BEACH VOLLEYBALL
SPRING HILL COLLEGE
Mobile, Alabama
Spring Hill College is ranked once again in the top 20 Southern universities and colleges, according to the 2012 edition of U.S. News & World Report’s “America’s Best Colleges.”
Spring Hill is ranked 17th among the Southern colleges and universities offering a full range of undergraduate majors and master’s programs. The U.S. News rankings are based on several quality measures including academic reputation, graduation and retention rates, faculty resources, student selectivity, peer assessment and graduation rate performance. Colleges and universities are listed in various categories depending on their size, location and other factors.
The college is ranked 10th among only 15 schools listed in the South’s “Great Schools, Great Prices” category, colleges that offer quality academic programs, affordable tuition and significant financial aid.
Spring Hill College is also listed in the region’s “A-Plus Schools for B Students” category, campuses where B students thrive in an engaged student body.
Forbes Magazine also ranks Spring Hill among its
GENERAL FACTS
Institution: Spring Hill College
City/State/Zip: Mobile, AL 36608
Founded: 1830
Enrollment: 1,200
Nickname: Badgers
School Colors: Purple, white
Home Facility: Jim & Betty Walsh Beach Volleyball Facility
Capacity: 300
Affiliation: NCAA Division II
Conference: Southern Intercollegiate Athletic
President: Dr. Christopher Puto
Athletic Director: Jim Hall
Alma Mater: Grinnell College (1995)
Compliance: Chad LeBlanc
Senior Woman Administrator: Alison Sellers-Cook
Faculty Athletic Representative: Steven Almquist, Ph.D.
Athletic Department Phone: 251-380-3485
Athletic Department Fax: 251-460-2196
Sports Information Director: Jim Stennett
Alma Mater: Mississippi State (1990)
SID Phone: (251) 380-4468
SID Email: jstennett@shc.edu
Athletic Web Site: www.shcbadgers.com
Facebook: SHCBADGERS
Twitter: SHCBADGERS
Instagram: SHCBADGERS
“America’s Best Colleges” with SHC ranked No. 32 in the nation among similar institutions.
Forbes also ranks Spring Hill among the “Best Colleges in the South” and among the top 25 percent of the ‘Best Private Colleges” nationwide according to Forbes.
COACHING STAFF
Head Coach: Dr. Peggy Martin
Alma Mater: Indiana University (1972)
Record at school: 4-13 (1 season) Career record: 4-13 (1 season) Office Phone: 251-380-3485
Assistant Coach: Shawn Taylor (1st season)
Athletic Trainer: Brian Gronewold, ATC
Assistant Athletic Trainers: Abigail Hunt, ATC Sami Ellis, ATC
Trainer’s Phone: 251-380-3493
TEAM INFORMATION
Overall Record Last Year: 4-13
Last Postseason: n/a
Last Postseason Opponent: n/a
Last Postseason Result: n/a
Final 2014 NCAA Ranking: n/a
Starters returning: 4
Starters Lost: 8
New Players: 7
First season: 2015
Overall Program Record: 4-13 (1 season)
HEAD COACH
DR. PEGGY MARTIN
Mobile Sports Hall of Fame member Dr. Peggy Martin is in her second season as the head coach of beach volleyball and completed her seventh season as the court volleyball head coach this past fall. In 2011, 2012 and 2013, she directed SHC the court team to three consecutive NAIA National Tournament appearances for the first time in program history. The Badgers also won their second consecutive Southern States Athletic Conference (SSAC) regular season championship in 2013 with a perfect 14-0 mark and were the SSAC Tournament for the first time in school history. In her 40 seasons as a collegiate head coach, Martin holds a career record of 1,255-331-8 (.790) including a 191-50 (.793) record with the Badgers.
Martin holds the most wins in the history of NCAA Division II after 33 consecutive winning seasons at the University of Central Missouri where she compiled a 1,064-281-8 record. At the end of the 2008 season she retired as the Jennies’ coach and returned to her hometown of Mobile, but the opportunity to coach at SHC was too tempting to pass up.
Over 33 seasons at UCMO, Martin never suffered a losing season, won 25 matches in 31 consecutive seasons and won or shared 19 Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association titles. Her teams made a record 25 consecutive NCAA Div. II Tournament appearances, reached the “Elite Eight” six times and finished as the National Runner-up in 1987. She has won 22 Coach of the Year Awards including the 1987 NCAA Division II National Coach of Year Award.
Martin first served as softball and volleyball coach at UCMO when she started her Division II career in 1975 and even stepped into an assistant women’s basketball coaching role for the 1976-77 season. Her first collegiate coaching experience came at Florida Southern College as a volleyball and basketball coach at the then club level program.
