The American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) has named its inaugural Thirty Under 30, a list of up-and-coming volleyball coaches under the age of 30, and assistant volleyball coach Gretchen Killebrew is among the honorees, announced in the February/March edition of Coaching Volleyball.
Killebrew joined the volleyball staff last summer, helping a young team with only one senior as it played the first year of a Division I schedule, which included several teams that reached the NCAA Tournament. She was especially instrumental in the continued development of sophomore setter Jamie Mellies, who finished the 2008 season with 1,023 assists.
Before coming to , Killebrew served as an assistant coach at in 2007 and at Seattle Pacific in 2006, where she helped the Falcons earn the GNAC title and post a 24-3 record. In 2005, she was the head coach at , posting a 25-8 record. She also has experience as a club volleyball coach, spending one year with the Kent Junior Volleyball Club (2003) and two years with the Juanita Volleyball Club (2004-05).
“Gretchen absolutely deserves this award,” head coach Shannon Ellis said. “She is a wonderful coach because she lives the values that she teaches on the court. Her intensity in the gym is wonderful and I look forward to working with her in the coming season. She brings so much to our program.”
Killebrew, then known as Gretchen Maurer, played for the from 1999 to 2002, finishing with 3,190 assists, presently third all-time in Husky volleyball history. As captain of the 2002 squad, she helped the Huskies reach the NCAA Tournament for the first time in five years, earning first team All-Pac-10 and honorable mention All-Pacific Region honors along the way. She earned her bachelor’s degree in international studies with a minor in music from in 2003.
Among the 30 honorees, Killebrew is one of ten presently coaching at the Division I level. She was honored along with assistant coaches from schools such as the of , , Poly, of , of , and .
“Reading the biographies, accomplishments, and philosophies of this group of award winners gives me confidence about the future of our game,” said Kathy DeBoer, AVCA Executive Director. “Our rising stars are diverse, hard-working, and passionate about teaching ? good news for volleyball.”
Killebrew is presently taking a break from coaching, as she and her husband Mark welcomed Kye David Killebrew into the world on Feb. 9. She will be back in time for the start of the 2009 season.