University of Montevallo Athletics

Montevallo Career Highlights (15th Year)

• NCAA Division II Southeast Region appearance in 2010
• Seven Peach Belt Conference Tournament appearances
• Five Gulf South Conference Tournament appearances
• Back-to-back GSC Championship Final Appearances (2020, 2021) 
• NCAA Division II Southeast Region ranking in six seasons 2009, 2010, and 2013-2016
• NCAA Division II South Region ranking in 2018 and 2022.
• One D2CCA Division II All-American Selection
• Two AVCA Division II All-American selections
• Nine NCAA Division II All-Southeast Region selections
• One AVCA NCAA Division II All-South Region selection
• One D2CCA All-Southeast Region selection
• Four D2CCA All-South Region selections
• 17 All-Peach Belt Conference selections and 11 All-Gulf South Conference selections
• Three Libero of the Year winners. GSC in 2022 and PBC in 2013 and 2014. 
• 2010 and 2015 PBC Setter of the Year
• 2016 PBC Player of the Year
• Two CoSIDA Academic All-American selections
• Seven CoSIDA Academic All-District selections
• 33 Peach Belt Conference All-Academic Team selections and 27 Gulf South Conference All-Academic Team selections
• 14 consecutive AVCA Team Academic Awards
• One NCAA Woman of the Year Nominee
• Two GSC Champion Scholar Athletes
• Two GSC All-Academic Team Selections 
• 2009 and 2015 PBC Sportsmanship Award

• University Montevallo Head Coach (2008-present)
• Piedmont College Head Coach (2000-2007)

• Inducted into Piedmont College Hall of Fame in 2013
• Led Piedmont to its first ever NCAA Division III National Tournament appearance
• Won two Great South Atlantic Conference Tournament Championships
• Named the Great South Atlantic Conference Coach of the Year twice

• University of Iowa (Bachelor’s - 1999)
• Piedmont College (Master’s - 2001)

• Husband: Freddie

*Season limited to GSC opponents only due to COVID-19 ... No Conference Standings 

Montevallo Record: 273-198 (115-90 Conf.)
Overall Record: 451-307

Katie O’Brien is entering her 15th season as the head coach of the University of Montevallo volleyball program.

O’Brien has led her team to a winning record in 18 of her 22 seasons as a head coach and has guided the Falcons to a 20-plus win season 11 times in their NCAA Division II era. The Falcons have been regionally ranked at some point in each of the past five full seasons.

Montevallo entered the 2022 season following back-to-back appearances in the GSC Championship Final match but fell short in the semifinals to West Florida. O'Brien's squad reached the final in the spring 2021 season after posting a league-leading 10-0 record and a 5-0 mark in Group B play. The Falcons dropped the GSC final to UAH to finish 12-1 on the year. Montevallo returned to the Championship match in the fall of 2021 after finishing just sixth in the regular season with a 9-7 mark. The Falcons finished the 2022 season 19-14 overall with one of the regions toughest schedules. The Falcons secured a fourth seed in the GSC tournament and finished 10-6 in league play.

The Falcons returned to the Gulf South Conference in 2017, with O’Brien guiding the Falcons to a 21-18 record and a 6-6 mark in conference play in their final year in the conference in her first season at Montevallo in 2008.

During the Falcons membership in the Peach Belt Conference under O’Brien, she coached 10 first team All-Peach Belt Conference selections, six second team All-Peach Belt Conference selections, one conference Player of the Year, one conference Freshman of the Year, two conference Setters of the Year and two conference Liberos of the Year. O’Brien also coached eight American Volleyball Coaches Association All-Southeast Region selections during the stretch. One player, Kristy Bohan, was also named an D2CCA All-American.

O’Brien’s teams advanced to the Peach Belt Conference Tournament in seven out of eight years as a member of the conference.

Under O’Brien’s guidance, the Falcons have also excelled in the classroom after earning the AVCA Team Academic Award for the ninth consecutive year. O’Brien also coached 37 Peach Belt Conference All-Academic Team selections during the Falcons’ membership in the conference.

O'Brien came to UM from Piedmont College in Demorest, Ga., where she served as the head volleyball coach for eight seasons. O’Brien also served as the school’s Senior Woman Administrator.

O'Brien was inducted into the Piedmont College Hall of Fame in the spring of 2013. She guided the Lady Lions to their first-ever NCAA Division III National Tournament in 2007. With a career record of 178-109 at Piedmont, O'Brien led her team to two Great South Athletic Conference Tournament Championships, in 2001 and in 2007. She was also voted twice named GSAC Coach of the Year in 2005 and 2007. Also serving as the school's Senior Women's Administrator, she mentored 36 Academic All-Conference honorees, 22 All-Conference selections, 12 Freshmen All-Conference picks, three GSAC Freshmen-of-the-Year selections, one league Player of the Year and two tournament MVPs. At Piedmont, O'Brien was also a member of the South Regional Advisory Committee and is chapter adviser of the National College Athletic Honor Society, Chi Alpha Sigma.

O'Brien received her Bachelor of Science degree in sports, health, leisure and physical studies from the University of Iowa in 1999. She earned her master's degree in public administration from Piedmont in 2001.

Prior to beginning her coaching career, she was a standout volleyball player at the University of Iowa. O’Brien finished her career ranked 14th on the Hawkeyes career blocks list and is 13th in career attack percentage. Additionally, O'Brien posted back-to-back top-10 finishes in the Big-10 Conference in blocks per game in 1997 and 1998.

O’Brien is a member of the AVCA. She is a former member of the board of directors of the Vertical 1 Club Team and is a former coach for the Northlake Kaepa Volleyball Club.

O'Brien is married to her husband, Freddie Chapman, and resides in Calera.