Former assistant coach Abby Pollart returned to the University of Mary as the new Marauders head volleyball coach in July 2021. Immediately following her first stint at Mary, Pollart spent two seasons as head coach of the Central Community College (CCC) Raiders in Columbus, NE, from 2019-21.
“We are excited to bring Abby Pollart back to campus,” said UMary Director of Athletics Dale Lennon. “Abby left a positive impression on our scholar-athletes, the Athletic Department, and across campus from her previous coaching stint with the Marauders. Following her success running the show at Central Community College, it was an easy decision to bring Abby back on board.”
“Abby Pollart not only has a lifelong passion for volleyball, but also carries with her the Christian, Catholic, and Benedictine values and traditions we share daily with our students,” said University of Mary President Monsignor James Shea. “As someone who has succeeded both on the court and in the classroom, Abby possesses a zeal to develop the whole person for all facets of life, and to stir virtue in her players and the desire for greatness.”
While at the helm at CCC, seven Raiders earned All-Region honors on the court with the team producing a 3.55 grade point average in the classroom. In her first season with the Raiders, CCC finished 19-19 overall in 2019 and won a match at the regional tournament as three scholar-athletes claimed All-Region accolades.
The Raiders earned Academic Team of the Year honors after posting a 3.55 cumulative GPA and eight players received NJCAA All-Academic recognition.
CCC reached the 2020-21 Region IX championship game and narrowly missed a trip to the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) district playoff. Four Raiders earned All-Region honors and the team posted a 3.54 GPA in a season delayed and disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I would like to thank Monsignor Shea, Jerome Richter, Dale Lennon and the search committee for this honor.” said Pollart. “The mission and identity of the University of Mary and the athletic department are very near and dear to my heart. I'm looking forward to working with a talented group of young women. It's a blessing to be back in the Orange and Blue.”
Pollart joined the Marauders as an assistant coach for a season in 2018-19 where she served as recruiting coordinator, oversaw academics, and assisted in fundraising, among other tasks.
An assistant coach for Concordia University in Seward, NE, for the 2017 season, Pollart had served as an interim head coach as well as an assistant coach with NCAA Division II South Dakota School of Mines & Technology in 2016-17.
Originally from Powell, WY, where her mother was a longtime collegiate coach, Pollart grew up around the game. After competing for and graduating from Northeastern Junior College in Sterling, CO, and St. Gregory’s University in Shawnee, OK, Pollart spent two seasons as a graduate assistant coach at NCAA Division II University of Arkansas at Monticello. Prior to her graduate assistantship, she also volunteered as a coach at Cameron University (Oklahoma).
Pollart, who garnered scholar-athlete accolades as a collegiate player, earned her associate’s degree in psychology at Northeastern in 2010 before graduating from St. Gregory’s with a Bachelor of Science in Social Science-Psychology in 2012. She received her Master of Education in Physical Education and Coaching from Arkansas at Monticello in 2015.
Additionally, Pollart has been an active volunteer in her church and served as youth and young adult director/coordinator for Holy Family Catholic Church in Lawton, OK, for two years.
