POCATELLO, Idaho - Idaho State University women's basketball head coach Seton Sobolewski has announced three additions and promotions to the Bengals coaching staff, including the hiring of Casandra Renno as associate head coach, the promotion of Ashleigh VanVliet to assistant coach, and the promotion of Sydney Bourland from graduate assistant to full-time assistant coach.
Casandra Renno - Associate Head Coach
Idaho State University has announced the hiring of Casandra Renno as associate head coach for the Bengals women's basketball program. Renno brings more than a decade of collegiate coaching experience at the NCAA Division I, Division II, and NAIA levels, along with a strong reputation for recruiting, player development, culture building, and academic success.
"This is another one of those full circle moments," said Sobolewski. "Casandra played for us at UC Riverside over 20 years ago when I was an assistant there. Knowing her for over 20 years and following her coaching career, the timing has worked out perfect for her to join our staff. Casandra brings a wealth of experience from the high school, Division II, and Division I levels. I'm excited she will be joining us!"
Renno joins Idaho State after serving as the head coach at California State University, San Bernardino since 2019. During her tenure, she guided the Coyotes through one of the most challenging periods in college athletics, including the COVID-19 pandemic, while steadily rebuilding the program and establishing a competitive culture within the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA). Her leadership produced consistent program growth, highlighted by a .500 overall record during the 2022-23 season and continued development of student-athletes both on and off the court.
Prior to becoming a head coach, Renno spent two seasons as the assistant coach at California State University, Fullerton, where the Titans posted their best Big West Conference record in a decade during the 2018-19 season. She also served as an assistant coach at California State University, Los Angeles from 2015-17, helping lead the Golden Eagles to their first winning season in four years.
Known for her ability to recruit and mentor student-athletes, Renno has coordinated recruiting operations throughout her career while also overseeing academics, community engagement initiatives, camps and clinics, and team logistics. Her commitment to creating a strong and supportive team culture has been a hallmark of every program she has been part of.
Before her time in the CCAA, Renno served as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at the University of La Verne during the 2013-14 season. She also founded the OC Elite Southwest AAU Girls Basketball Club in Florida in 2012, where she coached youth and high school athletes while helping develop future collegiate players.
A former standout point guard at the University of California, Riverside, Renno remains one of the top players in program history. She graduated as the Highlanders' all-time leader in assists and three-pointers while earning First Team All-Big West honors in 2003 and 2004, All-Freshman Team honors in 2002, and All-Big West honorable mention recognition in 2005. During her playing career at UC Riverside, current Idaho State head coach Seton Sobolewski served as an assistant coach for the Highlanders, creating a longstanding connection that now reunites the two on the Bengals coaching staff.
Her coaching experience also includes stops at Missouri Valley College, La Sierra University, Hanau High School in Germany, and high schools in Texas and Florida. She earned her bachelor's degree in liberal studies with a major in English and a minor in education from UC Riverside and later completed a master's degree in education administration from Missouri Valley College.
Renno is an active member of several professional organizations, including the Women's Basketball Coaches Association, WeCOACH, and WISELA.
She and her husband, Marc Renno, have two children, daughter Ella Attison Renno and son Luka Justin Renno.
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Ashleigh VanVliet - Assistant Coach
Idaho State has also announced the promotion of Ashleigh VanVliet to assistant coach.
"Ashleigh did a fantastic job as our third assistant and she's earned the opportunity to move up! We are going to increase her coaching and recruiting role and she's going to do a great job!"
In her time playing at Idaho State, VanVliet was a four-year starter who scored 1,341 points and grabbed 751 rebounds. She earned Big Sky honorable mention twice and was named second team All-Big Sky in the 2012-13 season. As a junior she helped lead the Bengals to an NCAA Tournament berth and as a senior to a WNIT bid. In 2020, she was named to the Idaho State women's basketball All-Decade team.
From 2009 to 2023, VanVliet served as a member of the Malta National women's basketball team as a point guard and power forward, competing in 13 national tournaments, winning four gold and five bronze medals, and representing the country in its first international 3x3 appearance.
From 2015-17, VanVliet played in the French professional league for the Tregueux Cote d'Armour, helping the team earn promotion from NF2 to NF1. From 2019-23, she played for the Hibernians in Malta, winning a regular season championship in 2021-22 and earning the MAPFRE MSV Life Knockout trophy in 2022.
VanVliet began her coaching career in Durham, United Kingdom in 2013 and has since coached at Sacre Coueur High School in Tregueux, France, and for Tregueux Cote d'Armour, where she won the Cup de Bretagne. She also served as head coach of the Hibernian Under-23 and Under-19 squads in Malta.
After retiring to the United States in 2023, VanVliet accepted the head coaching position at Lighthouse Christian School in Twin Falls, Idaho, and coached the Magic Valley Basketball Club Under-15 and Under-16 AAU teams. She has also worked as the IMPACT director of the Magic Valley Basketball Club overseeing operations and camps. In 2024, she accepted a position at Twin Falls High School, leading the junior varsity squad to a 14-5 record (7-1 in conference play).
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Sydney Bourland - Assistant Coach
Rounding out the staff moves, Sydney Bourland has been promoted from graduate assistant to full-time assistant coach. A San Jose, Calif., native, Bourland came to Idaho State following a four-year career at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo (2021-25).
"I'm excited to move Sydney up to a full-time position," Sobolewski said. "As a GA she demonstrated great knowledge and commitment and has earned her new position. She's been with us one year already and will bring continuity to our staff and program."
A three-year starter and team captain with the Mustangs, Bourland helped Cal Poly earn a WNIT bid in 2023-24, the program's first in 10 years. She earned Big West All-Academic honors in all three eligible seasons. During the 2025 season, she surpassed 500 career rebounds, placing her in the top 20 in program history. Her career statistics included 5.7 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game.
Away from the court, Bourland coached a local AAU team, CC Fire, and conducted individual and group workouts with middle school and high school athletes in the San Luis Obispo area.
Bourland earned her bachelor's degree in business administration with a concentration in finance from Cal Poly in 2025. At Idaho State, she is pursuing a master's degree in athletic administration. She is the daughter of Kathy and Rob Bourland and has a younger brother, Tyler.
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