Amy Barmore enters her sixth season as head coach of the Transylvania volleyball team for the Fall 2023 season.
During her ten-year tenure at Transylvania with the Pioneers volleyball program, Barmore has ushered in an unprecedented championship era for the Pioneers, guiding their continued emergence onto the national stage in NCAA Division III volleyball. The Pioneers had their most successful season in program history, finishing 28-6 and a perfect 9-0 in HCAC play and hosting a regional for the first time in program history The Pioneers won the HCAC postseason tournament for the fourth consecutive season and had their best NCAA tournament success to date. Transy defeated Randolph-Macon College in straight sets in the first round of the NCAA tourney before defeating No. 5 Emory College in comeback fashion. The Pios stormed back after losing the first two sets to win 3-2 and advance to the Sweet Sixteen to face No. 7 Berry College, where they'd overcome a 16-25 set one loss and win the next three sets to advance to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania for the Elite 8. The Pioneers historical season would come to an end after losing a 1-3 heartbreaker vs New York University. The team ended the season as #3 in the country for kills per set and #3 in the country for assists per set. Junior Grace Ward was also recognized for another first in school history, earning the NCAA statistical award for most assists per set with 11.20 on the season.
The awards did not stop there. The American Volleyball Coaches Association named senior middle blocker Karrington Jackson and junior setter Grace Ward as second team All-Americans. It is the first time in program history that any Pioneers have been named Second Team All-Americans.
In her first three seasons as head coach of the Pioneers, the Transylvania volleyball team has experienced the richest era in the 19-year history of the program. In 2021, Barmore’s Pioneers were again a powerhouse, going 23-13 and 7-2 in conference play, taking the HCAC Tournament championship for the third straight season. The team’s automatic bid placed them in the NCAA Tournament for the second time in program history, as 2019 was the last time an NCAA national championship had been held prior.
Four Pioneers developed by Barmore took All-HCAC honors in Fall 2021, including the the Newcomer of the Year, as she and her staff continue to bring elite young talent to the program.
In a pandemic-altered 2020-2021 season, Barmore steered the Pioneers to another dominant run, composed of a 15-3 record, their third straight HCAC regular season championship, and their second consecutive HCAC Tournament championship.
Barmore continued to solidify the Pioneers as the cream of the crop in the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference as well as a national power in the spring of 2021, powering the Pioneers to an 8-1 record in conference play before winning six straight sets in dominant fashion to capture the 2020 HCAC Tournament Championship at home. Transylvania’s rise was recognized by the AVCA as the Pioneers touched their highest national ranking in program history, earning a rank as high as No. 3 in the country in late February of 2021. Under Barmore, the Pioneers furnished four All-HCAC Team awardees and two more members upon the HCAC’s Newcomer Team.
Barmore marched the Pioneers into a definitive spring 2021 campaign coming off the most successful season in program history, fresh off the heels of their first-ever appearance in the NCAA Tournament, buoyed by capturing their first outright Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference regular season and tournament titles in the 18-year history of the Transylvania volleyball program.
Barmore authored a 2019 season which represents the new standard of greatness for Transylvania volleyball. 2019 was a campaign that witnessed a new single-season win total (28), an inaugural foray into the NCAA Tournament, the selection of the first two AVCA All-Americans in program history, the first clean sweep and undefeated clinching of the HCAC regular-season and tournament crowns, three All-Region selections, the third-straight HCAC Offensive Player of the Year award winner, and the first conference coach of the year honors for Barmore.
In her second season as head coach of Transylvania in 2019, Barmore steered the Pioneers to a plethora of watershed moments, highlighted by a 28-5 overall record (.848 winning percentage), an 8-0 showing in HCAC regular-season play, their first HCAC Tournament title, and the first NCAA Tournament victory etched by the Pioneers in their inaugural appearance in the Dance, a four-set first-round victory over Birmingham-Southern College.
The Pioneers’ ascent to greatness in 2019 followed a poignant regular season which included wins over three top-25 teams, two top-10 teams, and Transylvania’s own successive entry into the AVCA Top 25 for the first time ever.
