Darby Bourdon is in her fourth season as an assistant coach with Transylvania volleyball and her fifth year overall on the Pioneers’ coaching staff for Fall 2023.
“Our entire program is excited about Darby continuing on with our program in her new role,” says Transylvania head coach Amy Barmore of Bourdon’s elevation to the lead assistant coach for the Pioneers, after a landmark season in 2019. “Darby has seen this program grow each year and she is a huge part in that growth. Her excitement, dedication, knowledge, and drive for this game is unbelievable.”
Bourdon was promoted to assistant coach for the Pioneers after spending the 2019 season for Transylvania as a Volunteer Assistant. Her primary duties as an Assistant Coach include the role of recruiting coordinator for the Pioneers and acting as Barmore’s top assistant.
In her most recent second season as an assistant Bourdon helped lead the Pioneers to a 28-6 record earning a fourth straight HCAC Championship and third NCAA Tournament berth ousting the competition on home court until advancing 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.
In 2021, Bourdon helped lead the Pioneers to a 23-13 record, culminating in the team’s third straight HCAC Championship, and second NCAA Tournament berth. Numerous first-year players that were recruited and coached by Bourdon took on major roles for the team all season, including the HCAC’s Newcomer of the Year.
Bourdon was instrumental in assisting the Pioneers in their continued climb upon the national stage in a challenging 2020 season, as Transylvania captured its third straight HCAC regular season title with an 8-1 record in conference play. The Pioneers went on to win their second consecutive HCAC Tournament Championship and achieved an AVCA national ranking as high as 3rd in the nation, which serves as a new program standard.
During Bourdon’s first year on staff, the Pioneers experienced an assortment of watershed moments, including winning the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference regular-season and conference tournament championships for the first time in the 18-year history of the program.
With Bourdon offering insight from a coaching perspective, the Pioneers became one of the most prolific offenses in NCAA Division III Women’s Volleyball, ranking inside the top-10 in both kills and assists per set. Bourdon was part of a Transylvania volleyball coaching staff that lifted the Pioneers to a 9-0 record in conference play, reach the AVCA Top 25 for the first time ever, and knock off three top-25 ranked teams along the way. Bourdon was notably part of a coaching staff which witnessed the Pioneers achieve their first ever NCAA Tournament victory, a four-set triumph over Birmingham-Southern in the first round of the 2019 NCAA Tournament.
A four-year player for the Transylvania volleyball team from 2015 through 2018, Bourdon has transferred her winning experiences as a student-athlete to one as a mentor in her new role with the Pioneers. “I am closely familiar with this program and how it has grown in the last five to six years,” adds Bourdon. “I had a great experience at Transylvania as a student-athlete, both athletically and academically and I hope to give our athletes an equal, if not better experience.”
Along with her collegiate playing perspective, Bourdon brings an assortment of coaching experience to the Pioneers. Since November 2015, Bourdon has served as a National Team Volleyball Coach with the local Lexington United Volleyball Club. In this role, Bourdon has managed and coached a competitive travel team for eight-month spans.
Bourdon has also worked as a summer volleyball camp assistant for Lexington United Volleyball Clubs, working with high school varsity volleyball teams. Bourdon is CSCS certified as a Strength and Conditioning Specialist through the NSCA. Bourdon was also a member of the Executive Staff at Lexington United Volleyball Club as Hotel Coordinator and TNT Spring Director.
As a junior and senior, Bourdon was a team captain for the Transylvania volleyball team, which saw incremental success in each of her years with the Pioneers. During her senior season, the Pioneers won their first outright regular-season title. She was also named to the HCAC All-Freshman squad in 2015 after finishing top-2 on the team in blocks. Bourdon currently ranks fifth all-time on the Pioneers in career blocks.
