Norfolk State University Athletics

Kathy Bullock enters her eighth season as head coach of the Norfolk State volleyball program in 2026, bringing more than three decades of collegiate head coaching experience. She arrived at Norfolk State prior to the 2019 season after successful tenures at multiple Division I HBCU programs.
 
The Spartans battled through the 2025 campaign, finishing 5-24 overall and 3-11 in MEAC play. Bullock coached All-MEAC First Team selection Gabrielle Gilbert, who surpassed 1,000 career kills against Maryland Eastern Shore on Oct. 31. Bullock also enters the 2026 season just two conference victories shy of becoming the winningest coach in program history in MEAC play and nine overall victories away from moving into second on Norfolk State's all-time wins list.
 
Bullock continued Norfolk State's upward trajectory in 2024, guiding the Spartans to a 13-15 overall record, the program's first double-digit win season since 2012 and one victory shy of matching the most wins in the Division I era. Norfolk State posted a 7-7 MEAC record, making Bullock the first head coach in program history to lead the Spartans to seven or more conference wins in three consecutive seasons.
 
During the season, Bullock earned her 400th career victory with a sweep of Sacred Heart on Sept. 20 before securing her 100th career MEAC victory against Maryland Eastern Shore on Nov. 1.

The Spartans totaled 13 victories, including eight straight-set wins, the program's most sweeps since 2010. Norfolk State earned sweeps over Gardner-Webb, Lamar, Hampton, Sacred Heart, Charleston Southern, Maryland Eastern Shore and South Carolina State.
 
Bullock also oversaw one of the most decorated seasons in program history. Lily Rose-Pichon became Norfolk State's first MEAC Defensive Player of the Year, while Gabrielle Gilbert became the first Spartan to earn All-MEAC First Team honors twice. Gilbert later became the program's first VaSID University Division Player of the Year and earned First Team All-State recognition. Sydney McCree collected All-MEAC Second Team and Second Team All-State honors, giving Bullock six All-MEAC selections during her Norfolk State tenure — the most by any volleyball head coach in school history.
 
Rose-Pichon recorded 412 digs, becoming just the fifth Spartan to eclipse 400 digs in a season while posting the third-highest digs-per-set average (4.08) in program history.
 
One of Norfolk State's signature victories came in a four-set upset of Delaware State on Nov. 3, when freshman Reagan Chisholm totaled 10 block assists. The Spartans finished with 32 team block assists, the fourth-highest single-match total in school history.
 
Norfolk State finished with a .211 hitting percentage in 2024 after hitting above .200 in 2023, making Bullock the only Division I coach in program history to lead the Spartans to consecutive .200-plus hitting seasons.
 
The 2023 team also made history, opening MEAC play 4-0 for the first time ever. Norfolk State finished 9-14 overall and 7-7 in conference play, marking the program's first consecutive seven-win MEAC seasons since 2012 and 2013.
Gilbert became the first Norfolk State player to earn All-MEAC First Team honors and the program's first MEAC Rookie of the Year. Gilbert and Grace Smith were both named to the MEAC All-Rookie Team, marking the first time two Spartans received the honor in the same season.
 
In 2022, Bullock guided the Spartans to a 7-7 MEAC record, the program's best conference finish since 2013. Norfolk State placed three student-athletes on the All-MEAC teams for the first time in program history, with Carla Hernandez and Shonte Seale earning All-MEAC Second Team honors and McCree receiving All-Rookie Team recognition. The Spartans also opened conference play with road victories over Maryland Eastern Shore and Delaware State, snapping the Hornets' 19-match home winning streak.
 
Bullock led Norfolk State to eight victories in 2021, the program's highest win total since 2013. The Spartans defeated American, Temple and Radford during nonconference play while earning conference victories over Coppin State, Morgan State and South Carolina State twice. Libero Nicole Rodriguez became the program's first All-MEAC selection since 2016 and first VaSID All-State First Team honoree since 2012.
 
The Spartans' 2020 season was shifted to the spring of 2021 because of COVID-19 and ended after six matches. Norfolk State upset George Mason during the abbreviated campaign, while Paola Matos earned MEAC All-Rookie Team honors.
 
Before arriving at Norfolk State, Bullock spent one season at Winston-Salem State (2018) and one at Greensboro College (2017). She guided Winston-Salem State to a 16-15 overall record, a 14-4 CIAA mark and a trip to the CIAA semifinals while coaching two All-CIAA performers. At Greensboro, she led the Pride to a 14-14 finish and coached a USA South All-East Division selection.
 
Bullock previously served 13 seasons as head coach at Tennessee State (2004-16), where she became the winningest coach in program history with 177 victories. She led the Tigers to their first NCAA Tournament appearance and first Ohio Valley Conference Tournament championship in 2007 after capturing the OVC regular-season title in 2005. She earned OVC Coach of the Year honors in 2005 after leading Tennessee State to then-program records for overall and conference victories.
During her tenure, Tennessee State posted three 20-win seasons and seven winning campaigns, all program firsts. Bullock coached 19 All-OVC selections, seven All-Newcomer Team honorees, the program's first OVC Player of the Year (Shaquita Williams) and first OVC Defensive Player of the Year (Madison Halterman).
 
Prior to Tennessee State, Bullock spent 10 seasons as head coach at her alma mater, North Carolina A&T, compiling a 162-175 record. She coached seven First Team All-MEAC selections and 1998 MEAC Player of the Year Vania Blake while leading the Aggies to five winning seasons, including school-record 24- and 20-win campaigns in 2001 and 2002. North Carolina A&T captured the only two MEAC Southern Division titles in program history during her tenure.
A standout student-athlete at North Carolina A&T, Bullock became the first four-time First Team All-MEAC volleyball selection in conference history. She also earned track and field All-America honors in the 800 meters during the 1984-85 season and is a member of the Durham Striders Track Club Hall of Fame.
Bullock's sister, Kim Graham-Miller, won an Olympic gold medal with Team USA in the 4x400-meter relay at the 1996 Olympic Games and serves as head track and field coach at UC San Diego. Her brother, Jay Graham, played five seasons in the NFL and has coached at multiple Power Four institutions.
 
A native of Durham, North Carolina, Bullock earned a bachelor's degree in communications from North Carolina A&T in 1987. She and her husband, Darryl, who serves as the head women’s flag football coach at Norfolk State, have one daughter, Kayla, and one stepson, Luther.