Emily Garrett Named to AVCA’s 2025 Thirty Under 30
4/22/2025 1:00:00 PM | Volleyball
LEXINGTON, Ky. – University of Missouri's director of volleyball operations Emily (Siefken) Garrett was named a recipient of the American Volleyball Coaches Association's (AVCA) 2025 Thirty Under 30 Award.
The Thirty Under 30 program recognizes up-and-coming coaches in different sectors of the sport who serve in a range of roles, from head coach to volunteer assistant to club director. Each of this year's recipients had to be age 30 or under as of Dec. 31, 2024, to qualify for the award.
Garrett enters her third season with Mizzou volleyball and oversees all aspects of travel, budget, and summer camps, while also managing all statistical analysis and video.
Prior to Missouri, she was also the director of operations for volleyball at Texas Tech and Illinois State.
Garrett also served as a graduate assistant director of operations for the men's golf team at Illinois State.
A native of Burlington, Iowa, she earned a bachelor's degree from Monmouth College (Illinois) in exercise science with a minor in business in 2016 while competing on the Fighting Scots basketball and softball teams.
Garrett graduated from Illinois State in 2018 with a master's degree in sport management.
As a student-athlete at Monmouth, she earned Academic All-Midwest Conference honors in both sports, NFCA All-American Scholar-Athlete honors as a member of the softball team and was named to the dean's list all four years. She also served as an assistant to the volleyball coach at Monmouth, helping with team operations during the offseason.
ABOUT EMILY GARRETT
Career Accomplishments to Date:
• 6 NCAA Tournament appearances (2018, 2019, 2021[covid year], 2021, 2023, 2024) (4 First Round, 1 Round of 32, 1 Sweet 16)
• 1 NIVC Tournament Appearance (2017)
• 4 All-Region Honorable Mention
• 11 All-Region Players
• 1 Region Player of the Year
• 5 All-American Honorable Mention
• 1 All-American 3rd Team
• 6 AVCA Team Academic Awards
• 10 Student-Athletes moved on to play Professional Volleyball
Volleyball Roles:
• University of Missouri - Director of Volleyball Operations: 2023-Present
• Texas Tech University - Director of Volleyball Operations: 2022-2023
• Illinois State University - Director of Volleyball Operations: 2017-2022
What made you decide to get into volleyball?
I have always loved being around sports and loved being organized. I "fell into" volleyball during my undergrad years. I was working in the Monmouth College Athletic Department, when Coach Kari Shimmin asked if I knew how to cut film and create a highlight film for the end of the year banquet. I told her "I'd figure it out" and worked in the Volleyball Office for 4 years. Illinois State then needed a Director of Ops and Leah Johnson took a chance on someone with very little Volleyball knowledge. From there it's history and here we are on year 8.
What are your career goals in the sport?
I would like to eventually get into administration, as a Senior Woman Administrator, Internal Operations or Compliance.
Which coaches have influenced you the most?
• In High School, I was influenced and became a better player by Ashley Danekas Kuddes and Amber Springsteen.
• In College, Kari Shimmin, Jennifer Braun and Tracie Henry were influential and supportive of pursuing the Operations Field.
• Leah Johnson and Leanna Bordner took a chance on a 22-year-old, and I am forever indebted to them for giving me a start in my career.
• Dawn Sullivan for allowing me to jump on board at Mizzou and be a part of an amazing program turnaround.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
I truly enjoy the interaction I have with everyone that touches our program. Everyone from our airline pilots, hotel contacts, bus drivers, restaurants, facilities, and everyone who has a hand in making our student-athletes successful on and off the court. I love being "behind-the-scenes", problem solving and handling things our student-athletes would have no idea about, and it all coming together so smoothly (and on time).
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