The 10 member NCAA Division I Volleyball Committee announced the first of three new members last week, Holly Strauss-O’Brien. The Deputy Director of Athletics/Senior Woman Administrator at Hartford will serve from 2018 to 2022.
“I am excited and honored to join the NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball Committee,” Strauss-O’Brien said in Hartford’s announcement. “The game of volleyball has provided me with some extraordinary experiences and opportunities in my life. I am inspired and eager to give back to the sport that has given me so much and to be a part of the team that sustains and advances the Association’s mission, traditions, and values .”
Strauss-O’Brien has deep roots in the volleyball world, having played middle blocker at North Carolina from 1999-2002, making four NCAA Tournament berths, including a Sweet 16 appearances as a senior. The TarHeels posted a 115-22 record in her four year career, while winning three ACC tournament titles and two regular season crowns.
The Hamilton, Ontario, native, also played for the Canadian Junior National Team from 1996 to 1998 and played club volleyball for Seekers for six years.
After concluding her playing days, Strauss-O’Brien joined the coaching ranks as an assistant coach at Connecticut in 2003 and 2004 before being named the interim head coach midway through her second season. On Feb. 8, 2005, she was named as the program’s head coach, a position she held for 10 seasons. While at UConn, Struass-O’Brien garnered Big East Coach of the Year honors in 2013.
In 2015, Strauss-O’Brien was hired as Senior Development Officer and Associate Athletic Director for Advancement at Hartford. In 2017, she was promoted to Senior Associate Athletics Director for Internal Operations and Development, acting as the school’s chief fundraising officer, senior woman administrator and sport administrator for women’s basketball, men’s soccer and men’s and women’s lacrosse.
In her new role with the NCAA Women’s Volleyball Committee, Strauss will be part of the group that not only selects the tournament field, but also makes recommendations regarding the sport and enhancing its development and public perception.
According to the NCAA’s committee roster, three positions will come open in August 2018, with Strauss-O’Brien likely filling the East Region opening. The other two new committee members have yet to be announced.
Legislation requires the committee to include six FBS representatives and four FCS representatives. One representative must come from each of the five regions, while five are at-large selections. No more than three members may come from any one region and half of the 10 members must be administrators.
Current Division I Volleyball Committee Members
| Division | Region | Title | Name & Institution | Conference | Term Expiration |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FBS | SOUTHEAST REGION | Associate AD | TJ Meagher University of Houston |
American Athletic Conference | AUG 2021 | |
| FBS | WEST REGION | SWA | Lisa Peterson University of Oregon |
Pac-12 Conference | AUG 2018 | |
| FBS | MIDWEST REGION | SWA, Senior Associate Athletic Director | Karin A. Lee Ball State University |
Mid-American Conference | AUG 2021 | |
| FBS | WEST REGION | SWA, Sr Associate AD | Carrie M. Coll California State University, Fresno |
Mountain West Conference | AUG 2019 | |
| FBS | EAST REGION | Senior Assoc. AD/SWA | Vanessa J. Fuchs Florida State University |
Atlantic Coast Conference | AUG 2019 | |
| FCS | SOUTH REGION | Associate Commissioner | Jenny McGhee Southland Conference |
Southland Conference | AUG 2019 | |
| FCS | SOUTHEAST REGION | SWA | Michelle Durban Samford University |
Southern Conference | AUG 2021 | |
| DI | MIDWEST REGION | AD | Kelley Hartley-Hutton Indiana University-Purdue University, Fort Wayne |
The Summit League | AUG 2020 | |
| DI | EAST REGION | AD | Richard Cole Jr. Iona College |
Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference | AUG 2018 | |
| DI | SOUTH REGION | SWA | Debbie Garcia University of Texas at Arlington |
Sun Belt Conference | AUG 2018 |
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