Clarksville, TN – First-year Austin Peay State University (APSU) head volleyball coach Evan Amstutz has completed his staff for the 2025 season with the additions of assistant coaches Kristen Fritsche and Luke Van Handel and graduate assistant Sarah Martinez.
Fritsche joins the APSU Govs after spending the 2024 season as an assistant coach and director of operations at Cal Baptist in Riverside, California. Before joining the coaching staff at Cal Baptist, Fritsche spent the 2022 and 2023 seasons as a graduate assistant at Stephen F. Austin, where she worked alongside Amstutz.
“I could not be more excited to have Kristen on my staff,” said Amstutz. “People in the volleyball community know her as an absolute rockstar and someone with a bright future. She will do amazing things with our girls, undoubtedly propelling this program to new heights. I’ve had the pleasure of working with her before and have seen her undeniable talent in this field.”
At Cal Baptist, Fritsche coached the 2024 Western Athletic Conference Libero of the Year and First Team All-WAC selection, Amanda Darling, as well as a pair of Second Team All-WAC selections, Madison Gilliland and Nicole Mauser. During her time at Stephen F. Austin, the Ladyjacks won the 2022 Western Athletic Conference Tournament Championship and the 2023 WAC Regular-Season Championship, advancing to the NCAA Tournament as an automatic qualifier in 2022 and as an at-large for the first time in program history in 2023.
Before starting her coaching career, Fritsche was a four-year setter and three-year team captain at the University of Texas at El Paso. Fritsche led UTEP in assists during the 2018, 2020-21, and 2021 seasons while leading the team in service aces during the 2021 season. During her senior season in 2021, Fritsche helped the Miners go 24-8 overall and advance to the semifinal match of the National Invitational Volleyball Championship.
Fritsche earned a bachelor’s degree in health promotion with a minor in nutrition from UTEP in 2022.
Van Handel joins the Governors after serving as a graduate assistant for the Stephen F. Austin women’s volleyball team, where he worked along Amstutz during the 2024 season.
“What a great addition to our group – Luke brings so much to the team that can’t be measured,” said Amstutz. “His selfless nature and natural instinct to care for the athletes and mentor them as players and as people is unlike any other. I’ve personally witnessed him, in tough times, be the source of joy for a group. I can’t wait to see what he can do here for the Governors!”
Before joining the Ladyjacks coaching staff in 2024, Van Handel was an inaugural member of the Maryville University men’s volleyball program in St. Louis, Missouri. Van Handel holds the Saints’ single-match record for digs (22) and posted the fourth-most digs (162) and fifth-most kills (198) in a single season during the 2022 campaign.
Van Handel earned a bachelor’s degree in exercise science from Maryville in 2024 and is currently working towards a master’s degree in kinesiology from Austin Peay.
Martinez joins the Governors as a graduate assistant after wrapping up her playing career at Arkansas State during the fall semester. During her senior season in 2024, Martinez was the Sun Belt Conference Libero of the Year, a First Team All-SBC selection, and an SBC Volleyball All-Tournament Team selection after leading the conference and ranking seventh in the NCAA with 623 digs. Martinez also ranked fourth in the Sun Belt and 50th in the NCAA with 4.65 digs per set during the 2024 season.
“The consummate competitor, Sarah will be able to bring endless positive and motivating energy to our team on a daily basis,” said Amstutz. “I had a chance to admire her ability to get the best out of her teammates, to elevate those around her to outperform their level of talent and experience. She is a selfless servant of the team, and I can’t wait to watch her treat these girls like gold and infuse the gym with the competitive hunger necessary to contend for championships.”
In three seasons at Arkansas State, Martinez helped the Red Wolves win the 2024 Sun Belt Regular-Season Championship and advance to the National Invitational Volleyball Championship twice, with a trip to the Great Eight round during the 2024 tournament. Martinez began her collegiate career at Houston, where she helped the Cougars win the American Athletic Conference West Division as a freshman during the 2020 season.
Martinez earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Arkansas State in 2024 and is currently working towards a master’s degree in health and human performance from Austin Peay.
Rylie Barnum also remains with the Governors for her second season as a graduate assistant. Barnum began her collegiate career at Johnson Community College before transferring to Central Missouri for her final two seasons. While playing libero, Barnum led the Jens with 476 digs and 4.18 digs per set during her senior season in 2022. Barnum was a Second Team All-MIAA selection as a junior in 2021 after leading the team with 623 digs and 5.24 digs per set.
Barnum was a MIAA Scholar Athlete and MIAA Academic Honor Roll selection during the 2021 and 2022 seasons. Barnum earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting with a minor in finance from Central Missouri before earning a master’s degree in management and organizational leadership from Central Missouri. Barnum also is currently working towards a master’s in health and human performance from Austin Peay.
