Volleyball Voices

Penn State Women's Volleyball: Meet Lacey Fuller

Penn State Women's Volleyball: Meet Lacey Fuller

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Women’s Volleyball To Be Featured on Big Ten Network, ESPN2

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Women’s Volleyball To Be Featured on Big Ten Network, ESPN2

 

 

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa., July 20, 2011 – The four-time defending national champion Penn State women’s volleyball team will have at least nine televised matches during the 2011 season. The Nittany Lions will be featured on the Big Ten Network eight times and also have one match broadcast on ESPN2.

 

The Nittany Lions open the 2011 season hosting the AVCA Showcase on Aug. 26-27 at Rec Hall. Joining the Lions at Rec Hall are Minnesota, USC and Oregon. Minnesota opens the Showcase versus USC at 6 p.m. on Aug. 26 followed by Penn State against Oregon at 8 p.m. On Aug. 27, Minnesota challenges Oregon at 6 p.m. and the Nittany Lions take on USC at 8 p.m. All four matches are set to be broadcast live on the Big Ten Network.

 

The women’s volleyball team opens the Big Ten slate on Wednesday, Sept. 21 at Nebraska. The match will air live on the BTN. From there, the Nittany Lions’ match with Minnesota on Oct. 1 and their match against Northwestern on Oct. 5 will also air live on the BTN. Penn State’s Oct. 8 match versus Illinois will be tape-delayed and broadcast on Oct. 10. The final two Nittany Lion volleyball matches scheduled for the BTN include the Oct. 29 match against Nebraska and the Nov. 4 match at Minnesota. Both will be aired live. The Big Ten Network is also committed to airing two wild card matches the final weekend of conference play.

 

Penn State’s Oct. 22 match with Michigan will be tape-delayed and aired on ESPN2 at 1 p.m. on Oct. 23. It is one of three Big Ten women’s volleyball contests set to be broadcast on the ESPN family of networks.

 

Last season the Nittany Lions had seven matches broadcast on the BTN during the regular season, as well as two matches on the ESPN family of networks.

 

The Big Ten Network is available to more than 80 million homes through agreements with more than 300 cable, satellite and telco providers in all 50 states and Canada. Pennsylvania cable providers who carry Big Ten Network include: Atlantic Broadband, Cablevision, CATV Service, Comcast, Consolidated Communications, Kuhn Communications, Nittany Media, RCN, Service Electric Broadband, Service Electric Cable TV & Communications, ServiceElectric Cablevision, Shen-Heights TV, Time-Warner Cable and Windstream.

Armstrong, Blue Ridge, MetroCast and Adams Cable, though, do not carry the Big Ten Network in Pennsylvania and the Medina and Youngstown, Ohio areas. More than 35,000Penn State alumni live in the communities served by the four cable providers in Pennsylvania and Ohio, in addition to thousands more fans and current Penn State students.

Armstrong, Blue Ridge, MetroCast and Adams Cable customers missed 115 Penn State events on BTN during the 2010-11 academic year, in addition to coverage from 15 conference championships.  

About BTN: A joint venture between the Big Ten Conference and Fox Networks, BTN is the first internationally distributed network dedicated to covering one of the premier collegiate conferences in the country. With more than 800 events, all in HD, the 24/7 network is the ultimate destination for Big Ten fans and alumni across the country, allowing them to see their favorite teams, regardless of wherethey live. Events include football, men’s and women’s basketball games; dozens of Big Ten Championship events; studio shows; coaches’ shows; and classic games. The network televises and streams more Olympic sporting events and women’s sports than has ever been aired on any other network. Original programming highlights activities and accomplishments of some of the nation’s finest universities. The groundbreaking Student U initiative provides real-world experience for students interested in careers in sports television. The network is available to more than 80 million homes across the United States and Canada, and currently has agreements with more than 300 affiliates, including AT&T U-Verse, Atlantic Broadband, Cablevision, Charter, Comcast, Cox, DirecTV, DISH Network, Insight, Mediacom, Rogers Cable (Canada), Shaw Cable and Shaw Direct (Canada), Time Warner Cable and Verizon FiOS. For updated information on BTN, go to www.BTN.com.

