COACHES CORNER

Meet the 2023 Bison Volleyball Coaches!

Jenn Peterson - VARSITY Head coACH

This is my 7th year as head coach at Buffalo, 14th year coaching overall. I have my Masters and teaching degree from the U of MN. My undergrad is in Life Science from the University of Portland. While attending UP (go Pilots!) I also had a full division I volleyball scholarship, where I played middle blocker. I recently transitioned from teaching to corporate life, and am a Proposal Coordinator at Marco Technologies.

My husband Nate and I have two beautiful and very silly kids, Daxton (6) and Danica (3). Our kids keep me busy in my downtime, but I also try to play vb once a month, or find some sun and a lake!

My favorite thing about coaching is getting to know the players and helping them to be successful on and off the court. I love the energy and random conversations we have before a practice or match. And I enjoy analyzing the sport in different ways to help each player become a better competitor.

KYLEE ZUMACH - varsity assistant

Hi everyone! My name is Kylee Zumach and I am 26 years old. This is my first season coaching at Buffalo High School and I am so excited!

I graduated in 2014 from Buffalo High school and then went on the play at Kansas State University where I was Big 12 freshman of the year and a two time all american. After college I played professionally in Spain for a season for Las Palmas De Gran Canaria. After I retired I coached Division 3 volleyball at Saint Mary's University in Winona Minnesota for three seasons. I've coached club at Southern Minnesota Volleyball and now I am a current coach at Minnesota Select.

I am also going to my first year of teaching at Buffalo High School in the SPED department.

In my free time I like to play grass and sand volleyball with my friends, read, spend time with my boyfriend Quinn, and be with my family!

My favorite thing about coaching is being able to help girls grow and develop into confident young women on and off the court :)

Jenn Penney - JUNIOR VARSITY coach

Hi. I’m Coach Penney, (Jenn/Jennifer)!

I have lived in Buffalo, going on 9 years with my husband Joe, our 5 kids, Kai (16) Quinn (11) Liam (9) Sawyer (8) & Hattie Mae (2) along with our two dogs, Fletcher & Otis! I am currently a busy, stay at home mom and volunteer!

I played volleyball through high school where I received All-Conference my senior year. I played Club volleyball for 6 years and was recruited to play in a tournament in Hawaii. Such an awesome experience!

I have been coaching volleyball since I was 20, at all different levels and coaching for Buffalo since 2018.

In my spare time I enjoy playing volleyball one night a week! I also volunteer coach our kids youth teams. I’ve gone from volleyball coach to football, basketball, Tball & soccer!

My favorite thing about being a coach is seeing the improvement from each player and knowing that I’ve helped them develop in a sport they love! As a coach, my number one rule is to have FUN, as I enjoy having fun with the girls, creating a positive environment, while pushing them to be their best!

I always tell my players, if you give me 100%, I will give you 100% back.

AIVARY BOUMAN - B SQUAD coach

While I’m not having fun coaching I work for KJ’s Painting during the morning hours and also at the Porch in Buffalo during some evenings and weekends.

In my free time enjoy hanging out with my amazing family, crafting, thrift shopping, and loving up my two cats.

This is my second year coaching the Bison and am so thankful because it is a place special to my heart! I can’t wait to watch your kids grow as volleyball players and young women. We will work hard and have lots of fun!! GO BISON!

lauri zumach - 9a coach

Hi! My name is Lauri Zumach. I am married to my husband of 27 years and have two daughters that both played for Buffalo. Kylee is teaching and coaching in Buffalo and Kari is in her 5th year and plays for University of Central Florida. I played volleyball for UMD and have been coaching for 25+ years both for club and high school.

My mother-in-law, Pat also lives with us along with my dogs Ozzie and Otis.

During the day I work for a trucking company in Hanover as a freight broker. I love walking, walking my dogs, spending time with my family and friends, and riding my Harley.

My goals for the season are to get to know all the girls on an personal level, help them transition into the high school, and help them become better volleyball players than when I got them.

I’m excited to be part of the Buffalo program for another year!

AMANDA bicknell - 9b coach

Hi everyone! My name is Amanda Bicknell. I am originally from Cold Spring Minnesota where I attended ROCORI High School and I played volleyball all four years. I then went on to attend St. Ben’s where I played on their club team and graduated with a bachelor's degree in chemistry. I am currently one of the science teachers at the high school, and am starting my second year teaching! In my free time away from school and coaching, I enjoy spending time with family and friends, playing card games or board games, exploring around the twin cities, and going on hikes or other adventures!

I have been coaching volleyball for the past 5 years. I have coached a variety of teams through different programs including, ROCORI heat, Club Bison, and Sauk Rapids. Last year, I was lucky enough to coach the seventh grade teams in Buffalo, and coach the Boy’s volleyball team at the high school. I am so excited to continue coaching again this year as the 9B coach and can’t wait for the season and meeting all of the players!

My goal for this upcoming year is to help each player grow in their skills to become more confident in themselves as women and volleyball players, and help them grow as wonderful and kind humans, as these skills are important on and off the court!

I have 5 years of coaching experience with Crossfire Volleyball Club where I've coached 12's-17's teams. During my own volleyball career, I played every position, which allows me to coach from a player's perspective. I was a varsity starter all four years of high school; most notably, libero. After high school, I began playing volleyball for North Central University. After my freshman year, and many injuries, I decided to transfer schools and follow my dream of coaching. I'm so excited to have the opportunity to coach high school volleyball again and cannot wait to meet my team this year!

My goal for every team is to grow not only as players but also as people. Volleyball will, hopefully, be in your life for a long time. However, how we interact and speak with others goes far beyond the court.