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Episode 51

An Athletic Mentality as a Guide to Victory Against Cancer, with former Penn State Star and Coach Fatima Balza

She knew how to beat her opponents on the court, but beating breast cancer was a challenge Fatima Balza didn't know how to approach. For this former star Penn state volleyball player and current coach of Western Nebraska Community College, Fati took to treating her cancer like she was training for a tournament. In the process, it changed her outlook on everything. As Fati explains to Janice, she is a Venezuelan native who never says “no“ to a challenge. Her enthusiasm and positivity is absolutely inspiring.

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Janice Kruger

Janice coached college volleyball for thirty years. She began coaching at the Community College level for one year, then spent nine years at the University of Nebraska at Omaha NCAA Division II level and finished her collegiate coaching career as the head coach of the University of Maryland Terrapins Division I program for 20 years. She led four teams into the NCAA Division II National Championship, won 10 career conference titles, and was recognized 6 times both for Conference and Region Coach of the Year honors. In 2023, Janice was inducted in to the Omaha University (formerly University of Nebraska-Omaha) Athletic Hall of Fame.
Her peers honored her success in coaching by voting her twice as the NCAA Division II American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) National Coach of the Year (1983 and 1986.)