The 2019 season contained a collection of elite individual performances to match team success under Barmore. Junior Ellie Stigger amassed numerous awards, including AVCA Third Team All-American, AVCA All-Region for the Great Lakes Region, HCAC Offensive Player of the Year, and an All-HCAC Team selection. Senior Hannah Talkers completed her career with a selection as an AVCA All-American Honorable Mention and set the new all-time program record for career assists while going 4 for 4 on All-HCAC Team selections. Senior Jordan Horne matched Talkers with her fourth straight inclusion onto the All-HCAC Team as the veteran trio guided the Pioneers into the NCAA Tournament for the first time.
Transylvania used an unparalleled regular season, one which included wins over #6 Wittenberg, #7 Colorado College on the road, and #20 Mary Hardin-Baylor as a springboard into the Top 25, rising up at one point in the season to No. 18 in the country.
The latest stellar season for the Pioneers dovetailed upon an impressive inaugural head coaching season by Barmore at Transy.
After serving four years as an assistant coach for the Pioneers, Barmore assumed the role of head coach in February of 2018 and proceeded to lead the Transylvania volleyball team to its first appearance in a Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference tournament championship match in six years.
The Pioneers’ landmark 2018 season followed a regular season in which Transylvania marched through the HCAC on the way to an 8-1 record and its first-ever outright regular-season title. The Pioneers tested their mettle by facing off against seven teams ranked in the top 25, including the eventual national champions. The grueling gauntlet refined the Pioneers for their most successful run in program history through HCAC conference play.
In Barmore’s first season as head coach, individual accolades complemented team success as junior outside hitter Jordan Horne became the second straight Pioneer to capture HCAC Offensive Player of the Year billing while three student-athletes from the 2018 squad earned All-HCAC First Team Honors.
A native of Louisville, Barmore became the fourth Transylvania head coach in program history after spending four years as the lead assistant for a Transylvania volleyball team which increased its win total in each of those four seasons.
An intricate part of Transylvania’s rise since 2014, Barmore leads a Transylvania program which has continued a steady rise throughout the decade, first regionally, and now nationally. In her final season as an assistant, the Pioneers produced the 2017 Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Year, Hannah Talkers and 2017 HCAC Freshman of the Year, Ellie Stigger. Four players in total captured All-HCAC postseason recognition in 2017.
In 2017, Barmore helped direct the Pioneers to their first 20-win season in four years while finishing second in the HCAC and making an appearance in the conference tournament semifinals.
As Transylvania’s lead assistant from 2014 through 2017, Barmore was instrumental in orchestrating three consecutive strong recruiting classes, highlighted by the achievements of Talkers, Stigger, and Horne. Barmore spurred the arrival of the 2016 recruiting class comprising 10 student-athletes who have served as the foundation of the Pioneer volleyball resurgence.
Barmore’s tenure at Transylvania as an assistant coach was marked by consistent player development. In 2015 Barmore oversaw outside hitter Erin Romito’s procession to resetting several program and HCAC records, including the conference record for kills. Barmore’s coaching expertise factored into libero Audrey Brown earning 2015 HCAC Defensive Player of the Year honors while three Pioneers landed all-conference awards that season.
Prior to joining Transylvania, Barmore began her collegiate coaching career at her alma mater, Georgetown College (Ky.), an NAIA Division I school in neighboring Georgetown, Kentucky where she served as the volleyball assistant coach from 2012 through 2014. Her role at Georgetown involved duties as the recruiting coordinator and designing strength and conditioning programs.
Barmore also previously served as a volleyball assistant coach at Tates Creek High School in Lexington and Scott County High School in Georgetown.
Additionally, Barmore has been the co-club director with Lexington United Volleyball Club since 2021, guiding national volleyball youth teams ranging from U-14 through U-17 ages and have finished top-15 nationally during her tenure. Lexington United has have 50+ teams with a wide range of athletes, including LUV littles to TNT (teams in training) to teams at the regional, Midwest and national level. She has been a National coach since 2011.
Barmore competed collegiately at Georgetown College from 2006 through 2010 as the team’s starting libero, culminating in Georgetown finishing as the national runner-up during her senior season in which she received All-American Honorable Mention honors. She holds the Georgetown program records for digs and aces. Barmore was a three-time All-District and Second Team All-State player at Louisville Male High School.
