Kerry Messersmith Volleyball Camps at UAB
Casey Dent A four-year letterwinner for the UAB volleyball program, Casey Dent enters her second season as an assistant coach with the Blazers in 2010. Dent completed her playing career in 2008 with the second-highest career hitting percentage (.333) in school history. She also ranks ninth in school annals with 1,284 career kills. "It's always nice to have someone who has played for you as an assistant coach because they understand what you're looking for," UAB head coach Kerry Messersmith said. "Casey has a huge amount of loyalty to UAB because that's where she earned her degree. We couldn't be luckier to have Casey. She's very, very good." Dent has never been part of a losing season at UAB. She helped the Blazers to a 17-16 record and their fifth consecutive winning campaign in her first year on the bench in 2009. In addition to on-court coaching, she is also charged with running the UAB volleyball camps. As a senior in 2008, Dent posted a career-best .365 hitting percentage on her way to first-team All-Conference USA honors and honorable mention AVCA All-Midwest Region recognition. She also was also named second-team all-conference as a junior in 2007. Dent helped the Blazers to 92 wins in her four seasons and was a part of UAB's first Conference USA tournament title and NCAA tournament appearance in 2006. In 2008, she played a key role on another postseason team as the Blazers won their first ever NCAA tournament match. A three-time Conference USA All-Academic Team selection, Dent also achieved a high level of success away from the court. She received ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District honors three times in her career, twice being named to the third team and once to the first team. Dent graduated in 2009 with a double major in financial management and financial investments and institutions. She is working on her master's degree in sport administration.
Hal Messersmith enters his fifth season as a member of the UAB volleyball staff in 2009, having held the titles both of assistant coach and director of volleyball operations. At UAB, Messersmith has been a part of the most successful span in program history, helping the Blazers to three 20-win seasons and two appearances in the NCAA tournament in his four years with the program. Messersmith has worked with his wife, UAB head coach Kerry Messersmith, for the past nine seasons. He spent five years with her on the staff at Georgia Southern prior to arriving at UAB in 2006. "He's got 25-plus years experience of coaching several different sports, but he's been coaching volleyball for the last 10 and does a great job," Kerry Messersmith said. "He studies the game and knows the game very well and technically is very sound. He's constantly studying the game. He watches film every day. He'll do a lot of scouting of opponents and gameplanning." Additionally, Messersmith oversees the academic and financial aid aspects of the program. He organizes team travel and facilities scheduling while also coordinating all video operations for the Blazers. In addition to his nine seasons in collegiate volleyball, Messersmith has nearly 20 years of head coaching experience in college football, baseball and basketball. From the mid-1980s through 2001, he posted 17 winning seasons in those sports while graduating 95 percent of his student-athletes. Messersmith's coaching experience includes stops at Chadron State, Allen County (Kan.) Community College, Fort Scott (Kan.) Community College and Arizona Western College.  Jennifer Charles Volunteer Assistant Coach
Former Georgia Southern standout Jennifer Charles joins the UAB volleyball staff as a volunteer assistant in 2010. A four-year letterwinner for the Eagles, Charles concluded her career in 2006 as the top blocker in Georgia Southern history with 462 total blocks over her four years.
Charles played her first three years at GSU for head coach Kerry Messersmith before Messersmith was named the head coach at UAB. She was a part of the Eagles' 2003 NCAA tournament team. "Jennifer had a great career as a middle at Georgia Southern," Messersmith said. "I think probably the best thing she brings is she knows what I want. She's been around me long enough and is very loyal. She's a young coach who's excited, wants to learn and wants to be in this field." A two-sport athlete in college, Charles also competed for two outdoor seasons and one indoor season as a thrower for the GSU track and field team. She was a member of the Eagles' 2007 Southern Conference Champion outdoor team and won the 2008 outdoor conference title in the shot put. Charles spent the 2010 season as a volunteer assistant coach with the Eagles' track and field program. She graduated from GSU in 2007 with a degree in sports management and a minor in business.
Former All-American Ivana Bozic will work with the UAB volleyball team as a manager in 2010. As a player, Bozic helped the Blazers to NCAA tournament appearances in 2006 and 2008, earning honorable mention All-American status from the AVCA both years. She ranks third in program history with 1,874 kills and fifth all-time at the school with 1,394 digs. She is one of nine former Blazers to reach both 1,000 kills and 1,000 digs in a career. Bozic was also a three-time All-Conference USA honoree (first-team twice and third-team once). She was the C-USA tournament MVP in leading UAB to the title in 2006. Bozic graduated from UAB in May 2010 with a with a double major in financial management and financial investments and institutions. She also had a minor in accounting. She is now working on a master's degree in exercise physiology. Additional Staff The camps will be staffed by well qualified college coaches, club/high school coaches, and collegiate players.  |
