Hazel Varner
Hazel Varner, NIRSA Honor Award Winner in 2001, was recently voted into the Department of Athletics and Recreation’s Hall of Fame for former coaches and athletes at the University of Rochester.

Varner began a women’s program in intramural sports when she arrived at Rochester in 1970, and led the planning, organization and supervision of that program for 10 years. She took over as head coach of a very young women’s intercollegiate volleyball program in 1975 and quickly achieved success by recruiting players and challenging her teams with competitive camps and a schedule that included many Division I teams. The result of the team’s hard work was evident in its second-place finish at the Binghamton Invitational in 1978.

Hazel’s most successful year came in 1979 when the team won the Binghamton Invitational, then captured the New York State AIAW Championship after being seeded 9th of 16th New York teams.
The 1979 team was then invited to Regional AIAW Championship as the tenth seed and finished 9th in the East. At the time, Rochester President Robert Sproull declared the 1979 team the best team of the 1970’s at Rochester.

Varner’s career record for those five years was 65-32 (regular season), including the 1979 record of 19-3 against Division III teams.

After 12 years at Rochester, Varner worked at Keene State College in New Hampshire as Director of Recreational Sports for 14 years until she retired.

Sports Imports, Inc., seller of more volleyball net systems than anyone in the world, has named Brad Underwood as the new president of the company.
“I am excited about this role in the company and to continue serving the volleyball community. We have a great tradition and I am honored to be named president,” says Underwood.

“It has been an emotional time for all those close to Sports Imports, but we are proud to carry on Dave’s vision and commitment,” he added, (referring to the unexpected death of former president and CEO, David Dunlap in December 2003).