It took a nation-wide journey for coach Eysha Ambler to find herself back where she began.
The new assistant volleyball coach was at the University of Pittsburgh at one point, but now the Alabama native is coming back home.
"I'm glad to be back home and recruiting kids to my home state," Ambler said. "Alabama is a great place, and I've been gone for so long, and I'm glad to be back."
Ambler said that she was surprised when head coach Rick Nold offered her the job, but Nold said she was always a target for a coaching position here at Auburn.
"I had worked with her before," Nold said. "I knew the great job she does recruiting."
Ambler played college volleyball at Jacksonville State. After ending her college career, she decided to try out for a professional volleyball team, but did not get a position on the team.
"After I found out I couldn't play professionally, I was like 'coaching would be my next route.' I just wanted to be around sports somehow," Ambler said.
This decision led her back to Jacksonville State where she was a graduate assistant for coach Nold, who at the time was coaching there.
Ambler said she is excited about the opportunity to work with Nold again.
"I learned so much just those two years that I worked with him," Ambler said.
She said she wants to improve her knowledge of the game and recruiting abilities by working with Nold.
Ambler said she is also looking forward to the vollyball team's upcoming season.
"They had a great season last year, and I just want to keep building on that," Ambler said. "They should know this is Auburn. We should be winning."
Ambler said she believes that making it to the NCAA tournament should be an annual occurrence for the Tigers.
"We're really excited just in general for the change," said Katherine Culwell, junior outside hitter. "It's like a fresh start."
Culwell said she feels Ambler will bring a lot of excitement to the program.
Nold said Ambler's greatest qualities are organizational skills and her ability to work with her players.
"To me, when you are trying to bring in new staff, you want people who are hungry, and that's her," Nold said.
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