Second-year Georgia Southern University women’s basketball head coach Chris Vozab is in the midst of transition both personally and professionally.

The basketball season is a long one that stretches from games in early November all the way to March. Throughout the ensuing four months there are bumps along the road and challenges that have to be overcome.

One of the challenges that Vozab has had to overcome is that fact that she is pregnant.

“I try to make sure that I am able to have all the same physical, emotional, mental energy on the court that I have always had. I like to be high energy in practice and it’s been hard not to jump out there and demonstrate something,” Vozab said.

Although she has had to tone back down on her hands-on coaching approach and style, Vozab has maintained focus on the task that is at hand: the opportunity to build a program.

Despite just winning 16 games in the past two seasons, Vozab is confident the future is bright for her program.

“One of the things we talk about as a program is getting better everyday and taking care of the things that you have to take care of, the little details and the results will come,” Vozab said.

Vozab hails from Amenia, N.Y., and played collegiately at Providence College where she was a captain for three years and twice the team’s most valuable player as a point guard.

Since Vozab played guard throughout her playing career she provides a vast knowledge of a position that has been GSU’s strength all year.

“Our staff was very fortunate to have inherited a group of players that have bought into the details and little things that we value a lot and that’s allowed us to grow and move forward,” Vozab said.

Although it is her second year and she has gotten two of her own recruiting classes, it still meant teaching a new system to the players that were there before her.

“One of the things we felt is that we inherited a team that was used to running a jump shooting style so what we have tried to do is recruit some height to add more balance to our inside-out style,” Vozab said.

Vozab began her coaching career as a graduate assistant at the University of New Hampshire in 2002. She was an assistant at Canisius College from 2004-2007, assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Winthrop University from 2007-2011 and an assistant for one season at Dayton University.

So what brought her down to Statesboro after a majority of her coaching career was based in the north?

“I was excited for the opportunity to build a program, I’ve been a part of programs that are being built and I know how hard it is and how much goes into it, but I also know how rewarding it is when you are able to achieve a goal,” Vozab said.

Being at multiple universities as both a coach and a player, one thing sticks out to her.

“When we get kids on campus to visit they just fall in love with the beauty of it. If you do the leg work to get them here the campus sells itself,” Vozab said.

So while an impending move to the Sun Belt Conference looms next season, one thing Vozab stresses to the team is to live in the moment and take it one day and game at a time.