Southern Virginia University Athletic Director Scott Y. Doxey today announced that Brittney Lee has been named the interim head coach of the women's volleyball program.

Current head coach Paige Hiatt recently left the post to accompany her spouse, Southern Virginia football assistant coach Tye Hiatt, who has accepted another professional opportunity.

In her first season as an assistant coach at Southern Virginia during the 2013 season, Lee helped Hiatt guide a young Knight squad to a 15-9 overall record, including an impressive 6-3 record against Capital Athletic Conference teams in its first season as a member of the league. She also helped the Knights to a solid 8-2 record in front of their home crowd at Knight Sports Arena.

"I am very excited for Brittney to take this position as the interim head coach of the Southern Virginia women's volleyball program," Hiatt said. "She has an in-depth understanding of the game from the basic fundamentals to advanced tactics and strategy. Brittney is a very organized coach who is great with planning, whether it is for practice or a game.

"She is a great motivator and a very positive and enthusiastic coach who will really help the girls stay on the competitive path they have already created. I am sad to not continue but could not think of a better coach or person to help this program move forward with such great returners and recruits coming in."

Lee helped coach two Knights to the All-CAC Second Team – freshman April Bennett and junior Kaitlyn Eaton – while also coaching senior Tori Tuttle to USCAA honorable mention and senior Shyanne Ison and junior Jamie Pinkston to USCAA All-Academic honors.

"Brittney has a solid working knowledge of the game and a great practice structure," said Southern Virginia senior women's administrator Deidra Dryden. "She was a great assistant coach this past season and has developed great relationships with the players."

Prior to Southern Virginia, Lee coached club volleyball in Glendale, Ariz., during the 2012 season and served as junior varsity girls volleyball head coach at Sandra Day O'Connor High School for a season in 2011.

A 2011 graduate, Lee played women's volleyball at Southern Utah University where she earned All-Summit League honors and ranked within the top 5 of the conference in assists her junior and senior years.

Before Southern Utah, Lee was a two-sport athlete at Glendale Community College in Arizona, playing volleyball while also participating on the track and field squad. Named an NJCAA All-American twice (2007, 2008), Lee also led the Gauchos to a 2008 ACCAC women's volleyball title.

Doxey expressed appreciation for the work and effort Hiatt put into the program in just one year at the helm.

"We have been very fortunate to have Paige leading our women's volleyball team this past season," he said. "We are so grateful to her for what she has been able to accomplish in building a strong program over a period of only a few months. She will be greatly missed."

As Southern Virginia is in its second year as a provisional NCAA institution, the Knights were ineligible to compete in the CAC tournament following the regular season.