 

 

 

Houston Volleyball Earns AVCA Team Academic Award

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Houston Volleyball Earns AVCA Team Academic Award

Cougars Take Home Honor After Great Year In The Classroom

 

HOUSTON – The University of Houston volleyball team was recognized for its outstanding year in the classroom by being named an American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Team Academic Award winner for the 2010-11 academic year.

 

The award, which was initiated during the1992-93 academic year, honors collegiate and high school volleyball teams that displayed excellence in the classroom during the school year by maintaining at least a 3.30 cumulative team GPA on a 4.0 scale.

 

More than 1,000 different schools have earned the award in the program’s 19-year history, with exactly 4,294 awards being given out total.

 

The Cougar volleyball team posted a 3.26 GPA following the fall semester, the highest in the UH athletics program. Eightstudent-athletes added to the team’s academic success by being named to the Dean’s List.

 

The volleyball team improved on their fall GPA to post a 3.37 during the spring semester. It was the highest departmental GPA and the highest in program history. Nine student-athletes were also named to the Conference USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll and five were named C-USA Academic Medal recipients.

 

With back-to-back program-best GPAs, the Houston volleyball team posted a cumulative 3.32 GPA during the 2010-11 school year.

 

Cyclones Land Third ESPNU Broadcast

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Cyclones Land Third ESPNU Broadcast

 

AMES, Iowa – The Iowa State volleyball team has added a third national broadcast match to its 2011 schedule as ESPNU has announced it will air the Cyclones’ home match against Texas. The match, originally scheduled for Saturday Oct. 1, has been moved to Sunday Oct. 2. First serve is slated for noon CDT.

 

“We are really excited about adding another match, especially a home match, to the ESPNU lineup,” head Cyclones coach Christy Johnson-Lynch said. “It’s a great way to showcase our program and our fantastic fan base.  Playing on national TV allows fans and recruits across the country to see Iowa State play some of the best volleyball in the country.”

 

The only Big 12 teams to appear on ESPNU three times this season, the Cyclones and Longhorns have built a fierce rivalry in the last few years, playing a five-set match in three of the last four seasons. Last year, the Longhorns outlasted the Cyclones for a 3-2 decision in Austin and came from behind to defeat Iowa State, 3-1, in the Cyclones’ final home match of the 2010 season.

 

ESPNU’s announcement adding Iowa State and Texas to its broadcast schedule comes three weeks after the network announced its pick up of Iowa State’s home match against Missouri and its road match at Oklahoma.

LSU Volleyball Chosen for ESPNU Appearance at Arkansas

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LSU Volleyball Chosen for ESPNU Appearance at Arkansas

 

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The LSU volleyball team will be featured on ESPNU for a third straight season when the Tigers head to Arkansas on October 26 as announced Monday by the SEC office.

 

The Tigers will be making their fourth appearance on the network since 2009 as part of the SEC on ESPN television agreement. LSU has won two of its three previous ESPNU contests highlighted by a 3-0 sweep of No. 6 Florida en route to the 2009 SEC championship. 

 

“We’re extremely excited and honored to once again be able to showcase LSU volleyball to a national audience,” head coach Fran Flory said. “ESPNU does a wonderful job of covering SEC volleyball. Our players are always proud to represent LSU and the state of Louisiana on television.”

 

ESPNU is a 24-hour college sports television network that airs more than 650 live events annually and offers over 600 original studio shows. ESPNU has seen a steady increase since its inception on March 4, 2005 and is now in over 73 million households.

 

The brand also is available in high definition on ESPNUHD, now in over 20 million homes. The network has long-term carriage agreements with all 10 of the top multichannel TV providers - Cablevision, Charter, Comcast, Cox, DirecTV (Channel 208), DISH Network (Channel 141), Mediacom, Time Warner Cable, Verizon FiOS TV and AT&T U-verse.

 

LSU’s remaining television schedule will be released at a later date.  The Tigers head into the 2011 campaign as one of only 18 programs nationally to qualify for the last six NCAA Tournaments.

 

The six-time defending SEC Western Division champions open the season by welcoming Alcorn State, Louisiana-Lafayette, Jacksonville State and 2010 NCAA Tournament participant Miami, Fla. to the Maravich Center for the Tiger Classic on Aug. 26-27.  

