Pocatello, Idaho — Today Idaho State University proudly announces Citizens Community Bank's steadfast support of the Idaho State University volleyball program with a generous gift of $25,000. This contribution renews their presenting sponsorship of the volleyball team's fundraising arm, the Match Point Club, for a second consecutive season.
Building upon last year's impactful partnership, Citizens Community Bank's continued commitment demonstrates their unwavering dedication to fostering excellence within the ISU volleyball program and empowering student-athletes to achieve their full potential both on and off the court.
"Citizens Community Bank immediately recognized the value of this presenting sponsorship initially in 2023 with this ongoing challenges and competition for ISU Volleyball and all athletics given the ever-changing environment in the NCAA. After our first year of the sponsorship, we witnessed the value of this contribution with Coach Carter's ability to offer more resources to the athletes, improve his ability to recruit quality student-athletes, and lead the team with impressive improvements throughout the season," shared Ryan Ward, Executive Vice President and Chief Lending Officer. "We look forward to the continued partnership and know this contribution will be used effectively and efficiently for the benefit of the players and coaching staff. The team's engagement with our employees and obvious maturity, energy, and appreciation make it all worth it.".
Last year's funds provided crucial support in several key areas, including enhanced nutrition year-round, improved travel accommodations, and financial aid support for cost of attendance. These initiatives not only contribute to the overall well-being and performance of the student-athletes, but also play a pivotal role in attracting top recruits to ISU and retaining the program's best talents.
"Citizens Community Bank, their engaged leaders, and their truly joyful participation and presence in our community is a tremendous statement about the organization. The support they have made available to Bengal Volleyball is making possible a higher level of performance, a healthier program, and a great opportunity for our community to enjoy the rich tradition of success the volleyball program has enjoyed over many years. Citizens Community Bank has been an integral part of restoring ISU Volleyball to being a Big Sky Championship contender," said Pauline Thiros, Director of Athletics.
Sean Carter, Head Volleyball Coach, shared, "The continued support from Citizens Community Bank gives our volleyball program a significant advantage above other programs in the Big Sky Conference. We are all dealing with many changes in the college athletics landscape — including Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL), as well as the transfer portal — and this contribution not only allows us to retain top student-athletes, but also attract higher level recruits to our program. While every program feels the demands of managing a budget, I feel that as the leader of our program we are excelling financially, thanks in large part to Citizens Community Bank, which allows my staff and I to help improve our student-athletes' experience across the board. We have used donations like this for facility upgrades and key equipment purchases, such as WIMU — which is a load management tracker which helps our staff monitor the stresses we put on our athletes so that we can keep them healthy and out on the floor — and a serving machine which allows girls to get reps on their own. More than anything else though, it is the relationships that we've developed with the Citizens Community Bank team that mean the most! Thank you!".
Citizens Community Bank's renewal of support underscores their commitment to the success and growth of the ISU volleyball program, a Bengal program that is trending in the right direction having now qualified for the Big Sky Conference tournament in consecutive years for the first time since the 2017 and 2018 seasons. Their generous support reflects their dedication to making a positive difference in the lives of student-athletes, and in our greater community.
Citizens Community Bank is a community-focused financial institution dedicated to providing personalized banking solutions and supporting local communities. With a commitment to excellence and integrity, Citizens Community Bank strives to empower individuals and businesses to achieve their financial goals. Interested in learning more about Citizens Community Bank? Visit https://www.ccb-idaho.com/.
