Jennifer Petrie has done an outstanding job directing the fortunes of San Diego volleyball since taking over as the Toreros head coach in 1999. Honored as the 2004, 2008 and 2010 West Coast Conference Coach of the Year, Petrie continues to establish the University of San Diego as one of the top volleyball programs in the nation. In 11 complete seasons as head coach, Petrie has led San Diego to nine appearances in the NCAA Tournament (1999, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008 & 2010).
After taking the 2011 season off to spend time with her, then newborn daughter, Caroline, Petrie returns to the sidelines, and resumes her role as head coach for the 2012 season.
In 2010, under Petrie's tutelage, the Toreros captured their fourth WCC championship in the past five seasons, as USD posted a 13-1 mark in league play. Petrie helped produce five All-WCC performers highlighted by Ali Troost who was tabbed as the WCC Player of the Year, as well as helping guide Chloe Ferrari to the WCC Freshman of the Year honor. The Toreros also reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament after sweeping away Long Beach State, before falling in a hard fought 3-1 loss to USC in the second round.
In 2009, Petrie guided the Toreros to a second place finish in the West Coast Conference, and helped the team post an overall record of 18-7. Under Petrie's tutelage, Ali Troost was tabbed the WCC Player of the Year and went on to become USD's eighth AVCA All-American in program history. The Toreros also had four players earn All-WCC accolades.
In 2008, Petrie orchestrated the Toreros to their third consecutive WCC championship, becoming the first program at USD to achieve such a feat. USD posted a 12-2 mark in the WCC and went 23-5 overall, earning its eighth consecutive trip the NCAA Tournament. Under Petrie's tutelage, Amy Mahinalani DeGroot was tabbed the WCC Player of the Year and went on to become USD's sixth AVCA All-American in program history.
In 2007, Petrie helped guide USD to its second consecutive West Coast Conference championship and third in the past four years. The Toreros also returned to the NCAA Tournament for the seventh consecutive season.
Petrie took the fall semester of 2006 off to spend time with her family and let her top assistant for the previous five seasons, Brent Hilliard take the reigns.
Petrie, a San Diego native, has proven to be one of the country's best young coaches-needing just five seasons to reach 100 career victories. Her 192-74 overall record heading into the 2009 season ranks her among the winningest coaches in WCC history. Averaging over 20 wins per year as San Diego's head coach, Petrie has USD consistently ranked in the AVCA Division I Top 25 Coaches Poll,
Under Petrie the Toreros enjoyed a banner season in 2004, finishing as the undefeated (14-0) WCC Champions, qualifying for the NCAA Sweet Sixteen, and earning a national ranking as high as No. 11 by the American Volleyball Coaches Association-all new USD school records.
Recruiting and developing some of the game's best young players, Petrie has taken USD into the NCAA Tournament's Second Round a total of four times, including winning both first and second round matches in 2004 to advance into the NCAA Regional Semi-Finals in Louisville, Kentucky. Following San Diego's appearance in the NCAA Regional Semi-Finals the Toreros had a school record three players earn AVCA All-America honors at season's end.
The 2007 season will be Petrie's ninth at the University of San Diego after serving as USD's top assistant in 1997 and 1998. She became the third head coach in USD program history in 1999, succeeding three-time WCC Coach of the Year Sue Snyder. The Toreros enjoyed immediate success under Petrie, finishing 23-6 and advancing into the NCAA Tournament's Second Round during her inaugural season in the fall of 1999.
Petrie was a standout volleyball player at the College of William and Mary. She was twice named Colonial Athletic Conference Player of the Year (1990-91) and a two-time All-Southern Region selection (1990-91). She gained national level playing experience in 1990 when she competed on the gold medal-winning U.S. Olympic Festival North Region Team.
Her collegiate coaching career began when she joined the volleyball staff at Indiana State University where she served as top assistant from 1992 to 1993. Petrie then took the top assistant position at North Carolina, Chapel Hill from 1994 to 1997, before joining Sue Snyder's staff at the University of San Diego for the 1997 campaign. Petrie helped San Diego win back-to-back WCC Championships as the Toreros' top assistant in 1997 and 1998.
Petrie played for the San Diego Juniors Volleyball Club and graduated from Mt. Carmel High School. In 1992, she graduated from the College of William and Mary with a degree in Art History and completed her Master's Degree in Sports Administration at North Carolina, Chapel Hill in 1997.
Petrie resides in San Diego with her husband, Mark and their three children, son Charles (6) and daughters Jane (9) and Caroline (1).
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