LUBBOCK, Texas – Texas Tech head coach Tony Graystone announced Friday afternoon the hiring of Alisa Blair, who will serve as the associate head coach for the Red Raider volleyball program.   “I’m very happy to introduce Alisa Blair as the newest member of our coaching staff and our associate head coach,” Graystone said. “I’ve known Alisa for a long time and have great respect for her as a person, coach and recruiter. Her career path has clearly prepared her for the Big 12 and I’m looking forward to her impact on our program. Alisa is a known and trusted recruiter in Texas, and being from West Texas, she’ll be the perfect coach to tell our story and connect with future Red Raiders.”  Blair joins the Red Raiders after spending the 2022 season as the head coach for Abilene Christian. While there, Blair coached a member of the WAC All-Freshman Team in outside hitter Ashli Edmiston, who led the Wildcats in digs while ranking second on the team with 255 kills, the second-most by a freshman since ACU’s move to Division I. It was Blair’s second stint serving as a head coach.  Blair also served three seasons as head coach, and another as assistant coach, at Hill College. While at the helm for Hill College, she collected an 83-38 (.686) overall record, won the 2014 Region V Championship and was named Coach of the Year that same season. Coaching multiple All-Americans at Hill College, the team would also finish in the top-15 of the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) rankings in every season she was there.  Prior to her stint with Abilene Christian, Blair served as the assistant coach and lead recruiter at Stephen F. Austin for four seasons. Blair helped the Ladyjacks accumulate an impressive record of 105-21 (.833), tally four Southland Conference regular season titles and make two NCAA Tournament appearances. She also helped oversee recruiting efforts, team logistics and travel, player development and summer camps.   Before working with the Ladyjacks, Blair joined the University of Central Oklahoma volleyball team as the assistant coach for the 2017 season, where she aided the team to a 29-6 record and 15-3 conference record in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA) as the Bronchos would go on to make an NCAA Tournament appearance.  “First off, I want to thank Head Coach Tony Graystone and the Director of Athletics Kirby Hocutt for the opportunity to join the Texas Tech volleyball program,” Blair said. “I have gotten to know Tony over the years through coaching and he is someone I have the utmost respect for. He has the ability not only to grow a program in volleyball, but the way he cares about the people around him just makes this a place I want to be and help continue to grow this culture. Growing up in West Texas and coming to Texas Tech volleyball games was where I fell in love with the game of volleyball. I can’t wait to help continue to grow not only the program but each athlete that comes through it.”  Blair was an outside hitter and defensive specialist at Angelo State University from 2009-12. During her career, Blair appeared in 161 sets and produced 151 kills, 47 aces and 269 digs and helped the team to the 2012 Lone Star Conference Championship for the first time in 20 years. While with the Belles, Angelo State totaled a 98-38 record and made an appearance in the South Central Regional Championship.   Blair received her bachelor’s degree in psychology in 2012, then earned her master’s of education, coaching, sport, recreation and fitness administration in 2016 from ASU.