TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

College looking for 6

ADVERTISEMENT

By NICK WILLIAMS

nwilliams@tampatrib.com

Published: October 28, 2009

TEMPLE TERRACE - When she was hired to coach Florida College's inaugural women's volleyball team in 1999, Donna Parimore didn't know what to expect.

Although she played a few seasons at Division II University of North Alabama, Parimore had only coached at the amateur level.

"I had coached a few recreation leagues and my daughters," she said. "The school wanted somebody local and who was an alumni."

Parimore, a 1983 Florida College graduate, was the perfect fit.

In 11 years as coach, Parimore has guided the Falcons to five national titles and is hoping to capture a sixth when the team travels to Louisville, Ky., for the 2009 U.S. Collegiate Athletic Association National Volleyball Championships Nov. 5-7.

The volleyball program, the institution's first women's competitive sport, won its first title in 2000, another in 2003 and won consecutive national titles in 2005, 2006 and 2007.
Parimore said the program is the pride of the 520-student college, with an average of 200 fans per match.

"I didn't start out thinking national championship," said Parimore, whose husband, Bob, is the team's assistant coach. "We started out just wanting a bid. In our first year, we placed fourth (in the national tournament) and that was a surprise."

For 11 years, Parimore said her Falcons have averaged 19 or more wins each season.

"If you can find the right mix (of players), that's truly an advantage for us," she said. "Being only 5-foot-1, I lean toward defense. I feed into our strengths and not our weaknesses."
Parimore recruits at local Christian high schools, and this year, has been pleased with two locals. Freshman Sami Stokes, who won a Class 1A state volleyball title at Bayshore Christian in 2007, has earned playing time at rightside hitter. Jenny Moorer - once one of the leading girls basketball scorers in Hillsborough County as a guard/forward at Seffner Christian - is the team's setter and outside hitter.

Moorer, who is 5 feet, 10 inches, has several ties to Florida College. Her father, Kenny, is the director of athletics, and Bob Parimore was her youth club volleyball coach.

"It was (Parimore) who got me started," Moorer said. "It was my dream to play for them here. I've always been like 'This is where I was going.'"

Stokes was named to the Class 1A Florida All-State Volleyball second team as a junior and was a Tampa Tribune All-Hillsborough County honorable mention as a senior.

"It was nice to know you're coming into something established," said Stokes, a 5-foot-8 hitter. "They were very welcoming."
Florida College has earned the fourth seed in the 2009 USCAA tournament. Donna Parimore said 10 schools from eight or more states will be represented.

Former high school rivals Moorer and Stokes hope they can help the Falcons win another national championship.

"I'm excited," Stokes said.

"I think we can do well," Moorer said.

Reporter Nick Williams can be reached at (813) 259-7851.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT