Brittany Dildine named AVCA National Assistant Coach of the Year

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Brittany Dildine of the fourth-seeded Wisconsin volleyball team has been named the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) National Assistant Coach of the Year, the organization announced on Thursday. She is the first UW assistant to earn the national award.

"This award represents much more than how I assist in a program," said Dildine. "It represents the group of us that believe in the way we win, by investing in the people you work with, assisting them to reach whatever dreams they have in their lives as they are more than just volleyball players. They are young women that want to make a difference in the world. Of course, we couldn't do our job if it wasn't for the players. It is through their dreams in which I thrive.

"I understand the type of person it takes to be a good assistant coach. It is through that understanding that I am honored to receive this award."

Dildine is in her ninth year as the Badgers' recruiting coordinator and on-court assistant. She specializes in coaching the UW's back-row defenders and passers.

During Dildine's tenure, Wisconsin has led the Big Ten in digs per set three years. The Badgers have also been one of the conference's top serve-receive teams, allowing the fewest aces in the conference numerous times.

Dildine has coached three UW liberos to All-America and All-Big Ten honors. In 2014, junior Taylor Morey led the conference with 5.12 digs per set, earning Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and second-team All-America honors. Morey also earned first-team All-Big Ten selection in 2014 and honorable mention All-America honors in 2015. Dildine also assisted Lauren Barnes to second-team All-America honors in 2020 and 2021, and Tiffany Clark to honorable mention All-America honors in 2018. Barnes also earned second-team All-Big Ten accolades in 2020 and 2021.

"For 13 years I've worked with Brittany," head coach Kelly Sheffield said. "I've watched her growth and I've seen her work ethic. She is passionate about this sport and the players she gets to work with, and puts her entire soul into her people. She teaches, inspires, learns, is a servant leader, and she brings those attributes every single day."

On the recruiting trail, Dildine has brought in six top-20 classes to Wisconsin, including the No. 2 class in 2017, the No. 3 class in 2015 and the No. 4 class in 2020.

Dildine has also aided the Badgers to nine straight NCAA tournament appearances, advancing to NCAA national semifinals four times, and four Big Ten Conference championships.

In 2014, Dildine was named one of the AVCA's Thirty under 30 award winners, recognizing up-and-coming coaching talent at all levels of the sport under the age of 30.

"There is nothing more important than the gift of belief -- the belief in your players, the belief in the head coach and their vision," added Dildine. "None of that is possible without the belief in oneself which was discovered all because my former coaches believed in me. I have had nothing but tremendous examples of what it means to be a good assistant coach. I'm grateful to the dedicated group of people I work with on a day-to-day basis at the University of Wisconsin."

Dildine came to Wisconsin after four years on the staff of Sheffield at Dayton. She aided the Flyers to a 110-20 (.846) mark, including a 57-2 (.967) mark in Atlantic 10 Conference play. Dayton won four straight A10 titles and also advanced to four straight NCAA tournaments.

During her four seasons, Dayton had five All-Americans, four conference players of the year and seven first-team all-conference honorees. Included in the list of conference award winners under Dildine's tutelage were Amanda Cowdrey, Paige Vargas, and Janna Krafka.

Dildine came to Dayton after serving as a volunteer assistant coach for her alma mater, Purdue, during the 2008 season. She began her coaching career with the Performance Point Volleyball Club and Harrison High School Volleyball Club that same year.

The Lafayette, Indiana, native excelled in two sports as a student-athlete for the Boilermaker's nationally ranked volleyball and women's basketball programs. Dildine guided the volleyball team to two NCAA regional appearances as a libero/outside hitter and helped the basketball team to an NCAA Elite Eight appearance in 2007.

As a player, Dildine became the 10th Boilermaker in program history to reach 1,000 digs and finished her career ranked fifth in career digs with 1,243. Dildine also notched double-digit dig tallies 60 times in her career, including 20-or-more digs on eight occasions.

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Brittany Dildine named AVCA National Assistant Coach of the Year

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