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Lisa Seifert Position: Head Coach Experience: 12th at SMU College: Winona State 1983

Under the direction of 13th-year head coach Lisa Seifert, SMU Volleyball has established itself as one of the nation's up-and-coming programs.

Seifert is the first and only volleyball coach in SMU history and, under her tutelage, the Mustangs have moved into the national spotlight with team and individual regional and national rankings. In her eleven years at the helm, SMU is 163-172, but has an impressive 67-52 record the last four seasons. She has had players earn All-Conference honors 15 times and Academic All-Conference accolades 48 times. Under her guidance, SMU has also met the qualifications for an AVCA Academic Team Award in two of the last six seasons by maintaining at least a 3.30 cumulative team grade-point average on a 4.0 scale.

In 2006, the Mustangs made their national television debut with a 3-0 sweep of Houston at Moody Coliseum, setting a school record with 17 blocks in the match. The team finished 17-15 with Rachel Giubilato making the All-Conference USA first-team and Kendra Kahanek earning C-USA All-Freshman honors. Candice Davis was a three-time C-USA Defensive Player of the Week on her way to setting the SMU record for digs in a season.

Firmly established as one of the country's top recruiters, Seifert has continually raised the level of talent playing for the Mustangs by attracting some of the nation's top prep players to the Hilltop, as evidenced by her stellar groups of freshmen over the last several seasons.

"In the five years that I have had the opportunity to work with Lisa, she has always displayed such a passion for the student-athlete and the sport of volleyball," said Koni Daws, Assistant Athletic Director and SWA. "Lisa has worked hard to build a solid program with a great staff and group of student-athletes that consistently is among the top teams in the conference and a contender for the national tournament. Her commitment to the program is clearly demonstrated by the high standards she has established for her student-athletes, staff and herself both on and off the court."

A respected judge of talent, Seifert has served on the AVCA Coaches' Poll Committee and the NCAA West Regional and Mid-West Committee and has her peers and colleagues taking notice of SMU volleyball.

Seifert's first SMU team, composed of freshmen and a pair of junior college transfers, was just one win away from earning the final seed in the 1996 WAC Tournament.

The Mustangs finished 15-19 in 1997 - an eight-win improvement from the 1996 squad. SMU won its WAC Quad in 1997, posting a 5-1 record against Rice, TCU and Tulsa, and defeated Arkansas-Little Rock, an NCAA Tournament qualifier.

The 1999 season was the first 20-win season in program history as SMU posted a 20-13 mark against a demanding schedule that featured nine matches against NCAA Tournament teams. It was also the Mustangs first winning season. The Ponies' 9-3 home record was the best in school history. During the season, Seifert recorded her 50th coaching victory with SMU's 3-1 win at Rice Oct. 28, 1999.

In 2000, SMU set a school record for attendance when 1,455 fans witnessed the Mustangs' 3-0 sweep of the Texas Longhorns in Moody Coliseum. The win not only solidified the Ponies' place as a contender in the state of Texas, but also marked the first win over one of the nation's elite programs.

Seifert also graduated her first four-year class in 2001, with a pair of Ponies, Leslie Olson and Erin Pryor, ending their careers ranked among WAC career leaders in assists and kills.

The 2001 campaign saw SMU notch its first-ever win over a regionally-ranked foe, when the Mustangs edged San Jose State, 3-2. The team also finished with a winning record and had five All-WAC selections, including all three seniors. SMU was awarded its first pair of first-team honors and brought the program's total of All-Conference performers to seven.

The Mustangs went into rebuilding mode in 2002, as four freshmen saw significant playing time, but still managed 12 wins and a WAC Tournament berth. At the end of the 2003 season, Seifert's team had won 23 games, and five of her players were named to all-WAC teams. Seifert herself was awarded the WAC Coach of the Year award for the first time, having led the Ponies to an amazing 11-2 conference mark and the Eastern Division Championship.

The 2004 season ended at 14-14 as the team battled injuries to several key players throughout the season. Beth Karasek was named a unanimous All-WAC selection. The Mustangs concluded the 2005 season 12-16 overall and 8-7 in conference.

In 2005, SMU saw a transition into another conference. As the Mustangs joined Conference USA, they depended on the combination of a steady returning class and the newcomers to guide them through the season. The Mustangs went 13-16 overall and 8-7 in their inaugural season of C-USA. The team notched the nation's 23rd highest number of digs per game while freshman Natalie Peters posted the 34th best amount of blocks per game in the nation.

In 2006, the Mustangs compiled an overall record of 17-15 and excelled past many milestones in the process. SMU hosted their first ever nationally televised match and the first volleyball action ever televised from Moody Coliseum on Nov. 10, when they hosted Houston. With a win against UTA on Sep. 1, the Mustangs and Coach Seifert eclipsed the programs 150th win. Junior outside hitter, Rachel Giubilato led the Mustangs as she was ranked nationally in kills per game for the most of the season and joined freshmen, Kendra Kahanek and Candice Davis in rewriting the SMU record book in more than ten different categories.

Coach Seifert joined SMU after six years as assistant coach at Texas Tech. The Lady Raiders compiled an overall record of 128-62 during Seifert's tenure, with NCAA tournament appearances from 1990-92 and regional semifinal berths in 1990 and 1991. A 1978 graduate of Saint Francis (Minn.) High School, Seifert held volleyball, softball, track and basketball coaching jobs at several different colleges and high schools in Colorado, Wisconsin and Minnesota from 1982-86.

Seifert earned her B.S. degree in physical education in 1983 from Winona State (Minn.) University, where she played volleyball and softball, and added a master's degree in physical education from Wisconsin-LaCrosse in 1987.

SMU, the only Division I athletic program in Dallas, Texas, sponsors 17 sports and has been ranked as the top school in its conference for 10 straight years in the Director's Cup overall athletic rankings. More information about SMU and its coaches, athletes and teams is available at www.SMUMustangs.com.