Amy Eckenfels joined the Campbellsville University volleyball coaching staff as an assistant coach in 2008 and became the program's first full-time head coach solely focused on volleyball in January 2010.
She took over the program after helping to lead Campbellsville to the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) Division I National Championship in 2009 - the first-ever team national championship for the school. In her first season as head coach, Eckenfels returned the Lady Tigers to the NCCAA national championship game and posted a 34-12 record, becoming the first CU volleyball coach to win 30 matches in the first season. Following the 2010 season, she was named the Mid-South Conference Coach of the Year.
In 2011, she coached Shannon Cahill to the Mid-South Conference Player of the Year award, the fifth time a Lady Tiger received the honor in a seven-year stretch. Eckenfels was the first Lady Tiger to receive the honor as MSC Co-Player of the Year in 2005.
A YEAR BY YEAR LOOK AT ECKENFELS' COACHING TENURE
2010: 34-12 (.739)
2011: 23-15 (.605)
PLAYING CAREER AWARDS
MSC All-Conference First Team - 2004, 2005, 2006
MSC All-Conference Second Team - 2003
MSC Co-Player of the Year - 2005
NAIA Region XI All-Region Team - 2004, 2005, 2006
NAIA Region XI Libero of the Year - 2005, 2006
NAIA Libero of the Year - 2005
NAIA All-America Third Team - 2005 (first libero in NAIA history to be named All-American)
NAIA All-America Honorable Mention - 2006
RECORDS SET DURING PLAYING CAREER
NAIA & CU Career Most Matches with Double Figure Digs (152) - NAIA record tied in 2008
NAIA & CU Career Most Matches with 20+ Digs (88)
Single-Season Most Digs (1,229 in 2005) - Record Broken in 2007
Single-Season Most Digs per Game (9.04 in 2005) - Record Broken in 2007
Ranked four times among leaders for most single match digs
HIGHEST NAIA SINGLE-SEASON STATISTICAL RANK
#2 ranked for most digs in single season
#2 ranked for most digs per game in a single season
#1 ranked for most 20+ digs per game in a single season
Experience: 16 Years
Alma Mater: Campbellsville University ('95)
Billy Gregory returned to Campbellsville University as a volunteer assistant volleyball coach in 2010. This is his second season coaching with Amy Eckenfels, whom he recruited and coached during his tenure as CU head coach in 2002-04. He was also head coach during the 1993 and 1994 seasons.
Gregory has 20 years of playing experience and 15 years of collegiate and high school coaching experience. He is a former Mid-South Conference Coach of the Year at Campbellsville University. During his tenure with CU, he coached multiple All-Americans, the NAIA National Libero of the Year (Eckenfels), the NCCAA Player of the Year as well as a former Olympian, the late Doris Wefwafwa.
He is a Senior Trooper with the Kentucky State Police and currently serves as Public Affairs Officer. He has been with the State Police since 1996 and was a detective from 2001-04.
Gregory is also associate minister for worship at Campbellsville Christian Church, where he has served since 2004.
He and his wife Cindy reside in Campbellsville with their two children, Hailey and Justice.
Tara (Whittington) Lawson returns to the Campbellsville University volleyball program as a volunteer assistant coach after a three season absence.
Lawson served as a member of the Lady Tiger program as a player or coach from 2003-2007, taking part in both of Campbellsville's Mid-South Conference volleyball championships.
From 2003-06, She played alongside CU head coach Amy Eckenfels. Through her 524 career games, she became a member of the Lady Tigers' 1,000 Kills Club with 1,268 kills. At the time, it was the fourth-most kills by a CU player. She set the then-record for total career attacks with 3,130 and is currently third on the all-time list, while current CU senior Shannon Cahill leads the list with 3,653. As a junior in 2005, Lawson was named a Second Team All-Mid-South Conference selection after leading the Lady Tigers with 378 kills. She was second in scoring as a senior, helping Campbellsville to its first MSC title in 2006.
Following her playing career, Lawson served as the Lady Tigers' student assistant coach in 2007. During that season, CU set a program record for wins (33), games played (153), kills (2,269) and aces (412). The kills and aces records still belong to the 2007 team. The Lady Tigers' captured their second MSC title in 2007.
Lawson graduated Cum Laude in the fall of 2007 with a Bachelor's of Science in Business Administration with an emphasis in accounting. Prior to moving back to Campbellsville, she worked at Payroll Solutions Inc. in Lexington, Ky. She is currently employed at CU as a data specialist in the office of student records. She is married to Jason Lawson, who is also employed at CU as residence director of South Hall West.