 

For all of the latest information on Tiger volleyball, log on to http://www.lsusports.net/volleyball or follow the program's social media outlets @lsuvolleyball on Twitter or via Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/lsuvolleyball.

 

Below is the complete SEC on ESPN volleyball schedule.

 

2011 SEC Volleyball on ESPN TV Schedule [All Times Central]

Date, Match, Time, Network

09/25 [Sun.], Tennessee at Florida, 4 p.m., ESPNU

10/02 [Sun.], Mississippi State at Ole Miss, 5 p.m., ESPNU

10/05 [Wed.], Auburn at Georgia, 6 p.m., ESPNU

10/12 [Wed.], Tennessee at Kentucky, 7 p.m., ESPNU

10/19 [Wed.], Florida at South Carolina, 7 p.m., SEPNU

10/26 [Wed.], LSU at Arkansas, 7 p.m., ESPNU

 

Duke Volleyball Receives AVCA Academic Award for Fifth Straight Year

Duke Volleyball Receives AVCA Academic Award for Fifth Straight Year

 

July 21, 2011

 

DURHAM, N.C. – For the fifth straight year, the Duke volleyball team received the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Team Academic Award for maintaining a team grade point average of at least 3.30 for the entire 2010-11 academic year.

 

The Blue Devils have earned the academic recognition every year since 2006-07 and seven times over the past eight seasons. This award caps a remarkable 2010 campaign in which the Blue Devils won the ACC Championship and advanced to the NCAA Round of Eight and the Regional Final.

 

Duke’s academic success last season was a team effort, as every member of the team will appear on the ACC Academic Honor Roll for the second straight year. That list honors all ACC student-athletes who maintain a GPA of at least 3.00 for the entire academic year. All 15 members of the 2009-10 team appeared on that list last season, and all 12 Blue Devils will make the 2010-11 team when that list comes out in August.

 

Duke’s 2010 roster featured the ACC Volleyball Scholar-Athlete of the Year Sophia Dunworth and five other All-ACC Academic Volleyball Team selections, including Christiana Gray who appeared on the Academic All-District III Team alongside Dunworth. Additionally, senior Claire Smalzer wrapped up her career as a four-time member of the ACC Academic Honor Roll.

 

First instituted in 1992, the AVCA Team Academic Award goes to collegiate and high school volleyball programs that maintain a minimum grade point average of 3.30 for the academic year. Duke also received the AVCA Team Academic Award for the 2003-04 and 2004-05 academic years.

 

Duke was one of 92 NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball programs to receive the honor this season and one of an AVCA-record 478 teams overall. The 478 awards were the most in the 18-year history of the AVCA Team Academic Award.

 

Penn State Women's Volleyball: Meet Nia Grant

Penn State Women's Volleyball: Meet Nia Grant

 

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U. Miami Volleyball News: Miami Volleyball Honored with AVCA Academic Team Award

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U. Miami Volleyball News: Miami Volleyball Honored with AVCA Academic Team Award

 

Miami Volleyball Honored with AVCA Academic Team Award

Hurricanes honored in consecutive years for academic excellence.

 

LEXINGTON, Ky. – For the second consecutive year, the University of Miami volleyball team was chosen to receive the 2010-11 American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Academic Team Award, as announced by the AVCA office on Wednesday.

 

UMiami was one of just 18 institutions to reach the 2010 NCAA Tournament and be honored in receiving this year’s AVCA Academic Team Award. Additionally, Miami joins Duke and NC State as the only three Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) schools on this year’s list.

 

The award, which was initiated in the 1992-93 academic year, honors collegiate and high school volleyball teams that displayed excellence in the classroom during the school year by maintaining at least a 3.30 cumulative team grade-point average on a 4.0 scale or a 4.10 cumulative team GPA on a 5.0 scale.

 

In reaching the NCAA Tournament in consecutive years (2009, 2010), the Canes once again had a solid showing in the classroom as well as on the court. Redshirt junior Katie Gallagher and freshman Alexandria Johnson were each named to the 2010 ACC All-Academic Volleyball Team with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better.

 

For the Hurricanes, seven student-athletes carried at least a 3.2 cumulative grade point average for the 2010-11 campaign, including freshman Mariel Schofield with a 4.0. Sophomore Nrithya Sundararaman ended the year with a 3.8 GPA and classmate Lizzie Hale achieved a mark of 3.9.

