HARRISONBURG, Va. – EMU Director of Athletics Carrie S. Bert, recently announced that Ashley "Stick" Kishorn has resigned as the head field hockey coach, assistant director of athletics for compliance and SWA at EMU for an administration position with a different university.
"Stick has been committed to growth since arriving on EMU's campus," Bert said. "She brought with her a wealth of competitive field hockey experience, making EMU her first stop as a head coach. Stressing community engagement, academics, and competitive excellence, Stick has built a robust culture on an ever-growing field hockey roster."
Bert continued, "Stick is well known across campus for her energy and involvement in any number of campus events and initiatives. Her desire for excellence was understood by her team, her colleagues, and evident in her the NCAA compliance work. More recently, she has also served as the Senior Woman Administrator, particularly highlighting the 50th anniversary of Title IX. Her impact speaks to the value she has brought to our department, the field hockey family, and the broader EMU community. Even more that that is the tremendous human being she is. I feel lucky to have had my path cross with hers and wish her the best."
Kishorn has been the head coach of the Royals field hockey squad since 2017. Her 2022 team picked up 10 wins, the most since the 2011 season. Two players, Elizabeth Longacre and Brandy Troutman, were named All-ODAC and Troutman was selected to play in the NFHCA Senior All-Star game. Troutman was the NCAA statistical leader in defensive saves three consecutive years (2019-2021). In her recruiting efforts, the 2022 roster was the largest roster since at least 2000 and the team celebrated the 50th anniversary of the team in 2021.
Not just succeeding on the field, Kishorn's players thrived academically. She had more than 50 players named to the NFHCA Academic Squad, 20+ named NFHCA Scholar of Distinction and 50+ named to the ODAC Academic Team.
"I want to thank previous Athletic Director Dave King for hiring me in 2017 and entrusting me with the growth and leadership of the field hockey team at EMU," Kishorn said. "Additional thanks to current Athletic Director Carrie Bert for mentoring me as a first-time head coach and for continuing to allow me to grow professionally in athletics administration. The decision to pursue athletic administration and give up coaching was a difficult decision for me, but I am grateful for everything that I have learned at EMU to prepare for this next step."
Kishorn added, "I am so proud of the work and accomplishments that the program has made in the past six seasons. Some of the most memorable moments were beating Goucher in one-on-ones at 10pm, the 2020 Virginia Wesleyan win, the Transylvania win at home with 50 seconds left on a breakaway, and of course, last year's Bridgewater win on a stroke with 40 seconds left. More than that, I have enjoyed our team bonding days, study sessions, road trips, and our recent Dominican Republic trip. These are memories I will cherish for years to come. Beyond the memories, continuing to watch our players succeed in their personal and career aspirations in life after EMU is very fulfilling. The current 2023 field hockey team is in a great spot competitively for the season. The upperclassmen have some large roles to fill with a very talented senior class graduating last year, but they are equipped for the challenge. I will continue to support and root for the EMU Field Hockey team from afar and I wish everyone the best of luck."
Assistant coach Tina Kishorn has been named the interim head coach for the 2023 season. EMU athletics will post the position in September.
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