| Lisa Marston |
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 | Position:
Head Coach
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| Experience:
7th Season at Cha.
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| Alma Mater:
North Carolina, 1992
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Charlotte head coach Lisa Marston begins her seventh season with the 49ers this fall, leading a team that has been on the cusp of 20-win seasons the last two years.
In 2005, the team's first season in the Atlantic 10 Conference, the 49ers won 17 matches overall and eight in league play. They finished second in the East Division and met one team goal when they advanced to the A-10 Tournament. In 2004, Charlotte's 19 wins was the team's best season under Coach Marston and was the program'highest win total since 1994.
Charlotte's new goal is to win the A-10 Championship in 2006, and carry that momentum into 2007 - when the 49ers host the A-10 Championships at Halton Arena
The program has made great strides under Marston's leadership. The team overcame a great deal of adversity in 2004, rebounding with 11 more wins than they had totaled in 2003. That made Charlotte the NCAA's seventh-most improved team in 2004.
"Charlotte is a great place for me. I love the facilities and the opportunities available to the student-athletes. The players are amazing people and volleyball players; they make all the hard work worth it! I'm looking forward to making an impact on the Atlantic 10."
Marston has lived in the Charlotte area for over 13 years. Prior to joining the 49ers, she coached seven years at nearby Davidson College -- two as an assistant coach and five as the head coach. During her tenure with the Wildcats, the team went from a 8-25 mark to a 31-4 finish in five short years. Her 1999 squad was undefeated in the Southern Conference and competed in the NCAA Tournament, the first such appearance for any women's team at Davidson. For her efforts, Marston was named Southern Conference Coach of the Year in 1998 and 1999.
A graduate of North Carolina, Marston was a three-time letterwinner for the Tar Heels as a utility player. Upon earning her degree in secondary social studies education with a minor in religious studies in 1992, she taught high school history for one year before moving into collegiate coaching. She began as assistant coach at Davidson in 1993, then was promoted to head coach in 1995.
In terms of her coaching style, Marston emphasizes discipline and intense training, but also fun.
"I believe that structure and discipline are needed to be a successful program. It is difficult to be that intense, however, if you're not having fun at the same time. I try to create drills that are competitive and as game-like as possible. I have high expectations of my players because I truly believe that they will reach them."
Marston has high expectations of herself as well and has continued to improve the non-conference schedule with programs such as North Carolina, Oregon, Duke, Oregon State and Sacramento State in recent years. She has also stepped up the program's recruiting efforts, landing players from some of the most successful club programs in the country, including Texas Tornados, Saddleback Valley, Tampa Bay Juniors, Delta Valley, Northern Lights, Vision and Dunes.
Marston and her husband, Cam live in Charlotte and have a 4-year-old daughter, Reiney, a one-year-old son, Spencer, and an eight-year-old yellow lab, Pearl.
The Lisa Marston Show
You can listen to The Lisa Marston Show every Tuesday on Charlotte49ers.com as part of the school's subscription-based multimedia package through Yahoo! Audio. The show will feature coach's thoughts on the weekend's matches, a preview of what's coming up, and other thoughts about the program.
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