 

“A hearty congratulations to all the volleyball coaches whose teams won the 2011 AVCA Team Academic Award,” said AVCA Executive Director, Kathy DeBoer. “Teams do not succeed in the classroom by accident any more so than they do on the court.  The same coach who taught them volleyball skills cared enough about their academic achievement to gather their grades, calculate their GPA, and submit a nomination on their behalf. In doing so, these coaches sent a clear message that classroom success is just as important as court success.  All involved should celebrate this award!”

 

The Team Academic Award has become one of the AVCA’s fastest growing awards programs, seeing an impressive surge in teams honored over the past several years. Since the 2000-2001 season, the number of recipients has increased every single year but one, while amassing an overall 170 percent increase over the span of the decade.  Since the award’s inception in 1993, the award has risen by an astounding 674 percent. NCAA Division II recorded their highest-ever total number of recipients, honoring 57 programs while Division III easily surpassed last year’s record of 75 winners with 88 this year. The high school division also set a new record with its 192 recipients.

 

Over 1,000 different schools have earned the award in the program's 19-year history, with exactly 4,294 awards been given out in total.

 

The AVCA announced that 478 teams have earned the AVCA Team Academic Award for the 2010-2011 season.  This number once again breaks the previous years’ total of 450 and sets a new all-time high for this award.

 

BREAKDOWN BY CLASSIFICATION

Division                                                             Number of recipients                        Percent Breakdown*

NCAA Division I Women                                                 92                                                       19.25%

NCAA Division II Women                                                57                                                       11.92%

NCAA Division III Women                                               88                                                       18.41%

NAIA Women                                                                     30                                                      6.28%   

Two-Year College Women                                              12                                                        2.51%

NCCAA Women                                                                 2                                                         0.42%

NCAA Collegiate Men                                                       4                                                         0.84%

NAIA Men                                                                             1                                                         0.21%

High School (Girls and Boys)                                        192                                                     40.17%

High School Girls                                                             176

High School Boys                                                             16

 

* Percentage is based on each category’s breakdown of the total 2010-2011 Team Academic recipients.

 

You can find this year’s list of recipients on our website by clicking here, then scrolling down.

 

For more information on the University of Miami volleyball team, please log on to HurricaneSports.com.  Once there, you will find up-to-date news, stats and information regarding the Hurricanes volleyball program.

 

Fans can keep up-to-date with all UM Athletics via twitter at Twitter.com/HurricaneSports.  You can also become a fan of the Canes on Facebook at Facebook.com/MiamiHurricanes.

 

ABOUT AVCA

The AVCA, with its headquarters in Lexington, Ky., is managed by Associations International.  The mission of the AVCA is to develop and grow the sport of volleyball; with a membership of over 5,000 and counting, the AVCA provides a professional network for those individuals and companies dedicated to enhancing and developing the sport. Members are comprised of national and international coaches, collegiate, high school, club, youth and Olympic coaches, as well as club directors. Other members include former players, officials, media members and other friends of volleyball. As a group, the AVCA is committed to the development, growth, advancement and publicity of volleyball throughout the world.  Further information is available at www.avca.org.

 

Blazer Volleyball Picks Up AVCA Team Academic Award

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Blazer Volleyball Picks Up AVCA Team Academic Award
UAB in top 30 percent of all Division I programs in team GPA

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (July 21, 2011)

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- The UAB volleyball team’s strong year in the classroom was recognized by the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) on Wednesday when the organization announced its list of Team Academic Award winners for 2010-11.

The awards go to programs that finish the academic year with a cumulative team GPA of at least 3.30. A total of 92 NCAA Division I programs, 28 percent of all teams at college volleyball’s highest level, accomplished that feat this past year.

UAB was one of six C-USA teams to pick up the award, joining Rice, UCF, Houston, Memphis and Southern Miss.

The AVCA recognizes programs across all levels of men’s and women’s volleyball in both college and high school. This year, a record 478 programs nationwide earned a Team Academic Award.

Players throughout UAB’s roster found success in the classroom last year.

