seasons on the coaching staff at Wyoming, helping lead the Cowgirls to a 143-74 overall record, including an 87-19 home record. He was an assistant coach for five seasons before being promoted to associate head coach and recruiting coordinator prior to the 2018 season.
The Cowgirls finished in the top three of the Mountain West Conference five times, including runner-up finishes in both 2017 and 2019. The 2019 squad ended the year with a 22-9 overall record, including a 16-2 conference mark, and made its third consecutive appearance in the National Invitational Volleyball Championship.
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A native of the Chicago area, Georgalas began his coaching career as a student assistant at the University of Kansas while working toward a degree in sports management. After graduating in 2010, he stayed on for a year as a volunteer assistant for the Jayhawks and also coached with the Lawrence Juniors Volleyball Club. He also played for the Kansas men's club volleyball team.
In 2012, Georgalas moved on to Stephen F. Austin, where he was an assistant coach for a squad that posted a 22-12 record. While there, he was involved in the on-court training with the middle blockers, outside hitters and passers, plus played a large role in the recruiting process for the Ladyjacks.
GEORGALAS YEAR-BY-YEAR
| Year | Overall | Summit League |
| 2020-21 | 6-11 | 6-10 |
| 2021 | 19-12 | 10-8 |
| 2022 | 18-15 | 11-7 |
| 2023Â Â | 9-20 | 7-9 |
| 2024 | 27-3 | 15-1 |
| Total | 79-61 | 49-35 |
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