Article Contributed to The Leader
LHS grad Maggie Billingsley
LHS grad Maggie Billingsley

Colorado State University-Pueblo volleyball head coach Austin Albers announced the hiring of former Lemoore High School standout athlete Maggie Billingsley as an assistant coach for the ThunderWolves volleyball program. She begins her duties at CSU Pueblo on Feb. 1.

The Lemoore native will be entering her sixth season of coaching at the collegiate level in 2023. Along with working last year at Western Colorado, she has previously coached at Holy Names University (Division II), Notre Dame de Namur University (D-II), and College of San Mateo (Junior College).

Billingsley was a standout volleyball player at Lemoore High School before playing college volleyball in college.

"We're really excited to welcome Coach Billingsley to our staff and volleyball family. From the get-go, she expressed a strong interest in being a part of our program and getting the opportunity to learn and develop here in Pueblo," Albers said. "She brings a passion and knowledge for the game along with a natural ability to connect with people. Her personality and coaching philosophy are going to make her a great fit for our staff, and she's going to bring a ton of positive energy day in and day out that will enhance our program culture."

Billingsley comes to Pueblo after spending last season as both the assistant coach and then the interim head volleyball coach at fellow Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference member Western Colorado.

"I was especially impressed with how Maggie carries herself in the gym and gets the most out of her athletes in training. She's going to bring along some new concepts and ideas that will easily be implemented into our system and allow us to make improvements in multiple areas," Albers said. "But most of all, Maggie is going to be a great support and example setter for our student-athletes. We're looking forward to seeing the impact that she has not only on our volleyball program but on our athletic department as a whole."

 "I'm humbled to have the opportunity to work with the CSU Pueblo women's volleyball team as the assistant coach. Coach Albers has done an amazing job executing his vision during his time as head coach at CSU Pueblo," said Billingsley. "I'm looking forward to coaching alongside him and contributing to this program's success for years to come. I would like to thank Coach Albers, Dr. (Paul) Plinske, and the members of the search committee for welcoming me with open arms to the Pack."

At Holy Names University, Billingsley was an assistant coach from the Fall of 2020 through the Spring of 2022. During her time at HNU, she helped lead the Hawks to the second most wins in program history since they joined the Pacific West Conference in 2012. In her first season as an assistant coach at HNU, the Hawks took second place in the Northern California Pod and had two players named to the NorCal Pod Team. 

Before HNU, Billingsley started her coaching career as a graduate assistant at Notre Dame de Namur University in the Fall of 2018. She then took the reins as head coach on an interim basis the following season in the Fall of 2019. Billingsley helped guide the Argonauts to a victory in her first career match and later to wins over Pacific West Conference rivals Dominican and Holy Names. After the 2019 season, she was promoted to head coach in January of 2020. Her time as a head coach was short-lived due to the termination of all athletic programs at NDNU in March 2020.

Former Lemoore High School volleyball standout Maggie Billingsley earns CSU Pueblo volley ball  asst. coaching job

Billingsley has also been involved with Encore Volleyball Club for the past four years, taking on assistant and head coaching roles. She also held positions at the College of San Mateo, helping with the Bulldogs' strength and conditioning and sand volleyball program. 

Prior to starting her coaching career, Billingsley was a standout setter at Notre Dame de Namur University from 2014-17. A four-year starter, she holds the school record in assists with 2,958 and assists per set with 9.57, ranking ninth in the Pacific West Conference history books for both categories. In addition, Billingsley ranked second at NDNU for career service aces with 99, which is the 13th-best career total in the PacWest Conference.

Billingsley graduated in the Spring of 2018 from Notre Dame de Namur University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Kinesiology and a Minor in Psychology. She then continued her education and graduated from Holy Names University in the Spring of 2021, earning a Master of Business Administration (MBA) with a Concentration in Management and Leadership.

What others are saying about Maggie Billingsley

"Maggie will be an incredible asset to the CSU Pueblo Volleyball program. She brings both experiences as a coach and student-athlete at the Division II level. She is well-versed in what it takes to balance life as a student and competitive athlete at this level. Her enthusiasm and passion for the success of the student-athlete will add to the vision of Pueblo Volleyball." – Dr. Nicole Annaloro – Senior Director of Athletics at Sonoma State University.