The Blazers placed 10 players, more than two-thirds of the roster, on the most recent Conference USA Commissioner’s Honor Roll, which recognizes student-athletes with GPAs of 3.0 or better. Daniela Cavallo, Rachel Fairbanks, Kirsten Gallagher, Becca Howard, Sam Serley, Ally Slaughter, Thais Soares, Heather Thomas, Michelle Uzoh and Alison Woods each earned that honor last year.

Cavallo and Serley also received the C-USA Commissioner’s Academic Medal for posting GPAs of 3.75 or higher, while Serley was recognized for her accomplishments on and off the court with a spot of the league’s All-Academic Team.


-- CALL US UAB --

Nebraska Volleyball: BTN, ESPN Release Volleyball TV Schedules

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Nebraska Volleyball: BTN, ESPN Release Volleyball TV Schedules

Lincoln – Fans of the Nebraska volleyball program will have seven opportunities to catch the Huskers on either the BTN or ESPN2 this fall. Last season the Huskers made two national TV appearances on ESPNU and one on FSN.

Nebraska’s first appearance on BTN will be on Wednesday, Sept. 21 when Head Coach John Cook’s Huskers will play their first Big Ten Conference match at home against four-time defending national champion Penn State at 7 p.m. The Huskers will also be live on BTN on Saturday, Oct. 29 when the Huskers visit the Nittany Lions at Rec Hall for a 7 p.m. match.

Two of the Huskers other Big Ten Conference matches will be shown on tape delay on BTN. Nebraska’s match at Minnesota on Saturday, Oct. 15 will be shown on Monday, Oct. 17 at 8 p.m. and the Huskers’ home match with Illinois on Saturday, Oct. 22 will be shown on Monday, Oct. 24 at 8 p.m. Nebraska’s home match with Minnesota on Wednesday, Nov. 16 will also be on BTN, but it yet to be decided if the match will broadcast live or on tape delay.

Nebraska will also make two tape-delay appearances on ESPN2 when they play Saturday matches at Michigan and host Indiana. Both matches will be shown the following day due to conflicts with ESPN’s coverage of college football. NU’s visit to Ann Arbor on Saturday, Oct. 1 will be shown on Sunday, Oct. 2 at 1:30 p.m., while the Husker’s home match with the Hoosiers on Saturday, Oct. 8 will be shown at Noon on Sunday, Oct. 9.

2011 BTN TV Schedule
Sept. 21 – Penn State at Nebraska, 7 p.m. (LIVE)
Oct. 17 – Nebraska at Minnesota, 8 p.m. (Tape Delay)
Oct. 24 – Illinois at Nebraska, 8 p.m. (Tape Delay)
Oct. 29 - Nebraska at Penn State, 7 p.m. (Live)
Nov. 16 – Minnesota at Nebraska, TBA

2011 ESPN2 TV Schedule
Oct. 2 – Nebraska at Michigan, 1:30 p.m. (Tape Delay)
Oct. 9 – Indiana at Nebraska, Noon (Tape Delay)

UC Irvine Women's Volleyball Announces 2011 Schedule

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UC Irvine Women's Volleyball Announces 2011 Schedule

IRVINE, Calif. --- Paula Weishoff’s UC Irvine women’s volleyball team will face eight 2010 NCAA Tournament qualifying teams in the 2011 campaign. 

 

Playing their first nine matches on the road, the Anteaters open the calendar at the Aztec Invitational (Aug. 26-27) against host San Diego State. The team then takes on Nevada from the Western Athletic Conference and Portland from the Big Sky Conference.

 

UCI then travels to Delaware to compete in the Delaware Invitational (Sept. 2-3). The Anteaters meet the Blue Hens, who advanced to the NCAA post-season last year and then take on Northern Iowa. UCI then faces its first NCAA Tournament team, Florida State, to conclude action in Newark.

 

Road play continues for UCI at the Comcast/Sheraton Lobo Invitational (Sept. 9-10) in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The Anteaters take on the Lobos, also a post-season qualifying team, before meeting the University of Montreal for the first time. The team wraps up tournament play against Portland State, which faced future Big West member Hawai’i in the NCAA first round last year.

 

UCI welcomes a pair of former Big West members at the UC Irvine Active Ankle Challenge to open the home portion of the schedule. The Anteaters are slated to entertain Utah State (Sept. 16), which reached the NCAA first round last season and Idaho (Sept. 17).

