NORFOLK, Va. – Norfolk State University athletics director Marty Miller announced Wednesday the hiring of Jennifer Fry as the Spartans’ new women’s volleyball coach.

Fry replaces Allison Millette-Sparrow, who was not retained after the 2006 season.

"We have not had much success in women’s volleyball and decided to take the program in a new direction,” Miller said. “We’re happy to bring in someone of coach Fry’s caliber. With her experience and background, we hope that she will be able to make our team more competitive.”

Fry comes to NSU after serving as an assistant coach last season at Division II Angelo State University in San Angelo, Tex. There, Fry assisted in all administrative and coaching aspects of the Rambelles volleyball program. She also tutored two all-conference players at ASU.

Fry, a native of Yuma, Ariz., served as an assistant coach at Seward County Community College (Kan.) in 2005. There, she coached four all-conference performers while helping lead the Saints to a top-20 ranking in 2005.

A 2002 graduate of the University of Montevallo (Ala.), Fry earned All-Gulf South Conference honors in 2000. She helped the Falcons to a No. 24 national ranking in Division II during her senior year.

Prior to her playing days at Montevallo, Fry played two seasons at Arizona Western College, where she garnered all-conference accolades in 1999. Her squad was ranked both of her years at AWC, including a ranking as high as No. 10 in 1999.

Fry earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Montevallo in 2002 and her master’s in criminal justice from Tiffin University (Ohio) in 2004. While at Tiffin, Fry also served as a graduate assistant volleyball coach from 2002-03.