GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - The Davenport Athletic Department would like to announce the hiring of Megan Garner as the new Women's Volleyball Head Coach. Garner begins her duties immediately and will take over a program coming off an 18-17 season in 2009.

Megan is a 2004 graduate of Cornerstone University where she played four years for the Golden Eagles as a defensive specialist. While at CU, she earned her degree in Secondary Education while earning defensive MVP honors twice on the volleyball team.

"We are very pleased to have Megan join the Davenport Athletic staff, said Assistant Athletic Director Ronda Varnesdeel. We are very confident in her abilities and she comes to DU from an outstanding program at Taylor and has a good feel for the NAIA and the WHAC."

One year after graduating from Cornerstone, Garner began her collegiate coaching career as an assistant at Taylor University under Head Coach Brittany Smith. Megan was part of a coaching staff for the Trojans that took them from just over a .500 record in her first season to eventual MCC Champions in 2007 as they ended with an overall record of 32-11.

"It was a privilege working with Megan the three years she was at Taylor, said Smith. Over those three seasons, Megan was able to streamline some of our defensive and setter training, and her ability to see what needs to happen on the court is invaluable. I have no doubt that her ability to stay focused on the big picture, and then provide the necessary training and feedback in order to help her players achieve that goal, will allow her to be very impactful within Davenport's program as well as with the players."

"She will be able to sell a vision for her team on what it will take to win, and I'm sure start wonderful tradition of excellence, character and competitiveness, added Smith." 

Since leaving Taylor, Megan moved back to Michigan where she has since continued her role as Club Director at FaR Out Volleyball as well as work at the YMCA. Under her direction at FaR Out, the club won the state's first ever National Championship in AAU volleyball and has taken many teams to the National Tournament.

"I am thrilled to be a part of the Davenport athletics department because they do everything at such a high standard of excellence and with an enormous sense of pride, said Garner.  I'm excited to take the volleyball program to the next level and to establish a tradition of excellence for many years to come."

The Davenport Volleyball program will be entering its 5^th year in 2010 and has accumulated an overall record of 44-105. The Lady Panthers have finished 5^th in the Wolverine Hoosier Athletic Conference (WHAC) over the past two seasons. 

Megan added, "I love the level of competition in the NAIA and feel the WHAC is one of the strongest conferences in the country.  I'm elated to have the opportunity to compete against the same teams I did when I was a player and ensure that Davenport has a consistent spot at the top of the conference standings."

"My goal as the new head coach is to ensure that we take pride in everything we do, work harder than anyone else, and put ourselves in the best position possible to win.  I am passionate about what I do and will bring a new level of discipline and intensity to the Davenport volleyball program."