Following her successful time as a player for the Radford volleyball team from 2012-2016, Savanna Hammond has returned to Radford as the 13th head coach of the volleyball program, as announced Wednesday by Director of Athletics Robert Lineburg.
“We are thrilled to announce Savanna Hammond as our new head volleyball coach,” said Lineburg. “A proud alumna, Savanna has a deep connection to our program and impressive track record in both playing and coaching. We are confident that her passion and expertise will inspire our student-athletes and lead our program to new heights.”
“I am thrilled to return to my alma mater,” said Hammond. “This opportunity is truly special to me as it allows me to continue the journey I started as a student-athlete at Radford and contribute to the community that helped shape me. I’m eager to build on this team’s strong start in the Big South this season and continue to lead them to new heights. I am looking forward to getting started and fostering a culture of excellence they can be proud of, both on and off the court.”
Hammond joins the Highlanders after spending the last four seasons with Division II Bluefield State where the Big Blue earned a 53-57 record including Bluefield State’s first-ever national championship title in 2022 at the USCAA National Tournament. In 2023, Bluefield State joined the CIAA where Hammond guided the Big Blue to a CIAA tournament berth in their first season competing at the Division II level.
Hammond turned women’s volleyball at Bluefield State into a sought-after program during her tenure. When Hammond took over as head coach, Bluefield State had not won a set or a match in over three years. In year one and in just her second match as head coach, the Big Blue swept St. Augustine’s 3-0 to set a new tone and would go on to earn 12 wins towards a USCAA Championship runner-up finish. In 2023, Bluefield State faced a tougher schedule now at the Division II level and managed 16 wins.
Prior to her time at Bluefield State, Hammond was a student-athlete with the Radford volleyball program. In 2012, Hammond was a walk-on to the team and worked her way towards a full-ride scholarship for the final three years of her career earning the Big South’s all-academic award in her 2015 senior campaign.
In 2013, she was a member of the Big South Regular Season and Tournament Championship team competing in 39 sets primarily in conference play. In 2014 as a junior, she saw action in all 32 matches as a part of the Big South Regular Season Championship squad. In the 2014 tournament semifinals and championship, Hammond earned double-digit kills in both matches. Hammond would finish her career in 2015 with 753 digs and 1,152 attack attempts which both ranked top 10 in program history at the time.
Radford University Athletics