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Owl Pioneer Gelish-Gugliucci Helps Get KSC Volleyball and Lacrosse Programs Off the Ground
KEENE, N.H. 10/27/10 – A successful point in volleyball or a goal in lacrosse doesn’t just happen – it takes teamwork, skill, and execution.
The arrival of the Keene State women’s volleyball and lacrosse teams didn’t just happen either. It took a supportive administration, good coaching, and, of course, dedicated players.
While the development of these programs was a group effort that included the support of department chair Dr. Sherry Bovinet and administrator Keith King, it’s hard to imagine Keene State’s women’s volleyball and lacrosse teams getting off the ground without Marilyn Gelish-Gugliucci ‘76.
“Marilyn was the driving force behind both programs getting started,” said Janet Demaine ’76, a teammate and friend. “Her commitment to Keene State and the amount of energy she put into forming both teams ensured their survival.”
Gelish-Gugliucci’s hard work played a major role in the Owl women’s volleyball team attaining varsity status in 1974-75 and provided a strong foundation for the growth of women’s lacrosse on campus. Along the way, her passion to succeed overcame adversity. “Every step along the way was an opportunity to create something," said Gelish-Gugliucci. “If there was a road block, it just meant there was another door that was supposed to be opened, and I had to find that door.”
Marilyn Gelish-Gugliucci came through the Keene State door at an ideal time in 1972. Originally from Long Island, N.Y., she thrived on the small campus where she was able to pursue classes in health and physical education as well as play sports.
Although she played field hockey and softball as a freshman, Gelish-Gugliucci loved volleyball and set about the task of starting a club team at KSC. She started passing the word on campus. One of her first recruits was Demaine. “We met the first day of school in the lobby of Randall Hall and just hit it off,” said Demaine. “She was very convincing and got a bunch of us to sign up.”
Traveling in uncharted cultural waters, Gelish-Gugliucci said at times she and her early teammates had to overcome some stereotypes. “I don’t think there was a culture for women to be women and athletes at the same time, so we just tried to figure it out,” said Gelish-Gugliucci. “Fortunately, Keene State was very supportive of women’s sports and put volleyball on the fast track.”
Gelish-Gugliucci earned high mark from her teammates. “Marilyn was one of the few players that had experience playing and was our star,” said Karolyn Carpenter ’74. “She was dynamic, a real team leader, and had everyone going all out in practice.”
“Marilyn kept us together," said Dr. Roxanne Caron ’76, a former teammates now working as a chiropractor in Eugene, Oregon. “She was the best player on the team. Half the time she would play five positions when the ball came over the net to compensate for the rest of us.”
Gelish-Gugliucci took on many roles with the team, including schedule coordinator. Always looking for a challenging contest, she inadvertently signed the team up for a men’s tournament in Massachusetts. “It didn’t say anything about men and we were so naïve,” said Gelish-Gugliucci. “We played our hearts out and actually beat the team from Lyndon State. Instead of shaking our hands after the match they wanted to kiss and hug us.”
Gelish-Gugliucci also took the reins of the women’s club lacrosse program, which was started by Jill King ’76 and Susan Koerber ’74. One of the Owls’ early stars, Gelish-Gugliucci took over as coach and stayed with the team until 1978. “She taught many of the women how to play,” said Demaine. “She was patient, supportive, and positive. Any little improvement in a player’s skills was a big deal to Marilyn. She made you feel like you were really important to the team.”
With the implementation of Title IX, the Keene State women’s volleyball team was elevated to varsity status for the 1974-75 season. “We arrived and actually got uniforms,” said Gelish-Gugliucci.
Elizabeth Teagan (who was known as Daisy Herndon at the time) was named the team's coach and led the Owls to a respectable 6-9 record.
Teagan said Gelish-Gugliucci had several distinctive qualities that made her stand out on the court. “Marilyn had the ability to shift her game plan based on changing circumstances,” said Teagan. “She had honesty and integrity and also had a fire in her belly.”
As the Owls’ leading hitter and server, Gelish-Gugliucci, who earned her degree in physical education from KSC in 1976, served as team captain and later as varsity coach in the 1977 season when she was a graduate assistant.
Gelish-Gugliucci has kept quite busy since leaving KSC. She continued to play USVBA volleyball, coached and ran the intramural program at Connecticut College, and completed her master’s degree in higher education administration at Montclair (N.J.) State. Later, Gelish-Gugliucci spent five years at Bentley College, where she helped start a club lacrosse team and was instrumental in the opening of a new aquatic center.
In 1989, Gelish-Gugliucci moved on to the University of New England in Biddeford, Maine. Initially serving as the director of the school’s sports complex and student union, Gelish-Gugliucci also designed and implemented a program for the older adults in the community at the Body Wise Center for health and fitness. “The program's motto is, 'Exercise doesn’t discriminate,' and everyone willing to try can exercise,” said Gelish-Gugliucci.
Gelish-Gugliucci’s work with the elderly led to her current position as Director of Geriatric Education and Research at UNE. Gelish-Gugliucci, who earned her PhD from Lesley University and recently completed her term as president of the Association for Gerontology in Higher Education, was also instrumental in the creation of a program that admitted medical students into nursing homes for a two-week period, so they could learn to deliver more accurate diagnoses. The program received national media attention.
Gelish-Gugliucci, 55, has returned to the Keene State a few times over the years. “I love what they did with the campus,” she said. “I loved going over to Huntress and Fiske Hall because those wingback chairs in the living room area are so cozy.”
Saying she got a great foundation at Keene State, Gelish-Gugliucci can also feel good about her many accomplishments over the years. As a player, coach, teacher, and administrator, Gelish-Gugliucci changed the course of athletic history at Keene State and has used her leadership, organizational skills, and innovative ideas to make a difference in people's lives after graduating.
