Texas Southern University Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Kevin Granger has named Alexis Austin as the fifth head coach in program history. A former professional volleyball player and collegiate All-American, Austin comes to TSU from Liberty University, where she served as the program’s assistant coach.
Austin spent the past two seasons at Liberty University as an assistant coach and specialized in coaching the team’s outside hitters while also serving as one of the primary recruiters on the staff. During her two seasons at Liberty, the Lady Flames led the ASUN and ranked 13th nationally in blocks per set, the second year in a row in which Liberty finished in the Top 25 nationally in blocking. Under her watch, outside hitter Kate Phillips earned ASUN All-Freshman Team honors in the fall of 2021 as she ranked third among all ASUN freshmen in kills per set (2.57) and while tying for the team lead with six double-doubles. In the spring of 2021, outside hitter Trinity Watts also received ASUN All-Freshman Team honors after becoming the first freshman since 2016 to lead Liberty in kills.
On the recruiting front, Austin also displayed a penchant for recruiting student-athletes from her native city of Houston and state of Texas to Liberty as four student-athletes on the 2021 roster were from Texas, including two from the Houston area.
Prior to joining Liberty’s staff, Austin spent two seasons as a volunteer assistant coach at Rice University where she earned her first collegiate coaching experience. She assisted head coach Genny Volpe during a highly-successful two years. The Owls posted a combined 51-11 record during Austin’s time with the program.
During the 2019 season, Rice reached as high as No. 17 in the AVCA Top 25, finishing with an RPI of 19, the highest RPI in school history. The Owls picked up their first-ever NCAA Tournament win, going 27-4. Also in 2019, Rice picked up a big win over No. 3 Texas
Prior to her time at Rice, Austin played professionally in Poland as a member of PTPS.
She has received international playing experience while competing for the BIP/USA Development Team in China in 2013.
Austin, ranked in the top 25 recruits in the 2012 recruiting class by ESPN, was a standout during her four years (2012-15) at Colorado. She finished her career ranked fourth in program history with 1,443 kills, including a career-high 498 kills (4.05 kills per set) as a senior. During 2015, she earned AVCA honorable mention All-America honors and was named to the AVCA All-Pacific South Region team and earned All-Pac-12 honors as both a junior and senior. She also served as team captain while also earning academic honors.
Austin helped turn around Colorado’s program, one which went 6-24 the year before she arrived. During her four years at Colorado, the Buffaloes posted a 71-59 record, including NCAA Tournament wins in both 2013 and 2014.
She is also highly connected with the competitive volleyball circuit as she served as head coach for several youth volleyball clubs while also participating in camps across the country as a clinician. She’s also well-versed in community service as the lead organizer for community service events for the Liberty and Rice volleyball programs in addition to participating in numerous functions as a student-athlete.
Austin earned a degree in communications with a minor in ethnic studies from Colorado in 2016. Currently pursuing her master’s in developmental psychology at Liberty University.