The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Lindsay Shondell Joins UAB Volleyball Coaching Staff
2/17/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Feb. 17, 2009
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- UAB volleyball coach Kerry Messersmith has announced the hiring of Lindsay Shondell to fill the Blazers' assistant coaching position.
Shondell comes to UAB with previous college coaching experience, having served as an assistant at both Samford and Mississippi State.
She replaces former UAB assistant coach Alan Segal, who accepted the head coaching position at Eastern Illinois earlier this month.
"We're excited to welcome Lindsay to our volleyball family here at UAB," Messersmith said. "She brings a lot of enthusiasm to coaching volleyball, and she is very well connected in the recruiting circles. She will be instrumental in the continuing growth and success of our program."
Shondell was most recently an assistant coach at Mississippi State, where she focused on the Bulldogs' setters and team defense. Additionally, she was involved with Mississippi State's volleyball camps, travel and opponent scouting, practice planning and volleyball alumni relations.
Prior to joining the Mississippi State staff, Shondell served as an assistant coach for Michelle Durban at Samford in 2007. She helped coach Samford to a 16-13 record, which was the program's first winning season in 20 years.
A native of Muncie, Ind., Shondell played her first season of collegiate volleyball at Cal State Fullerton before returning to her home state to finish her playing career at Purdue. She helped the Boilermakers to three NCAA tournament berths, including Sweet 16 appearances in 2005 and 2006.
A two-time state champion and first-team all-state selection as a setter at Muncie Central High School, Shondell was also highly successful at the club level. She played for the Asics Munciana Volleyball Club from 1990-2002, helping her teams finish in the top three nationally six times, including a national championship in 1994.
Shondell's coaching experience also includes time at the club level, having served as an assistant coach for Munciana's 18-Elite team before starting her college coaching career. She also coached in the 12-and-under training program for Munciana and served as the head coach of both the 12-Elite and 13-Elite teams for the Raider Volleyball Club in West Lafayette, Ind.
Shondell comes from one of America's premier volleyball coaching families. Her father Dave Shondell is the head coach at Purdue, and her uncle John Shondell is an assistant with the Boilermakers. Another uncle, Steve Shondell, coaches one of the nation's top high school programs at Burris Laboratory School in Muncie, Ind. Her grandfather is Dr. Don Shondell, who was instrumental in the growth of collegiate men's volleyball and coached the sport for 34 years at Ball State University.
