Blue BlueHen HenFootball Volleyball
All-Americans Bonnie Kenny
BONNIE KENNY HEAD COACH 12TH SEASON AT UD/30TH OVERALL TENNESSEE ‘84 Head coach Bonnie Kenny will begin her 12th season at the helm of the University of Delaware volleyball program in 2013. Just the fifth coach in the 41-year history of the Blue Hens, she has posted a remarkable 209-137 record since arriving in Newark and reached the impressive 200-win milestone on Oct. 5, 2012 at UNCW. Kenny took over a program that had suffered through four straight losing seasons before she was named the head coach on Feb. 7, 2002. Since then, she has helped turn the team into one of the most successful in the region. During her 11 remarkable seasons in Newark, Kenny has led the team to a share of five Colonial Athletic Association titles, four CAA Tournament crowns, and four trips to the NCAA Tournament.
In 2008, she continued to build upon the Blue Hens’ recent success, completing a great coaching job to lead Delaware to its second straight title. Despite losing the reigning Player and Setter of the Year to graduation and All-CAA performer Kelly Gibson to a seasonending injury in the first match of the year, Kenny led the team on an incredible late-season run that culminated with the conference championship.
Through the 2012 season, the Blue Hen volleyball squad captured a share of five straight CAA regular season titles, won CAA Tournament championships four times, and advanced to the NCAA Tournament in 2007, 2008, 2010, and 2011. The Blue Hens won first round NCAA matches in both 2007 - a first in UD history - and 2011.
Before the tournament got under way, Kenny was honored for her coaching successes, garnering the league’s Co-Coach of the Year award. She immediately proved why she deserved the honor, helping the No. 3 seed Hens down Towson, 3-1, in the first-round before upsetting the second-seeded VCU Rams, 3-1, in the semifinals.
In 2011, the Blue Hens enjoyed another outstanding season, posting a 23-11 record, winning both the CAA regular season and tournament titles, and advancing to the NCAA Tournament where they downed American in the first round before falling to host Penn State in the second round.
The following night, Delaware took on Northeastern, the host and No. 1 seed. In a grueling five-set bout, the Blue Hens prevailed, becoming the first team to win consecutive titles since George Mason won back-to-back crowns in 2002 and 2003.
Delaware became the first team to capture a share of five straight league titles since George Mason (199296) and just narrowly missed making it six straight in 2012 before falling in five sets to Hofstra in the CAA Tournament title game.
After falling in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in 2008, Kenny helped guide an experienced Delaware team to its second regular-season title in three years after finishing tied atop the CAA standings with VCU in 2009. Along with a strong showing in conference action, Delaware also had a memorable night against North Carolina when the team topped the Tar Heels in a thrilling five-set match at the Bob Carpenter Center in front of a record crowd of 2,517.
She has been named the CAA Coach of the Year four times and led the team to the CAA Tournament nine times. In that time, a total of 29 UD student-athletes have been named all-conference, 19 have been named to the CAA All-Tournament team, four have earned All-American honors, eight have earned all-region honors, nine have been named CAA Player of the Year, and six have earned CoSIDA Academic All-District honors.
On October 8, 2010, Kenny became the 28th active NCAA Division I head coach to reach the 500 win plateau with a 3-0 victory over VCU on Viera Court. She was honored at the 2010 Jostens Coaches Honors Luncheon in Kansas City, Mo., on December 16. The luncheon was held in conjunction with the 2010 AVCA Annual Convention. In 2007, Kenny helped guide the team to heights never reached before in Delaware history. Following a regular season that saw the team capture three tournament championships and post a 12-2 record during conference action, the Blue Hens saved their finest performance for the postseason. Prior to the CAA Championship, Kenny was named the conference Coach of the Year for the second time in her career. Boasting the CAA’s top coach along with the Player, Setter, and Defensive Specialist of the Year, Delaware entered the conference championship as the No. 1 seed. Following a semifinal victory over James Madison, the Blue Hens squared off with the defending champion Hofstra Pride in the title bout. Before a capacity crowd at Viera Court, Delaware defeated Hofstra, 3-1, to capture its first CAA crown. With the league’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament in hand, the Blue Hens headed to Queens, N.Y. for opening round action. In its first round match against Princeton, Delaware posted the conference’s fourth NCAA Tournament victory after downing the Tigers, 3-1. The following night, although the team fell to 18th ranked St. John’s, 3-1, the Hens became the first team from the CAA to win a game in the second round without the benefit of a first round bye. 6
2013 Delaware Volleyball Media Guide
Highlighted by victories over UNC as well as a slew of Big East schools, Delaware eventually finished the year ranked fifth in the East Region and 43rd in the nation. It marked the highest national finish by a team from the CAA in four years.
The Bonnie Kenny File Hometown: Meriden, Conn. Education: Graduated from Maloney HS in Meriden, Conn.; earned B.S. degree in Secondary Education/Coaching in 1984 from University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tenn. Playing Career: Led Maloney HS to four straight Connecticut state titles and earned Guiffrida Award, given to the most outstanding female athlete in Connecticut as a senior (also inducted into Maloney HS’s Hall of Fame in Spring 2004); four-year letterwinner and three-year captain at University of Tennessee, 1980-83; led Vols to two SEC championships, three NCAA Tournaments; All-SEC and an Academic All-American in 1983; Inducted into UT Hall of Fame in September, 2006. Coaching Career: Head coach at University of South Carolina, 1984-92 (171-137); Head coach at University of Massachusetts, 1993-2001 (169-115); Head Coach at the University of Delaware, 2002-Present (209-137); Overall Career coaching record is 549-389 (.585) in 29 seasons, ranking among top 24 active head coaches for wins in NCAA Division I; has been named CAA Coach of the Year four times; has led teams to five NCAA Tournament appearances (four at Delaware) and five conference regular season or tournament titles; served as President of the American Volleyball Coaches Association through the 2006-07 season.
The 2010 season marked another championship campaign as Kenny led the squad to a 26-6 overall record, finishing with a program best conference record of 13-1 to earn the number one seed in the tournament, and home court advantage. The Blue Hens would use that advantage through the weekend tournament, surging from a 2-1 deficit to take the 2010 crown from #3 Northeastern, 3-2, in front of a sellout crowd on Viera Court. Kenny was honored with her fourth CAA Coach of the Year award (Co-Coach in 2010) and also coached the Setter of the Year, the Defensive Specialist of the Year and saw three of her players named to the CAA first team that season. Delaware went on to draw Virginia Tech in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, held in University Park, Pa, home of the three-time defending national champions from Penn State. The Blue Hens dropped the opening round matchup 3-0 to the Hokies. The 2010 season was highlighted by an undefeated home record, stretching their streak to 17 straight