 

Weishoff’s Anteaters then travel to Pacific and UC Davis (Sept. 23-24) to open Big West Conference play before breaking for a non-conference match against San Diego, which advanced to the NCAA second-round in 2010.

 

Long Beach State, which fell to San Diego in the opening round of post-season play, travels to the Bren Center (Oct. 4) for a mid-week contest and the Anteaters continue the three-match homestand against Cal Poly (Oct. 7) and UC Santa Barbara (Oct. 8).

 

Following a pair of road trips to UC Riverside (Oct. 13) and Cal State Northridge (Oct. 15), UCI returns for four straight home games. The team hosts UC Davis and Pacific (Oct. 21-22) and takes on Seattle University in a non-conference match before facing Cal State Fullerton (Nov. 1), which reached the NCAA Tournament for the first time last year.

 

The Anteaters travel to UC Santa Barbara and Cal Poly (Nov. 4-5) before hosting UC Riverside (Nov. 9) and Cal State Northridge (Nov. 11) in the final Big West home matches.

 

UCI closes out conference play at Cal State Fullerton and Long Beach State (Nov. 18-19) and will wrap up the regular season against Central Michigan (Nov. 26) over the Thanksgiving weekend at Crawford Court. 

 

Weishoff is in her third season at the helm of the Anteater squad and will continue to serve as an assistant to Hugh McCutcheon on the U.S Women’s Indoor Volleyball National Team. In his third season is assistant coach Ben Bodipo-Memba and joining the staff in his first season is assistant coach Eric Perrine.

Three Volleyball Players Earn COBRA Magazine Preseason Honors

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Three Volleyball Players Earn COBRA Magazine Preseason Honors

IRVING, Texas - Conference USA placed three of its top volleyball players on the 2011 COBRA Magazine All-Preseason Teams.

Juniors ALTRESE HAWKINS of Memphis and Tulsa's TYLER HENDERSON, as well as SMU senior DANA POWELL, were honored.

Henderson was also named to the COBRA Magazine Player of the Year watch list and joined Hawkins on the all-preseason first team, while Powell received third-team accolades.

Abbey Worrell Named Wake Forest Volleyball Assistant Coach

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Abbey Worrell Named Wake Forest Volleyball Assistant Coach

 

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Wake Forest head volleyball coach Heather Kahl Holmes has announced the hiring of Abbey Worrell as an assistant coach. Worrell has spent the last two seasons as an assistant at the University of Toledo.

 

 “We are extremely excited to have Abbey join our staff and program,” said Kahl Holmes. “She comes to us with experience at all levels, as she is a former Division I college player, a former professional player and a college assistant coach for the past two seasons.”

 

During her first year at Toledo in 2009, Worrell helped the Rockets post a 17-12 record, while the team’s .586 winning percentage was the third-best in the program’s 30-year history.

 

Her duties with the Rockets included working directly with the outside hitters and defensive specialists in addition to handling camps, film exchange and other day-to-day activities.

 

“Everyone I talked with about Abbey had nothing but high remarks about her as a person and a coach. She is passionate about coaching and understands the work ethic required to be successful both on and off the court,” said Kahl Holmes. “I am looking forward to seeing the impact she has on our program; specifically in the continued development of our pin hitters.”

 

Prior to joining Toledo, Worrell was coaching volleyball in many facets. During the 2008-09 season, she was the head coach at West Iredell High School as well as a coach at both Lake Normal Volleyball Club and Race City Volleyball Club.

 

Worrell had a decorated career at Charlotte, ranking in the top four all-time in points per set, attacks, kills and digs. She is one of only three players in 49er history to be ranked in the Top 10 in both career kills and digs and is one of seven players to have tallied 1,000 kills and 1,000 digs.

 

After graduating from Charlotte, Worrell continued her playing career. She played professionally for VC Tirol in Innsbruck, Austria during the 2006 and 2007 seasons.

 

Lady Vols Add Alan Edwards to Volleyball Coaching Staff

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Lady Vols Add Alan Edwards to Volleyball Coaching Staff

 

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee volleyball program and head coach Rob Patrick announced the addition of former Iona College head coach Alan Edwards as the team’s new assistant coach and recruiting coordinator on Tuesday afternoon.

