Kerry Messersmith Volleyball Camps at UAB
Casey Ouren A former four-year letterwinner for the UAB volleyball program, Casey Ouren enters her fourth season as an assistant coach with the Blazers in 2012. In addition to on-court coaching, she is also charged with running the Kerry Messersmith Volleyball Camps at UAB and serving as an assistant coach for UAB's sand volleyball program. Ouren 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." Ouren has been a part of six winning seasons in her previous seven campaigns as a player and a coach, including three 20-win seasons during her playing career. As a senior in 2008, Ouren 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. Ouren 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, Ouren 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. Ouren graduated in 2009 with a double major in financial management and financial investments and institutions and recently completed her master's degree in sport administration in the summer of 2012. The former Casey Dent was married to Chris Ouren in January 2012. The couple is expecting their first child in January 2013.
Bailey Coleman enters her first season as an assistant coach at UAB for both the indoor and sand volleyball teams. Coleman comes to Birmingham from the University of Montevallo, where she spent the pervious two seasons as an assistant coach under Katie O'Brien. While with the Falcons, she assisted in all aspects of coaching, including recruiting, travel and constructing scouting reports. Her primary focus was the team's defense and passing, which finished tops in the Peach Belt Conference in digs-per-set in both 2010 and 2011. During the 2010 campaign, Montevallo finished an impressive 24-13 as the Falcons made their first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance and concluded the season in the nation's top 32 of all Division II programs. Prior to her two-year stint at Montevallo, Coleman served as a graduate assistant coach at Oklahoma City University, an NAIA school within the Sooner Athletic Conference. The Stars went 33-8 in her first season with the volleyball program, advancing to the SAC Tournament Semifinals. Beyond her regular coaching duties, Coleman was in charge of fundraising and monitoring the student-athletes in their academic progress. Coleman concluded her two years at OCU by earning her Masters of Education, with a focus in Applied Behavioral Studies in June 2010. Before embarking on her coaching career, Coleman was a four-year letterwinner in volleyball at Georgia Southern. She led the Eagles in digs (302) and digs-per-set (3.28) as a senior as she played both outside hitter and libero during her days as a student-athlete. She ranked second on the team in kills as a sophomore and finished her career with 1,108 digs, 858 kills and 60 service aces. Her career dig total ranks fourth all-time at GSU. Coleman was recruited and played her first two seasons at GSU under current UAB head coach Kerry Messersmith, prior to Messersmith leaving to coach the Blazers in 2006. A native of Awendaw, S.C., Coleman earned a Bachelor of Science in Education from GSU in 2008 and was a member of the Dean's List, Southern Conference Honor Roll and President of the Student Athletic Advisory Board.
Hal Messersmith enters his seventh season as a member of the UAB volleyball staff in 2012, having held the titles both of volunteer assistant coach and director of volleyball operations. In the spring, Messersmith serves as the Blazers' head coach for the sand volleyball program, which finished its inaugural season in 2012. At UAB, Messersmith has been a part of the most successful span in program history, helping the Blazers to four 20-win seasons and two appearances in the NCAA tournament in his six years with the program. Messersmith has worked with his wife, UAB head coach Kerry Messersmith, for the past 11 seasons. He spent five years with her on the staff at Georgia Southern prior to arriving at UAB in 2006. "He has 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 the sand he coached the Blazers to a 6-4 record in dual competition in the sports first season as an emerging sport under the NCAA. In fact, UAB made history on March 3, 2012 when the Blazers hosted Florida State in the first-ever sanctioned collegiate sand volleyball contest. The Blazers as a team just missed out from qualifying for the AVCA National Championship in the first year of the program, but under the watch of Messersmith, UAB did send Heather Thomas and Kirsten Gallagher as one of 32 pairs to compete in the AVCA Pairs Championship. In addition to his 11 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.
Shawn Matthews enters his first season as a volunteer assistant coach at UAB for both the indoor and sand volleyball teams. Matthews comes to Birmingham via his home, the Lone Star State, and in 2011 finished his fifth season at Spain Park HS (Hoover, AL ) as head junior varsity and assistant varsity coach under Paula Dill. During his time with the Jaguars, his primary duties which included attack, block, and setter training, helped the program reach the 2008 substate playoffs and a 25 match-winning record. In the high school off-season, he was active in the local club volleyball scene training athletes of all ages, while guiding his teams to top ten regional finishes each year. Matthews began his coaching career in Odessa, Texas at the local youth league, private school/club levels, and it culminated at the University of Texas-Permian Basin with a position as the volunteer assistant in 1999. Under the mentorship of Steve Aicinena, Matthews was given both team offensive/defensive responsibilities, including serving, attacking, and blocking, as well as statistical reporting duties. During that same year the UTPB Lady Falcons earned a 23-12 season record and achieved its In 2001, while attending college in Abilene, Texas, Matthews began his official competitive volleyball career playing for Dyess Air Force Base as a middle blocker. He has won and participated in both indoor/outdoor competitions all over the U.S. from New York to California and overseas including Italy, France, and England, and most recently has been a 2012 adult national indoors team finalist. Shawn credits his passion for coaching to his 10 years of working/volunteering in nonprofit, specializing in youth development through the Boys & Girls Clubs of America and various YMCAs. When he's not coaching or working a volleyball camp you will find him on the tennis court working on his serve. A native of Odessa, Texas, Matthews earned his B.B.A in Financial Management from ACU in 2004. Additional Staff The camps will be staffed by well qualified college coaches, club/high school coaches, and collegiate players.  |
Bailey Coleman
Shawn Matthews