Kerri-Ann Grosso - Volleyball Coach - James Madison University Athletics

Kerri-Ann Grosso

Title:
Assistant Coach

Phone: 540.568.7921

Kerri-Ann Grosso was promoted to the top assistant’s position prior to her fourth season at James Madison in 2006. She is no stranger to volleyball in Virginia and the Colonial Athletic Association. Followers of the CAA remember Grosso, who played at William and Mary, as the first-ever recipient of the league’s Defensive Specialist of the Year honor, and she would win the award three consecutive seasons, 1998-2000.

As the first assistant, Grosso is the Dukes’ recruiting coordinator, arranges travel, serves as the academic liaison and assists with technique training. She applies her defensive specialty by working particularly close with the liberos and defensive specialists. In 2006, JMU had its first-ever CAA Defensive Specialist honor with junior Jena Pierson, who also went on to be named one of the top five liberos in the nation.

Grosso, a native of Deer Park, N.Y., took her first step on the career path of coaching when she began playing volleyball in the seventh grade. Her parents, Pat and Mario, have all-along reinforced and embraced her career ambition. Her father has enjoyed a coaching career in tennis and her younger sister, Kristin, has had an outstanding athletic career, earning All-America tennis honors at the State University of New York at Cortland.

When preparing to become a collegiate coach, the hours on the court are a given. Grosso’s academic pursuits have also prepared her. She earned a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology with a minor in psychology at The College of William and Mary, collecting CAA scholar-athlete laurels throughout her career. She merited a master’s degree in kinesiology with a sports management concentration at Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas.

While at Texas A&M, Grosso served as a volunteer assistant for coaches Laurie and John Corbelli. The Aggies received their 10th consecutive NCAA Tournament berth and advanced to the second round before falling to top-seeded Southern California. Grosso also taught physical education activity courses in volleyball, tennis, and strength training while in the Lone Star state.

Prior to moving to Texas, Grosso returned to her home state and coached the junior varsity volleyball squad at Ward Melville High School in Setauket. She also has counseled at several volleyball camps in New York, Texas, Maryland and Virginia.

Debbie Hill coached Grosso during her playing days with the Tribe of William and Mary. Grosso was a team captain during her junior and senior seasons. In addition to her CAA scholar-athlete awards, Grosso received The College of William and Mary President’s Award in 2000 and 2001.

Grosso was a two-time all-state selection at Deer Park High School in both volleyball and tennis. She also played for the Long Island Power club volleyball team, which helped produce such JMU standouts as 2002 All-CAA middle Kate Fuchs and former All-CAA players Christina Gianino and Taryn Kirk.