Lindsey Parks is entering her second season as Head Volleyball Coach, after being announced as the program's ninth head coach on December 10, 2018.
"After conducting an extensive nationwide search, I truly believe our search committee has chosen an outstanding coach that I feel like can take our volleyball program to new heights," noted SAU Director of Athletics,
Steve Browning.
"Lindsey's experience in the Central Region, knowledge of the game, and her ability to translate that knowledge is what allowed her to rise to the top of a strong candidate pool. Our volleyball program has a storied history and I look forward to working alongside Lindsey to get our volleyball program back to its winning ways," added Browning.
"I want to thank Athletic Director Browning and Dr. Berry for this incredible opportunity. Southern Arkansas Volleyball has a fantastic future ahead of them and I'm just blessed that I got chosen to be a part of it," remarked Parks. "The people I've already met, including the team, and the facilities on campus won me over. I'm excited to be a part of an already wonderful tradition at SAU and part of the community of Magnolia. Expectations are high and I can't wait to hit the ground running."
Parks, who becomes the ninth head coach of the Mulerider Volleyball program since 1977, comes to Southern Arkansas from Northern State University where she spent three seasons, including two as a full-time assistant coach, with the nationally-prominent Wolves of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC).
During her time in Aberdeen, South Dakota, Parks helped lead the program to 65 wins in her three seasons, which included nine victories over programs ranked in the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Division II Top 25 with six of those wins coming against teams ranked in the poll's top ten. Additionally, Northern State appeared in back-to-back Central Region Tournaments in 2017 and 2018 with the most recent appearance coming on the heels of the program's first NSIC Conference Championship and a school-best 26 wins.
No stranger to the national spotlight, Parks, in her three seasons at NSU, was a part of a program that spent a total 42 weeks in the AVCA Division II Top 25, including ten weeks in 2018 among the nation's top five, while spending two weeks as the top team in the country.
Following her first year as a graduate assistant coach in 2016 and upon her promotion to full-time assistant coach, Parks became the team's defensive coordinator where she was in charge of blocking schemes and floor defense. She also took over as the program's recruiting coordinator and handled all aspects of in-season travel, scouting and planning.
In Parks' two seasons overseeing the Wolves' defense, Northern State posted back-to-back campaigns with opponent hitting percentages under .180 and as a unit recorded over 1,700 digs and 200.0 total blocks in both 2017 and 2018 against formidable NSIC competition.
This past season, Parks helped guide the unit to top-five marks in the NSIC in opponent hitting percentage (.169), digs (1,892) and total blocks (218.5). She also served as middles position group coach and this past fall that unit was part of a Wolves offensive attack that led the nation in hitting percentage (.292) with middles Jenna Reiff (2x All-NSIC) and Morgan Baufield both ranking in the top 30 individually in Division II in that category.
Before becoming a graduate assistant at Northern State, Parks played collegiately at Missouri Western State University of the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA). During her five-year stint as a middle hitter for the Griffons, the Savannah, Missouri, native was an All-MIAA selection her senior season and a four-time recipient of MIAA Academic Honor Roll plaudits. Overall, she appeared in 98 matches and 331 sets where she registered 477 career kills at an attack percentage of .219, and added 260.0 total blocks.
In addition to her dynamic collegiate coaching and playing experience, Parks has spent considerable time on the club circuit with the North East South Dakota Junior Olympic 16u team (2017), the Kusler Klinics 18u club team (2017), and the St. Joe Storm Volleyball Club 13u and 14u teams (2014-16). While at NSU, Parks was also in charge of organizing and helping run summer camps and tournaments.
Academically, Parks received her Bachelor of Science in Education (Elementary Education) from Missouri Western State University in 2016 and obtained her Master of Science in Education in Sport Performance and Leadership from Northern State University in 2017.
