Fall 2006

USJ varsity volleyball team won the Freed Hardeman Classic Volleyball Tournament at Freed Hardeman University. The girls won against Chester County in the final match to claim first place in the tournament.

When the Lady Bruins Volleyball Team took to the court in August, fans saw one key change – the arrival of the new head coach, Brian Dunn. Already the USJ girls’ softball coach and a Middle School teacher, Dunn is adding volleyball to his list of duties at University School.

Volleyball team members say they are excited about the arrival of the new head coach, considering his exceptional background and success with the Union University Lady Bulldogs. Before taking the head position at USJ, Dunn coached the Lady Bulldogs in volleyball for seven years and softball for nine years, leading them to regional and national championships.

As the head coach at Union, Dunn lead the volleyball team to five Conference Championships, one Region Championship, and one National Championship with a record of 243 wins and 62 losses in his seven years of coaching.  Also with the winning records of the volleyball team, Dunn experienced the accomplishment of coaching 11 All American Volleyball players and one Olympic volleyball player. In addition to the rich heritage of his volleyball success, Dunn also experienced parallel success on the softball diamond.

USJ volleyball has built a strong winning tradition for the Lady Bruins over the past years with the leadership of Coach Sue Hanson. Last year, the volleyball team won the District, Region and substate and lost in the first round in the state tournament. (A church bus accident at the end of the volleyball season injured several of USJ’s key volleyball players and affected the team’s chances in the state tournament.)

Coach Dunn has many experienced players on his team this year, including sophomores Bekah Smith and Katie Mansfield and returning seniors Ann Raines, Carrie Beth Henson, Sarah Beth Hudson, Kacie Fite, Rachel Young, and Lauren Smith. Key freshmen players are Kayla Petty and Adrian Sanders.

“My goal this year,” says Dunn, “is to teach the players how to be a better ball control team, which means passing, defense, controlling the ball, and all aspects of teamwork. The team that controls the ball wins.”

Coach Dunn also expressed the need for the team to “work hard and work hard on the right things” in order to be successful. As Coach Dunn and the Lady Bruins continue through this season, they will call on Dunn’s coaching experience, contributions from key players, and the rich tradition that has made USJ Volleyball such a success.

Will the Lady Bruins make it back to State this year? “It will take a great effort,” Dunn says, “but the girls and I are looking forward to the challenge  of improving each match and returning the team back to Murfreesboro."

This story was written by Senior Megan Seals

Team Roster
Seniors: Kacie Fite, Carrie Beth Henson, Sarah Beth Hudson, Lauren Smith, and Rachel Young
Sophomores: Katie Mansfield, Bekah Smith
Freshmen: Kayla Petty, Adrian Sanders