VOLLEYBALL STAFF

Head Coach Chris Riley

Head coach Chris Riley, in his third season at the helm, led this season's squad to a battle for the ACC title, and matched the school's longest winning streak with 11 victories in a row. The Hokies swept NC State in the season series. Tech opened its season with a third consecutive sweep of the Hawthorn Suites Hokie Invitational, and finished the non-conference slate 9-2. The Hokies continued the hot start with five straight wins to open conference season, including a sweep of Virginia, a 3-1 decision over preseason ACC favorite Clemson, and a sweep of Georgia Tech in Cassell Coliseum.

Riley coached Felicia Willoughby to the program's first ACC Freshman of the Year selection in 2007, and saw the program collect its first two All-ACC Freshman Team nominees, in Taylor Parrish in 2006 and Willoughby in 2007. Willoughby also went on to become the first Hokie to be named the AVCA's All-East Region Freshman of the Year, and in 2008 was named Honorable Mention All-American. She was only the second player in the program's history to earn such an honor, the first being Katie Esbrook-King in 2006, whom Riley coached in his first year with the program.

In 2006, Riley's first season, he led the team to one of its best finishes since joining the ACC in 2004. In his six years at Towson University, Riley led his Tigers to five-straight 20-win seasons, three Colonial Athletic Association regular season championships, the 2004 CAA tournament championship and the 2004 NCAA Tournament. He was named CAA Coach of the Year in 2003 and the America East Coach of the Year in 2001. In his ninth year, Riley has an overall record of 193-94 (.672) and has posted a 100-50 (.667) conference mark and a 89-28 (.761) record in matches played on his respective home court, including a 28-12 (.700) record in Cassell Coliseum.

Shelbylynn Mcbride

Shelbylynn McBride is in her third season at Virginia Tech Prior to coming to Tech, McBride worked with current Tech head coach Chris Riley at Towson University as an assistant. While with the Tigers, she helped lead the program to a 28-7 finish in 2005. In 2004, McBride worked as an assistant at UMBC. McBride played both basketball and volleyball as an undergraduate for the George Mason Patriots, before finishing her final year of volleyball eligibility as a graduate student at Georgia State University. At Georgia State, she led the Panthers to the 2003 Atlantic Sun Conference championship game and led the team with 3.46 kills per game. The Panthers ended the season 27-8 overall and 9-1 in the conference. McBride tallied 688 career kills in three seasons at George Mason. She was Colonial Athletic Association Rookie of the Year in 1999 and was the only freshman to earn second-team All-CAA honors.

Jayme Gergen

Jayme is in her fourth season as assistant coach and fifth season as coordinator of camps and clinics. At Tech, Gergen helps coordinate defensive systems, and is in charge of training the middle blockers. Gergen, a 2004 Georgia Tech graduate, helped guide the Yellow Jackets to four straight NCAA Tournament appearances, including an elite eight and sweet sixteen showing, two Atlantic Coast Conference regular season titles and one ACC Tournament Championship. A middle hitter in college, Gergen was a 2004 AVCA All-American, a first-team All-ACC honoree, an Academic All-District selection and also earned AVCA East Region honors.

Jeannette Abbot

Jeannette Abbot joins the Hokie's staff as a volunteer assistant coach, having just finished a remarkable playing career at Clemson, along with a European tour. Abbot began her career as a highly touted newcomer who lived up to expectations with one of the best rookie campaigns in program history. Abbot was named the ACC and AVCA East Region Freshman of the Year, and was just the second Tiger player to earn the region honor and the fifth to be named the best rookie in the conference.

Abbott went on to be named AVCA Honorable Mention All-American. She became just the third All-American in program history. Abbott also garnered AVCA East Region first-team honors and was a first-team All-ACC selection. She led the conference with a 4.40 kills per game average, and ranks first in Clemson history with a 4.38 career kills per game average that season. At the conclusion of the 2008 season, Abbott was named by her teammates as co-most valuable player. Abbott helped her team to an ACC Championship in 2007, and back to back NCAA appearances in 2007 and 2008.

At Virginia Tech Abbott is responsible for assisting in the coordination of camps and clinics, directing camp instruction, supervising camp sites, and training outside hitters in facilitating offensive systems.

Brandon Duvall

Brandon Duvall is a new addition this year to the High Potential Sports Camp staff. Duvall has worked with the Virginia Tech staff in camps past, and is responsible for directing training and coordinating various community camp sites, along with facilitating training for multiple sites at the Hokies' Blacksburg based camps.

Duvall enters his second year as a volunteer assistant with the Norfolk State Women's Volleyball program. Previously, Duvall was an assistant at Virginia Wesleyan College in 2006 where he helped the women's team to a 19-9 overall record and a third-place finish in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference Tournament. Prior to VWC, Duvall was the assistant boys volleyball coach at Great Bridge High School in Chesapeake, Va. from 2003-2006. He helped the Wildcats to the 2004 and 2005 Southeastern District regular-season titles.

Duvall has also worked with the Coastal Virginia Volleyball Club as an assistant under Great Bridge boys coach Dave Albaugh. Duvall has been the assistant for the nationally ranked girls' 18-and-under team since 2003 and was the head coach of the 15-and-under girls team from 2006-2007.

Duvall graduated from Old Dominion University in 1998 with a bachelor's degree in interdisciplinary studies. While at ODU, he was the defensive specialist on the club team.