ABILENE, Texas – Hardin-Simmons’ Director of Athletics Dr. John Neese has promoted former assistant coach Kendall Crisp to take over the Cowgirl volleyball program as the head coach.

“I am so excited to be the head coach at Hardin-Simmons,” said Crisp. “We have some great young ladies in the program and we want to continue the momentum we have built the last few years.”

“This is a great place to recruit to, our students are engaged on campus and in the community. We get the chance to use volleyball as a platform to build relationships and strengthen young women’s heart, soul, body and mind for the glory and honor of Christ.”

Crisp, who has been an integral part of the rebuild of the HSU program as the assistant coach, will take over a program that is headed back in the right direction. This past season with a lineup that featured many freshmen and sophomores, the Cowgirls went 14-10 and made it back to the American Southwest Conference Tournament for the first time since 2019 and won a game in the tournament for the first time since 2017.

HSU had six players earn all-conference honors including freshman Gabby Jones on the first team.

Crisp spent most of the first half of the season serving as the interim head coach when Breann Shelton was on maternity leave. She has been an assistant in the program since March of 2020 and responsible for helping recruit the Cowgirls’ talented young roster.

She was a four-year starter as both a setter and as an opposite at Abilene Christian from 2015-18 and was a first-team all-Southland conference selection and academic all-conference in 2018. She also played professionally in Sweden for one season. She also coached with the Key City Volleyball Club.

Crisp holds a master’s degree in athletic administration from Southeastern Oklahoma State and a bachelor’s of science degree from ACU. She graduated cum laude.

Formerly Kendall Bosse, she married Jon Crisp in the summer of 2021. They have a son, Carter, who was born in December of 2022.