The IUS volleyball team announced on Jan. 6 that Lesley Drury-Prather will take over as head coach for Carrie Lilly. 

Lilly resigned in November 2008 due scheduling conflicts with her full-time job.

Drury-Prather has played volleyball since she was in the second grade and played for the University of Louisville from 1998 to 2002.

Drury-Prather was born and raised in Louisville and said she comes from a volleyball family.

“My aunt coached me from the second to sixth grade,” Drury-Prather said.

Her sister, senior Stacey Flatt, currently plays right setter for the Grenadiers.  Drury-Prather found out about the open coaching position through her sister.

“We are very excited about her joining our staff,” Pat Mrozowski, IUS athletic director, said.

Drury-Prather has met with the volleyball team a couple of times during open gym at the Activities Building.

It gave her a chance to let the rest of the team know that she has a sister was on the volleyball team.

“They seem really comfortable with it,” Drury-Prather said. “I coached [Flatt] in high school and it worked out fine then.”

She said she wants to bring back discipline and the basics to the Grenadiers.

“Nothing less then a college championship is expected from them,” Drury-Prather said.

Mrozowski also said Drury-Prather has a great background in volleyball and has high expectations.

“She’s an outstanding player herself and she brings a professional approach,” Mrosowski said.  “She’s already started conditioning for next fall.”

Drury-Prather has never coached at a college level before. She has coached high school volleyball teams and clubs.

“I feel it’s the next step or challenge,” Drury-Prather said.

She previously coached at Pleasure Ridge Park High School, and two clubs in the Louisville area.

Drury-Prather said she felt the main difference between coaching at the level she was at and college is recruiting girls and the competition.

She said she likes the team aspect that volleyball has.

“It’s a true team sport and you can not do it alone,” Drury-Prather said.

Drury-Prather said she never planned on coaching but said it feels good to see the girls improve.

Drury-Prather currently works for Mayor Realtors in Louisville and has two children with her husband Justin Prather.

By MARY LYONS
Staff Writer
marlyons@ius.edu