Southern Arkansas Volleyball first-year head coach Alli O’Banion has announced the hiring of Brook Conley to the role of assistant coach, effective immediately. The official announcement was made on Monday, April 4. Conley becomes the program’s first full-time assistant coach.
“We are incredibly excited to add Brook to our staff,” remarked O’Banion. “Her experience competing and coaching at the club and college level will be a great asset to our program. She will be a great mentor for our athletes and her energy and passion is contagious!”
A native of Carmine, Texas, Conley comes to Magnolia following a one-year stint as an assistant coach at NJCAA Vernon College where she assisted the program in player development, on-court coaching, and day-to-day operations which included recruiting, practice planning and travel coordination. The 2021 season was her first as a collegiate coach and served as a return to VC where she was a standout setter for the Chaps from 2014-16 before moving on to enjoy a successful career at the Division II level.
As a collegiate freshman, Conley earned NJCAA Region 5 Conference Newcomer of the Year plaudits after finishing in the top 12 nationally in both total assists and assists per set. Following her two years at Vernon College, Conley competed for one season at Newman University where she became an All-Heartland Conference selection.
Conley played her final collegiate season at Cameron University of the Lone Star Conference where she served as a team captain for the Aggies, was an All-LSC Honorable Mention selection, the 2017-18 CU Newcomer of the Year, and the athletic department’s nominee for NCAA Woman of the Year.
For her career at the NCAA level, Conley played in 59 matches totaling 204 sets. She tallied 1,746 assists at 8.5 assists per set, and recorded 621 digs, 124 kills, 57 block assists, 64 aces, 217.5 total points and 33 double doubles.
While at CU, Conley was active on the Aggies’ Student-Athlete Advisory Committee serving as the president and the group’s lead on planning and organizing community service projects among such were several Make-A-Wish fundraising events.
A two-time LSC Commissioner’s Honor Roll recipient, Conley earned a Bachelor of Science in Sports and Exercise Science from Cameron University in May of 2018. She is currently on track to finish coursework in Southeastern Oklahoma State’s Master of Science in Sports Administration program with an Emphasis in Educational Leadership in May of 2022.
