FREDERICK, Md. –
Katie Barnett, head coach of the men's and women's volleyball teams announced her departure from the athletic department as she will work as Associate Director of Athletics at McDaniel College. In result, the department will run separate searches to hire for men's coach and a women's coach. Assistant coach
Jason Lewis will move into an interim head coaching position with the women's team this season.
As a cornerstone of the athletic department, Barnett joined the women's volleyball staff in 2022 as head coach and built the men's volleyball program from the ground up simultaneously at the helm. She also accumulated roles of staff council on campus, specialty events coordinator and coordinator of Hood's Student Athlete Advisory Council (SAAC) over during her first two years at Hood connecting students with opportunities to help out in the community and create the best environment for student-athlete voices. SAAC has taken part in activities such Free-Throw-A-Thon, writing to the Frederick Health Hospital workers, and student-athlete engagement events.
With the women's team, Barnett accumulated 56 wins and 19 of those being in conference, with Widener and Albright being consistent conference foes that were taken down. In the most recent season, the squad took the Pride down in reverse sweep fashion to clinch a Middle Atlantic Conference Commonwealth playoff spot for the first time since 2016.
Ann Ofoegbu (Falling Waters, W.Va./Spring Mills) earn back-to-back Second Team All-MAC bids during her career as the 1,000-kill club member shined on the court and was a true representative of what it means to be a Blazer.
Anna Daley (Erie, Pa./Harborcreek),
Maria Ricketts (Adamstown, Md./New Life Christian), Ainslee Barger and Jackie Malitzki were just a few of many that entered the record books under Barnett's coaching.
The men's team won their inaugural match and increased their win total from that season and beyond. Outside Hitter Charlie Casas has been a staple of the men's program ranking in the Top 5 in kills and points per set and is just one of the many recruits that completed the squad.
Barnett will serve many duties at McDaniel including Senior Woman Administrator, NCAA compliance and student-athlete welfare.
