Kendall Murr, who completed her playing career at Mississippi State University in the spring of 2021, joined the EKU program as a graduate assistant coach in August of 2021. In January 2022, Murr was promoted to a full time assistant coaching position.
In the past two seasons, Murr has helped the Colonels to a 42-19 record and back-to-back 20-win campaigns for the first time since 2004 and 2005.
In 2024, Murr was part of a staff that led the team to 21 wins and a trip to the Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament semifinals. Under her guidance, libero Josie Schmitendorf was chosen as the 2024 ASUN Conference Defensive Player of the Year, earned All-ASUN honors and was selected to the Academic All-ASUN Team. The 4-time ASUN Defensive Player of the Week finished her career fifth in program history in career digs.
In 2023, helped guide the team to: 21 wins (tied for the most since the 2005 season), a 13-match winning streak (tied for the longest in program history), the first national postseason tournament appearance since 2004 (the 2023 NIVC), the first top three conference finish since 2014 and a program record seven straight shutout victories.
Schmitendorf earned All-ASUN honors and was chosen to the Academic All-ASUN Team. She garnered ASUN Defensive Player of the Week recognition three times and ranked second in the league in digs per set.
“I am very excited to have Kendall as part of the EKU volleyball family,” head coach Johnna Bazzani said. “She is a big asset to our program and for the players. Kendall came to us from a Power-5 competitive program and has experience playing in the ASUN, so she is able to help navigate that transition for our players. Kendall helps train our defensive specialists/liberos and oversees marketing and social media.”
In her first season as a full time assistant, Murr helped the Colonels to the most wins since 2017. EKU improved by five wins over the 2021 season. The team started the 2022 campaign 5-1, its best start since 2014. Schmitendorf finished eighth in the ASUN in total digs and ninth in digs per set.
During the fall 2021 season, Murr helped the team improve by eight wins from the season before, and in its first season as a member of the ASUN, the Colonels qualified for the league tournament as the No. 3 seed from the West Division. Libero Sydney Schoen ranked second in the ASUN in digs and fifth in digs per set in 2021.
Murr, a defensive specialist, played in 46 sets during the 2020-21 season. She missed the 2019 season due to an injury. In 2018, Murr saw action in 31 matches and started 30 times. The Yorktown, Indiana native led Mississippi State with 413 digs and tied for second on the squad with 15 service aces. She had 10 or more digs in a match 24 times and eclipsed the 20-dig total on three occasions.
Murr began her collegiate playing career at ASUN Conference member Jacksonville University in 2017. She earned a spot on the ASUN All-Freshman Team after contributing 2.28 digs per set and ranking 20th in the conference with 10 aces.
From May to August of 2021, Murr has worked as a child development intern at the T.K. Martin Center.
Murr completed a bachelor’s degree in human development and family sciences at Mississippi State with a 3.90 grade-point-average. She was a member of the Southeastern Conference Honor Roll from 2018 to 2021.