In college, she played at Indiana University and led the women’s basketball team to three consecutive national tournament berths while winning four letters in softball and three letters in field hockey. She completed her bachelor’s degree at IU in 1972 and earned a master’s degree from the University of North Carolina-Greensboro in 1974. In 1980, she completed her doctorate in physical education at Indiana University.
ASSISTANT COACHES
SHAWN TAYLOR
Shawn Taylor came to SHC in 2015 after three seasons with the University of South Alabama (USA) Jaguars under head coach Amy Hendrichovsky where he helped develop three all-conference student-athletes including the 2013 Sun Belt Conference (SBC) Freshman of the Year Mechell Daniel. Before his tenure at USA, Taylor spent two seasons as the top assistant at Arkansas State University (ASU) under head coach Justin Ingram. In his two seasons in Jonesboro, the Red Wolves posted an overall record of 38-22 and a 23-9 mark in the league. The Red Wolves finished 2010 as co-champions of the SBC West Division with an 11-5 conference record and won an outright division title in 2011 with 21 overall wins and a 12-4 conference mark. While at ASU, Taylor coached four all-conference players in Cayla Fielder (2011 and 2010), Allison Kearney (2011), Ashley Tipps (2011) and Megan Baska (2010), who also won recognition as the 2010 SBC Defensive Player of the Year.
Taylor earned his master’s degree in college student personnel from KSU in 2006 and his bachelor’s degree in liberal studies from Graceland in 2004 where he played for the Yellowjackets from 1999-2002.
PREVIEW 2016
The Spring Hill College (SHC) beach volleyball program is preparing for the start of its second season of play with enthusiasm as well as a new on-campus facility in the Jim and Betty Walsh Beach Volleyball Facility.
The sparkling home of the Sandy Badgers is located next the Avenue of the Oaks on the SHC campus and Badger head coach Peggy Martin describes the facility as a fitting memorial for Jim and Betty Walsh. “We want to thank the Walsh family while at the same time marking a historic day for Spring Hill. The family wanted to donate in his name and at the time the college was in the process of adding another women’s sport, so the family donated to help build new the courts and make them a top-notch venue.”
On the courts, Martin says that the lineup for the matches will be Julie Vujnovich and Madison Seuzeneau on the No. 1 court and she believes that “there is really good competition from the No. 2 and No. 3 spots, so it could go either way between the pairs of Molly Griffin and Hannah Masoner or Anna Tietjens and Dorina Klinger.” In the No. 4 spot, Sara Brodner will team with partner Caroline Herrera while the No. 5 pair looks to be Virginia Hicks and Catherine Milwee. The exhibition team (or No. 6 court) will be Emily Greim and Katie Beth Gammons. Martin adds, “After the first competition there could be changes in the lineups as we see who responds better during match play.”
The Badger face a daunting schedule that features NCAA National Runner-Up LSU as well as regional powers UAB, Tulane and Stetson. “We purposely play the best teams we can because that’s how we will get better,” Martin says. “We have a year of experience under our belts and it’s time to start playing like veterans.”
Spring Hill opens the year at a tournament at Stetson University in DeLand, Florida, on March 4-5 and dedicates the Jim & Betty Walsh Facility with a tri-match versus the University of North Florida and Principia College on March 16.
“We learned a lot during our first season and the addition of assistant coach Shane Taylor who is a Beach Volleyball specialist as improved our play tremendously,” Martin says. “For a secondyear program, I think we are going to make people take notice of Spring Hill Beach Volleyball. Our players started the program off on the right foot last year and now it’s time the younger players take advantage of the foundation that they built.”
2015 RESULTS
DATE OPPONENT
March Tulane Pelican Classic 2015
13 New Orleans
UL Monroe
14 Tulane University
Mercer University
2015 Tiger Sand Tournament
20 North Florida
Florida International
21 New Orleans
Louisiana State University
22 Singles Bracket Play
UAB Blazing Beach Duels 2015
SITE RESULT
New Orleans, La. W, 5-0
New Orleans, La. L, 0-5
New Orleans, La. L, 0-5
New Orleans, La. L, 0-5
Baton Rouge, La. L, 0-5
Baton Rouge, La. L, 0-5
Baton Rouge, La. W, 4-1
Baton Rouge, La. L, 0-5
Baton Rouge, La. No Team Score
28 New Orleans Birmingham, Ala. W, 4-1 UL Monroe Birmingham, Ala. L, 0-5
29 LSU Birmingham, Ala. L, 0-5 UAB Birmingham, Ala. L, 0-5
2015 Battle on the Bayou April 18 South Carolina
Tulane University
Baton Rouge, La. L, 0-5
Baton Rouge, La. L, 0-5 LSU Baton Rouge, La. L, 0-5
19 New Orleans
UL Monroe
Baton Rouge, La. W, 3-2
Baton Rouge, La. L, 0-5
