HEAD COACH ROB PATRICK Rob Patrick, now entering his 17th season as head coach, has made nine NCAA appearances with the Lady Vols, including the current stretch of fivestraight which is a program-best. Since taking over the program in 1997, Patrick has become the program’s all-time wins leader. He earned his 350th career win against Coastal Carolina in the closing match of the Tennessee Invitational on Sept. 21. While at the helm of the Orange & White, Patrick has averaged over 20 wins a season, and has had players earn 40 All-SEC honors and 24 All-South Region accolades. The native of Cleveland, Ohio has twice earned National Coach of the Year honors and guided the Lady Vols to the 2005 NCAA Final Four. Of Tennessee’s 17 All-Americans, Patrick has coached 15, including senior libero and captain Ellen Mullins.
WHO’S BACK? HEAD COACH ROB PATRICK PATRICK’S CAREER RECORD [ 1997-PRESENT ] Year 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 Total
Overall 15-19 19-10 19-13 23-10 16-11 20-11 22-9 32-3 25-9 19-12 11-18 22-10 24-8 25-7 28-4 22-8 8-6 350-168
SEC Finish/Postseason 5-9 4th SEC East 7-7 4th SEC East 8-6 2nd SEC East 9-5 3rd SEC East, NCAA 1st Rd. 7-7 3rd SEC East 8-8 4th SEC East 10-6 2nd SEC East 15-1 T-1st SEC East, NCAA Regional QF 13-3 2nd SEC East, NCAA Semifinal 10-10 3rd SEC East, NCAA 1st Rd. 6-14 5th SEC East 15-5 3rd SEC East, NCAA 1st Rd. 16-4 T-2nd SEC East, NCAA 2nd Rd. 15-5 2nd SEC East, NCAA 2nd Rd. 19-1 1st SEC, NCAA 2nd Rd. 15-5 3rd SEC, NCAA 1st Rd. 0-0 178-96 3 SEC Titles, 9 NCAA Apps.
WHO’S NEW?
PATRICK’S MILESTONE WINS Win # 1 50 100 200 250 300 350
Opponent (Date) ETSU (8.30.1997) Georgia State (10.26.1999) East Carolina (9.14.2002) Arkansas (9.17.2006) Arkansas (9.25.2009) Georgia (9.16.2011) Coastal Carolina (9.21.2013)
Tennessee returns its starting libero and AllAmerican Ellen Mullins. Shealyn Kolosky and Nikki Brice. In addition, the Lady Vols also welcome back senior Whitney Heeres, who was sidelined with an injury last season, as well sophomores Megan Hatcher and Ashlyn Sunseri. Mullins set the tone for the Big Orange last season, earning AVCA Honorable Mention All-American honors. The 5-foot-6 libero was also named to the AVCA All-South Region team. She started all 30 matches, and was one of just two players to play in all 119 sets. The Nashville product earned a leaguebest three SEC Defensive Player of the Week honors in 2012, and led the team with career-best marks in digs (541) and digs per set (4.55) - marks that ranked second and fourth in the league, respectively. After being injured in last season’s preseason, Kolosky returns to the squad in 2013. The 6-foot3 middle blocker was one of just four Lady Vols to start every match during her freshman campaign in 2011, playing in 122 sets, and was a key component in UT’s SEC title. The Wheaton, Ill., native appeared in 10 matches in 2012. Heeres returns to the court for her senior season after suffering from a shoulder injury that sidelined her in 2012.
Score 3-1 3-0 3-0 3-1 3-0 3-0 3-1
After adding assistant coaches Alan Edwards and Rachel Cooper and director of operations Jenna Dover two seasons ago, there was only one addition to the Lady Vol Volleyball coaching staff in 2013. Charlie Olson joined the program this past summer and will serve as the team’s volunteer assistant coach, replacing Russ Friedland who landed a full time assistant position at UNLV. Olson has been in the juniors and high school coaching ranks since 2005, where he recently helped lead the Floyd E. Kellam Knights to a third-straight AAA Virginia High School state title as co-head coach. He was named “Virginia State AAA Coach of the Year” in 2012. Olson graduated from California State University, Chico, in 2004 where he played volleyball on the men’s club team and served as floor captain during his last two seasons. On the court, the Lady Vols welcome nine newcomers, including five freshmen and four transfers. Carly Wishlow, a junior transfer from UTSA, joins the Orange & White after helping lead the Roadrunners to the Southland Conference Tournament championship match and Western Athletic Conference Tournament in her two seasons. Brooke Speyerer is one of three setters on the 2013 team, transferring from Pace University after spending her freshman and sophomore campaigns with the Setters. The Winter Haven, Fla., native led the
squad with 1,167 assists for an average of 8.91 helpers per set in 2012. Tennessee native Kalyn Helton dons the Orange & White this season after playing at Lee University last year, helping guide the Flames to a 30-11 record and a 13-1 mark in conference play. She spent her freshman year at Harding University where she was named Conference Freshman of the Year. After spending the 2012 season at the University of Portland, sophomore Lexi Dempsey joins the squad. She appeared in all 30 matches for the Pilots last season, and ranked second on the team with 403 assists for an average of 3.66 helpers per set. Freshman Jamie Lea joined Tennessee in the spring of 2013. She was ranked as the 37th-best player in the class of 2013 by PrepVolleyball.com and named to Volleyball Magazine’s Girls’ Fab 50 list, which recognizes the top 50 seniors in the nation. She was a four-time 3A All-Conference honoree at Orange High School in Efland, N.C., and named Player of the Year. She finished her career with 1,142 kills, a .371 attacking percentage and 126 blocks. Arizona native Abby Brewer was a three-year letterwinner and setter at Chaparral High School where she earned all-state and all-city honors as a senior. The youngest of five siblings, Brewer will complete a family tradition as she makes her collegiate playing debut this weekend as all of her older siblings have played at the Division I level or above. Listed as one of PrepVolleyball.com’s top 250 recruits in the class of 2013, Bridgette Villano hails from Davie, Fla., where she was a four-year letterwinner at St. Thomas Aquinas High School. The defensive specialist earned AVCA Under Armour All-American Honorable Mention and Mizuno/Volleyball Magazine third team AllAmerican accolades. She is a two-time PrepVolleyball. com Defensive Dandies honoree. Raina Hembry helped guide Central Catholic High School to its third-straight Oregon 6A state title as a senior in 2012-13. She was ranked as the 45th-best player in the class of 2013 by PrepVolleyball.com. Texas product Ashley Mariani was a member of the USA Junior National Team and ranked as the 31st-best player in the class of 2013 by PrepVolleyball.com. As
UT VOLLEYBALL HONORS 2013 SEASON HONORS ELLEN MULLINS, L/DS Tennessee Invitational All-Tournament Team Country Inns & Suites Invitational MVP Country Inns & Suites Invitational All-Tournament Team SEC Defensive Player of the Week (9/3) Cincinnati Invitational All-Tournament Team LEXI DEMPSEY, S Country Inns & Suites Invitational All-Tournament Team WHITNEY HEERES, OH Comcast Lady Vol Classic All-Tournament Team JAMIE LEA, OH Country Inns & Suites Invitational All-Tournament Team ASHLEY MARIANI, MB Cincinnati Invitational All-Tournament Team
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