WS Chronicle

Wake Forest head volleyball coach Jeff Hulsmeyer has added Sherisa Livingston to his staff, announced by the program on Tuesday. Livingston will join the Demon Deacons as an assistant coach. 

“I cannot be more pleased and excited that Sherisa Livingston has agreed to join our program here at Wake Forest,” said Hulsmeyer. “She brings so much experience and expertise to one of the most difficult positions to play in our game as a middles coach and is well known for training middles and right-side attackers. In addition to her on-court skills, Sherisa will be spearheading player development for us, assisting with getting our incoming student-athletes settled, community service, leadership development and “next steps” for players when they complete their time at Wake.  

“Sherisa has played at the highest level as a 10-year pro post-college and understands the game at a high level, in addition to how to build relationships to win. As a coach, she has been a recruiting coordinator and a head coach, bringing over ten years of experience and professionalism to the bench. We have high expectations at Wake Forest, and Sherisa is another example of bringing in the best to our program.”  

“I want to thank Coach Hulsmeyer for this amazing opportunity,” said Livingston. “I am incredibly excited to step into this new role at Wake Forest. I look forward to contributing to the team’s success, fostering a positive environment and working alongside a talented group of players and coaches to achieve our shared goals.” 

Livingston most recently spent this past year on the women’s volleyball staff at Charlotte, entering the fold as an assistant coach before stepping into the interim head coach role in November. During the fall season, she primarily worked with the 49ers’ middles and right-side hitters while coordinating team blocking and scheme, also assisting with all other player positions. 

From 2020-23, Livingston led Radford University’s volleyball program as head coach. Her leadership led to junior libero Shelby Hernandez being voted onto the VaSID All-State Second Team and representing Radford on the Big South All-Academic Team. Additionally, in her first season playing for Livingston, sophomore Sophie Paspal recorded the fifth-best attacking percentage in school history (.328). 

Prior to her time at Radford, Livingston was an assistant volleyball coach at Winthrop (2018-19). Her tenure with the Eagles involved training student-athletes at the attack and blocking positions, as well as helping develop the team’s offense. Livingston also aided the passer strategy, outlined game plans and dedicated time to the recruiting trail. Her efforts contributed to Winthrop winning the 2019 Big South Championship, its first since 2006, en route to earning an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. Additionally, she played a heavy role in developing Siani Yamaguchi, the 2019 Big South Player of the Year/Setter of the Year and conference tournament MVP. 

In 2015, Livingston launched the women’s volleyball program at the University of Antelope Valley, guiding the Pioneers for two seasons. Her career has also included stops at Tennessee Tech, Seattle University, and Nebraska, as she got her start in coaching as a volunteer assistant for the Cornhuskers in 2013. 

A volleyball alum of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Livingston is one of the most decorated players in program history. Her four-year career with the Badgers from 1998-01 featured numerous accolades and achievements: 

*Two-time AVCA first team All-American (2000-01) – First-ever program individual to earn such recognition 

*Led Wisconsin to back-to-back Big Ten championships in 2000-01 

*2000-01 Wisconsin Female Athlete of the Year 

*2000 Co-Big Ten Player of the Year 

*2000 All-NCAA Tournament Team 

*Paced the Badgers to a runner-up finish in the 2000 NCAA Tournament 

*Three-time first team All-Big Ten selection (1999-01) – Earned a unanimous nod in 2001 

*All-Big Ten honorable mention pick in 1998 

*All-time program leader in kills (1,912) 

Livingston also competed for USA Volleyball on the junior national team from 1998-99. She ultimately turned heads on the national stage after being recognized as the ‘best blocker’ at the 1999 World Championships in Canada. 

Livingston graduated from Wisconsin in 2003 with a B.A. in history. Four years later, she was inducted into the university’s Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2007.  

Following her collegiate career, Livingston stepped into a journey of professional volleyball that took her across the globe – Puerto Rico, Greece, Spain, Turkey, Indonesia, Korea, Austria, Italy, Romania and The Netherlands. She split time playing as a middle blocker and right-side hitter from 2002-13, while also handling duties of representing teams and sports clubs, meeting with media members, participating in charity events and more. 

Livingston earned her master’s degree from American Public University in sport management in December 2019.