Volleyball Archives - Meet the Coach

COACH SUSAN PARKER SchoolCenter Picture

The 2007 season will be Coach Susan Parker's second as varsity coach for the Lady Vikings. She'll enter the season with 16 years of coaching experience. She led the Varsity squad to a 10-0 record in the ME-CA 6 and a 19-3 record overall in 2006. The team advanced to the "Sweet Sixteen" of the State Playoffs. Parker was named ME-CA 6 Coach of the Year and ALL-PIEDMONT Coach of the Year and coached the ME-CA Allstar Team in 2006 & 2007.

A product of Cabarrus County Schools, Parker earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in English in 1991 at Appalachian State University. In 1991 she was a member of the World Finalist Semi-pro Slow-pitch Softball Team. She has earned a Paralegal with a concentration in Civil Litigation and done graduate work in English at both UNCG and UNCC, and is currently enrolled at Liberty University working on a Masters of Education. National Board Certified, she teaches English and Speech/Debate at Central. She served as the 2006-2007 Central Cabarrus "Teacher of the Year" & the 2006-2007 Cabarrus County "Teacher of the Year."

Parker has come full-circle, as she performed her student teaching at Central Cabarrus HS in the fall of 1990. She then taught and coached at the high school level in NC for Anson Sr. High (4 yrs.) and Fayetteville, Douglas Byrd (1yr.). Following her initial years in the high schools, she served as Assistant Volleyball Coach at The University of North Carolina at Greensboro for 3 seasons, then for 3 years as Head Volleyball Coach at Wingate University, where she had a .538 career win percentage, and her team achieved statistical national rankings every season. While at Wingate, she also served as Adjunct Professor, teaching Racquetball, Personal Health & Fitness, Volleyball Skills, and Coaching Methodology for the Department of Health, Physical Education and Recreation. She is a certified personal trainer with the International Fitness Professionals Association and has served the NCHSAA and the AVCA as a High School and Collegiate official/referee and scorekeeper. Parker has instructed numerous camps and clinics in and out of state.

Coach Parker has had much success coaching Junior Olympic teams. These successes include coaching the 1994 silver medalist team, the 1996 bronze medalists, and the '98 and '99 gold medalist teams of the North Carolina State Games. Her 1999 16's team, Rampage, finished with a first place ranking in the Carolina Region and won the gold medal in the 18's division of the North Carolina State Games. Coach Parker's coaching honors include being named Southeastern 4A Conference Volleyball "Coach of the Year" in 1993 and NC Region 6 "Coach of the Year" in 1995. While at Wingate University she was named South Atlantic Conference Coach of the Year in 2001 and was honored with the USA WEEKEND/CBS "The Early Show" 2001 Most Caring Coach Award. Parker has completed Level III training with the United States Volleyball Association's Coaching Accreditation Program and was published in the April/May issue of 1998's "Coaching Volleyball Magazine."

Before returning to the high school scene, Coach Parker was on the coaching staff of the 2002 League and Series Championship team, The Minnesota Chill, in the United States Professional Volleyball League and was an adjudicator for the 2003 draft. Three of her Chill players competed with the US National team in the Athens 2004 Summer Olympics. Nicole Branagh was named 2005 AVP Rookie of the Year on the pro beach tour.