Sahara Castillo Named New Assistant Volleyball Coach

Utah State’s head women’s volleyball coach Grayson DuBose announced Tuesday the hiring of Sahara (pronounced Sah-tah) Castillo as an assistant coach for the Aggies. Castillo replaces Ryan Parker who resigned following the 2005 season.

Prior to joining Utah State’s staff, Castillo spent the 2005-06 academic year as a strength and conditioning coach at Brigham Young working with football, volleyball, softball and tennis.

“I am very excited to be at Utah State and I’m looking forward to a great season of volleyball,” said Castillo. “It is a dream come true to be able to coach women’s volleyball and I am going to do my best to encourage them to work hard, on and off the court.”

A native of Lima, Peru, Castillo spent three years as a member of the Peruvian National Women’s Volleyball team and helped led them to a ninth-place finish at the 1998 World Championships in Tokyo, Japan. She then spent two years at Ricks (Idaho) College before transferring to Brigham Young where she helped led the Cougars to the second round of the 2003 NCAA Tournament.

“Sahara Castillo is a great addition to our volleyball staff,” said DuBose. “She is not only great in the gym, but more importantly, she is an excellent person and will be a fantastic role model for our players.”

Castillo, who also competes in triathlons, graduated from Brigham Young University in 2005 with a degree in exercise science and a minor in business.