 

“I am very excited about adding Alan to our coaching staff,” Patrick said. “He brings a wealth of volleyball experience, both as a head coach and assistant coach from a number of Division-I programs, and is someone who I feel will be able to assimilate himself into our team very quickly.

 

“I have a great deal of respect for Alan’s abilities as a recruiter, as well as his ability to identify talent at a young age. He also has experience coaching every position on the court and has a sharp mind when it comes to studying film, which will greatly benefit us in the upcoming season.”

 

Edwards was most recently the head coach at Iona for the past five seasons, where he led the Gaels to a 75-79 overall record and four appearances in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Championships.

 

“When Rob called and asked if I wanted to join his coaching staff, it was a no-brainer for me,” Edwards said. “I’ve known Rob for over 10 years and have the utmost respect for what he has accomplished here at Tennessee. I believe in what Rob is teaching and know that he runs his program with a tireless work ethic geared toward winning a national championship. The opportunity to pursue that goal with a person I respect as much as Rob was simply not one I could pass up.

 

“I realize that anything I do here at UT will only be building upon the work that some of my best friends in this business have already done in Rob, Gregg Whitis, Mike Minnis and many others. My only goal is to pick up where they left off and continue to make this program better each and every day. I am looking forward to the challenge and hope that I can contribute something to the future success of Tennessee volleyball.”

 

During his time in New Rochelle, Edwards mentored one of the top defensive players in NCAA history in Allison Neiters. One of the top volleyball performers in Iona College and MAAC history, she shattered the Iona and conference career record for digs with 2,682, the fifth highest all-time total in the NCAA.

 

Neiters was named the 2007 and 2008 MAAC Defensive Player of the Year and 2009 MAAC Libero of the Year, as well as the league's Defensive Player of the Week 17 times during her career. She was also a three-time MAAC All-Academic Team and MAAC Honor Roll member, two-time CoSIDA Academic All-District selection and earned Iona's Academic Merit Award for holding a 3.50 or above grade point average.

 

“The five years I spent at Iona were the most rewarding of my career so far,” Edwards said. “I was unbelievably fortunate to work in a tremendous athletic department that measures success through academics, and not just wins and losses. I thoroughly enjoyed my time there and that is a testament to the type of place Iona is and the way they run things there.”

 

Edwards also coached three-time All-MAAC, and 1,000+ kill club member Sarah Wiener in her final three seasons along with the 2009 MAAC Rookie of the Year, Rachelle Wilson.

 

Academically, the Gaels under Edwards have performed exceptionally well with more than three-fourths of his student-athletes eligible earning MAAC All-Academic or Academic Honor Roll distinction.

 

Edwards came to New Rochelle after spending the 2005 season as an assistant at Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond, LA. His previous coaching experiences include a stint as an assistant at the University of Wyoming and as a head coach at Mercer University in Macon, GA.

 

In his only season at Wyoming, Edwards served as the Cowgirls' recruiting coordinator where his 2005 class was given a High Honorable Mention award by PrepVolleyball.com, ranking the school among the Top 50 recruiting classes in the country.

 

Prior to his stint at Wyoming, Edwards spent four seasons as head coach at Mercer. He posted a four-year record of 52-73 and guided the Bears to the Atlantic Sun Conference tournament for the first time since 1996. Edwards compiled an 11-29 record in A-Sun play and led Mercer to its most wins ever in conference play in 2003, going 7-3 and earning the No. 4 seed at the A-Sun Championship. He took over the Mercer volleyball program in 2000 after the Bears had gone a combined 6-48 in the two years prior to his arrival.

 

A native of Brevard, NC, Edwards spent one season as an assistant at Troy State before accepting the Mercer position. Prior to his stint at TSU, the Western Carolina graduate spent the previous 10 seasons at the high school and club level. He guided Brevard High School to three consecutive state playoff appearances after inheriting a team that finished 4-16 the year before he arrived.

 

While in the high school ranks, Edwards was instrumental in bringing club volleyball to the Western North Carolina area. He helped found the Biltmore Volleyball club team in 1993 and worked with that squad until 1999.

 

For the most-up-to-date information about the Tennessee volleyball program, visit www.UTLadyVols.com/volleyball and be sure to follow @LadyVol_VBall on Twitter.