Fries (pronounced “freeze”) is a North Carolina native originally from Winnabow and has fifteen years experience at the NCAA Division I and II levels as an associate head coach, assistant coach, recruiting coordinator and volunteer assistant coach.
Fries (Batson) was an opposite hitter and four-year letter winner for Campbell University’s Fighting Camels. She was voted MVP in 2002 and served as team co-captain in 2003. She earned academic all-conference honors all four years, graduating Magna Cum Laude in 2004 with a Bachelor of Science in Athletic Training. Upon graduation Fries attended University of Florida where she earned a master’s degree in sport management while also teaching volleyball physical education classes to undergraduate students. While in Gainesville she coached both club (Gainesville Juniors) and high school (Buchholz HS) volleyball and also served as an operations intern for the Florida Gators women’s volleyball team in Spring 2006.
Fries began her collegiate coaching career at East Tennessee State (ETSU) serving as both an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator for five years. In 2010, Fries was instrumental in the Buccaneers 26-9 season which landed them in the A-Sun Conference tournament championship. Her recruiting efforts on behalf of the Buccanneers saw the 2010 ETSU Recruiting Class earning PrepVolleyball.com honorable mention among top recruiting classes.
From ETSU Fries went to Southern Illinois (Carbondale) where she served one year as an assistant coach before returning to North Carolina to serve as the assistant coach at Queens University of Charlotte. During her tenure at Queens she coached Triangle alum Elizabeth Bialkowski ’12 and was promoted to Associate Head Coach in 2013. In 2013 Fries received AVCA’s prestigious “Thirty under 30” award recognizing up and coming coaching talent at all levels in the sport. Fries served terms on AVCA’s Assistant Coaches Committee and Division II subcommittee and was a member of the JVA subcommittee.
Fries has a tremendous reputation and extensive contacts in the collegiate community making her an ideal fit to assist athletes in their college search and serve as Triangle’s Director of Recruiting.
She and her husband Jared, live in Coats, NC with their two daughters Layla and Abigail.
SIGNIFICANT ACCOMPLISHMENTS:
- Fries was named to the American Volleyball Coaches Association’s “Thirty Under 30” award, which recognizes up-and-coming coaching talent at all levels of the sport. (2013)
- At ETSU, Fries served as Recruiting Coordinator when ETSU’s 2010 recruiting class was named honorable mention “Top College Recruiting Classes” by PrepVolleyball.com.
- Fries helped lead the Royals to a 17-11 record in their first season in the South Atlantic
- Conference making program history with its first NCAA Tournament appearance. (2013)
- As the Head Coach of Triangle 17 Black (2022/2023) she led Triangle 17 Black to triple qualify 17 Open and a T5 finish at USAV Girls’ Junior National Championships, 17 Open.
