Jill Hirschinger, a four-time America East Coach of the Year, enters her 16th season as head coach of the University of New Hampshire volleyball program, marking her 33rd season as a head volleyball coach. Hirschinger was named the head coach of the Wildcat volleyball program in the spring of 1996 by former athletic director Judy Ray, in the second season that UNH regained its varsity status. In her 16 years at UNH, she has become the program’s winningest coach and the first to surpass the 200-win milestone as she currently has 240 victories. Not to mention she has guided the Wildcats to 20-win seasons six times during her tenure in Durham. Hirschinger earned her 200th career win at UNH when the team captured a 3-1 win over Southern Methodist University in the deciding match of the UNH Tournament on Sept. 15, 2007.

Hirschinger has spent the past 33 seasons as a head coach at both the Division I and II levels. She has accumulated an impressive 649-461-10 overall record, owning a .584 winning percentage. Hirschinger’s 649 career-coaching victories rank her 10th on the all-time active NCAA wins list. She reached the 600 win plateau in the second-to-last match of the regular season in 2006 with a 3-2 win over America East rival Binghamton on Nov. 11 at Lundholm Gym. She also coached a pair of All-American honorable mentions (Aly Coler and Beth Cole) during her tenure at UNH.

Last season Hirschinger coached her Wildcats to a record of 10-17, including five wins in conference. The team closed out the season with an impressive 3-2 road win at UMBC after battling back from a 2-1 deficit. In addition the  young Wildcat team took one from Connecticut with a score of 3-2.

Hirschinger won the 2003 America East Coach of the Year after guiding the program to its second-straight championship with a 23-12 overall record and a 12-2 mark in conference play. UNH faced No. 1- and eventual national champion- Southern California in the team’s third appearance in the NCAA Tournament under Coach Hirschinger.

In 2002, Hirschinger guided the ’Cats to a 23-11 overall record and the team earned its second America East title in school history, along with the second NCAA Tournament berth in UNH history. The Wildcats fell to Big Ten champion Minnesota in four games, becoming the first team in America East to win a game in the NCAA Tournament since the NCAA went to a 64-team format.

In 1998, Hirschinger led UNH to a 24-11 overall record with a perfect 14-0 mark in America East action. The Wildcats had a banner season, defeating conference rival Hofstra for the school’s first-ever America East championship and first appearance in the NCAA Tournament against the nationally ranked University of Arkansas. The Wildcats tallied the second-most wins in school history with 24 (26 in 1980). Hirschinger also earned America East Coach of the Year for the second year in a row, while several players garnered all-conference awards. She also guided the ‘Cats to a school-record 14 consecutive wins in 1998.

Hirschinger took over the Wildcat program in 1996, when the team was in just its second year at the Division I varsity level since 1984. She led the young team to a 6-26 overall record, which included victories in four of the Wildcats’ final six matches.

Hirschinger recorded her 500th career coaching victory Oct. 15, 2000 vs. Drexel and she posted her 100th career victory at UNH on Nov. 18, 2000 vs. Northeastern in the America East semifinal match.

She was appointed to the 17-member AVCA Board of Directors in May of 2005. Hirschinger also serves as Chair for the AVCA All-America committees. Hirschinger will serve on the regional ranking advisory committee for the NCAA. She served three years as the Senior Women’s Administrator in UNH’s Athletic Department from 2001-2004.

Before coming to Durham, Hirschinger spent the previous 12 seasons at Ferris State University, located in Big Rapids, Mich. Hirschinger registered 11 winning seasons and ended her stay at Ferris as the winningest coach in Bulldog history with a 330-151 (.686) overall record. She led FSU to seven Division II postseason playoff appearances and recorded a milestone 400th victory in that span. Hirschinger was named Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Coach of the Year (GLIAC) on four occasions, regional Coach of the Year three times, and led the Bulldogs to an NCAA Final Four appearance in 1987 and Elite Eight appearance in 1989. She also coached nine All-Americans and two academic All-Americans while coaching the Bulldogs. Hirschinger also owns the NCAA record with 46 consecutive wins, while at FSU. In addition to her coaching duties at Ferris State, Hirschinger served as an Assistant Athletic Director and was in charge of NCAA compliance at the school. She was a member of the NCAA Division II national volleyball committee, and also served on the All-America and National Golf Committees. Hirschinger was inducted into the FSU Athletic Hall of Fame in the summer of 2008.

Prior to her arrival at Ferris State, Hirschinger began her collegiate volleyball coaching career at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa. During her five-year stint at Drake, she guided the NCAA Division I program to two appearances at the U.S. Volleyball Association’s National Tournament and an Iowa Division I state title. She compiled a 79-90-10 (.469) record during her tenure at Drake.

A 1979 graduate of Utah State University, Hirschinger compiled an impressive athletic resume during her collegiate career, excelling in volleyball, garnering all-conference, all-region and team captain recognition while helping the Aggies claim the AIAW Division I national championship and Collegiate Classic North America Cup championship in 1978. Hirschinger was also a standout in track and field, qualifying nationally (1976-79) in the javelin and placing 10th in 1977. She received her Bachelor of Science Degree in Physical Education at Utah State. In the winter of 2008, Hirschinger and the rest of the 1978 National Championship team were inducted into the Utah State Athletic Hall of Fame.

Born in West Allis, Wis., Hirschinger graduated from West Allis Central High School and attended New Mexico State University for one year. A two-sport athlete at New Mexico State, she led her team to a 10th-place finish at the National Volleyball Championships in 1975.

       Stacy Barnett enters her seventh season overall at UNH and her fourth season in which she has served as Associate Head Coach. Barnett was promoted to her current position after serving three seasons as the top assistant coach with the Wildcat volleyball program.  She returned to her alma mater after a successful playing career (1997-2000) as the starting setter on the school’s first America East title-winning team in 1998 and was also a part of the Wildcat coaching staff that won the 2002 America East Championship.  Barnett plays an integral part in the day-to-day operations of the program with a strong work ethic and a competitive edge to help UNH get to the next level.
    Barnett is primarily responsible for assisting Coach Hirschinger as the team’s recruiting coordinator, coaching the Wildcat setters, developing the ‘Cats offensive systems and working with the players on skill development and technical training.  Over the past four seasons, she coached Kate Uitti who was named a three-time America East All-Conference honoree and finished her career second on the all-time assists list at UNH behind only Barnett.  Barnett is also active nationally as she serves on the assistant coaches’ committee for the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA).
    Prior to UNH, Barnett served as the graduate assistant coach at the University of Delaware for two seasons under head coach Bonnie Kenny.  In her second year at Delaware, Barnett helped the team to its first appearance at the Colonial Athletic Association Championships in school history. Barnett has also coached with the Seacoast Junior Olympic Volleyball Program for seven years (1999-2006) and now sits on the board of directors.
    While at UNH, Barnett was the starting setter in three of her four years in Durham and she helped guide the team to the school’s first-ever America East championship and NCAA appearance in 1998. During her playing tenure in Durham, the Wildcats appeared in the America East Championship match all four years. Barnett was named to the America East All-Conference Team in 1998, 1999 and 2000. She captained the Wildcats in 1998 and 2000, received the Coaches’ Award in 1997 and was part of the best four-year record in program history. Barnett earned Most Valuable Player at the 2000 annual team awards banquet.
    Barnett, who graduated from UNH in 2001 with a B.A. degree in Communications, was the first player in school history to post 3,000 assists and the third player in the 1,000-dig club. Barnett completed her Master’s Degree in Education from Delaware with an emphasis in Leadership in the fall of 2006.
    Her 3,977 career assists still stand as a school record and she also holds the top two single-season assists marks with 1,350 in 2000 and 1,291 in 1999.  
    Barnett, a native of Crystal Lake, Ill., played club volleyball for Sky High and was MVP of the Tampa Bay National Qualifier tournament in 1996 and 1997.

Hirschinger about Barnett:
“Stacy has made an impact since returning to UNH volleyball. As the recruiting coordinator, we have had great success in our recruiting classes. She has a good eye for not just recruiting good players but good players with heart and attitude. Responsible of the setters she really demands a lot from them, not just as setter, but being masters of ‘how to beat the game.’ There is so much more to setting that Stacy takes to another level.”

    Adam McLamb enters his second season at UNH and will serve as the graduate assistant for the 2011 season.  McLamb has been coaching volleyball since 2005 in various capacities.
    McLamb started as coach of the Radford University women’s club volleyball team. He was also instrumental in starting the men’s club team at Radford. Upon graduation from Radford, he continued his coaching as head coach of the 16 Gold Team of the Coastal Virginia Volleyball Club. McLamb’s team finished first at the Monument City Classic and Omaha Invitational in 2007 and placed fourth at the Northeast Qualifier in 2008. McLamb left Coastal Virginia in 2009 when we became head coach of the Northern Virginia Volleyball Association Boys 16 Select team. Under his direction the team placed third at the Can-Am National Qualifier and the Nittany II National Qualifier, receiving a bid from both tournaments.
    McLamb, a native of Chesapeake, VA., started playing volleyball in eighth grade and was a four-year letterwinner at Great Bridge High School. He earned all state honors as a setter during his senior campaign.  McLamb most recently played on a USAV men’s team that competed in the Mid-Atlantic area. He enjoys playing beach volleyball, hiking, rowing, running and various other outdoor activities.