Shannon Wells finished her seventh season with the Gators staff as UF’s recruiting coordinator, and closed out her fourth year as associate head coach in 2020.
In her seven seasons, working primarily with Florida’s setters, Wells tutored Marlie Monserez, Allie Monserez and Mackenzie Dagostino to a combined three All-SEC honors and four AVCA All-America nods.
During the unprecedented COVID year where volleyball was the first high-risk indoor sport to start its fall season, the Gators finished the 2020-21 campaign with a stellar 21-4 record – the 30th consecutive season the team has won at least 21 matches. The SEC settled on a conference-only regular season, split into both a fall and spring. The format consisted of back-to-back matches against the same opponent and Florida finished the regular season 19-3 in the league, good for second overall. Wells led setter Marlie Monserez to three SEC Setter of the Week awards and one SEC Overall Player of the Week award during her junior campaign. Monserez averaged 10.31 assists per set, putting her third in the league. She dished out a total of 866 assists during the course of the season, putting her 11th in program history after her third year. Under the direction of Wells, the Gators ranked first in the conference and 13th in the nation in hitting percentage (.278). In total, five Gators – T’ara Ceasar (2nd), Lauren Forte (3rd), Holly Carlton (HM), Thayer Hall (HM) and Marlie Monserez (HM) – earned AVCA All-America honors, while Carlton, Ceasar, Forte and Hall were all named to the All-SEC Team. McKissock rounded out the conference awards, finding a spot on the All-Freshman Team.
During the 2019 season, Florida advanced to the program’s 26th Regional Semifinal, going 27-5 overall. With a league record of 16-2, Florida clinched its 24th SEC Championship – the third-best total in the entire conference among all sports since volleyball’s inception into the SEC in 1979. Wells led setter Marlie Monserez to three SEC Setter of the Week awards during her sophomore campaign. Monserez averaged 10.29 assists per set, putting her fourth in the league. She dished out a total of 1,077 assists during the season, putting her 13th in program history after just two seasons. Under the direction of Wells, the Gators ranked first in the conference and eighth in the nation in hitting percentage (.287). In total, two Gators – Thayer Hall and Rachael Kramer – earned AVCA All-America honors, while Hall, Kramer and Paige Hammons were named to the All-SEC Team.
In 2018, the Gators advanced to the program’s 25th Regional Semifinal, going 26-7 overall. UF finished its Southeastern Conference schedule with a 15-3 record. Wells led the setting duo of Allie and Marlie Monserez – the first sisters to play for the Gators during the same season. Allie finished her senior season averaging 6.39 assists per set, while Marlie dished out 3.87 assists per set. Three Gators earned AVCA All-America honors – Rachael Kramer, Holly Carlton and Thayer Hall – and four Gators were named All-SEC – Kramer, Hall, Paige Hammons and Taelor Kellum.
Wells helped lead Florida on its spectacular run to its first national final since the 2003 season. The Gators also claimed their 23rd SEC Championship, the third-most SEC titles regardless of sport or gender since 1979. She tutored both Allie Monserez and Cheyenne Husky during the 2018 campaign and Florida sat third in the SEC in assists per set (12.95). In the 6-2 rotation, Monserez dished out 848 assists, putting her at 2,096 in her Gator career.
Moreover, Monserez recorded 50-plus assists in eight matches, including a 52-assist outing in a three-set sweep of Arkansas (Nov. 26). She was named the AVCA National Player of the Week and espnW Player of the Week following a 57-assist outing at Texas A&M.
Reserve setter Cheyenne Huskey earned a spot at the USA Volleyball Women’s National Team Tryout in March 2017.
In 2015, Dagostino ranked 18th in the nation in assists per set (11.38) and 31st in the country in total assists (1,286). Under Wells’ tutelage, Dagostino ended her career ranked No. 4 all-time at UF in career assists (2,727) as the Gators posted the best hitting efficiency in the nation (.313).
In Wells’ first season in 2014, the Gators went undefeated in the SEC for the 13th time in school history to win the program’s 21st SEC Championship. Dagostino finished the 2014 season 13th in the NCAA with 11.50 assists/s and 23rd in the nation 0.41 aces/s. Dagostino was additionally the starter for the USA Collegiate National Team on the China Tour.
Wells arrived in Gainesville in the spring of 2014 after serving as the associate head coach and recruiting coordinator for Ole Miss 2013, and prior to her promotion to associate head coach as a three-year assistant coach at Ole Miss.
Before her time on the Rebels’ coaching staff, Wells spent three seasons as an assistant coach with the Winthrop Eagles of the Big South Conference under former Florida assistant and Georgia State head coach Sally Polhamus. Before heading to Winthrop in 2007, Wells began her coaching career at her alma mater, the University of Southern Indiana, as an assistant coach before operating as a graduate assistant for two years at Morehead State in 2005 and 2006.
An alumna of USI, Wells played four seasons and helped lead her team to 87 wins over that time span - including a school record 27 wins in the 2000 campaign. She ranks first all-time at USI in service aces and kills for her career. A two-time selection as the Great Lakes Valley Conference Scholar Athlete of the Year, Wells was also named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District team in 2002 and was a three time GLVC All-Academic team selection.
For her accomplishments in college, Wells was just the second volleyball player to be inducted into the USI Hall of Fame in February 2013.
She was most recently inducted into the 2015 Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) Hall of Fame.
COACHING LEADERSHIP
- Graduate of the NCAA Women Coaches Academy and member of The Alliance
- Chair of the AVCA Assistant Coaches Committee with a seat on the AVCA Board of Directors
- True North Sports Assistant Coaches Immersion Program participant
At Ole Miss
During her time at Ole Miss, Wells played a significant role in the development of a number of different Rebel volleyball student-athletes who have successfully re-written the Ole Miss record books. Wells mentored 2013 senior outside hitter Kara Morgan – who finished in the top six in school history in career kills, aces, and digs – during her four-year college career.
As the Ole Miss offensive coordinator in 2012, Wells tutored setter Amanda Philpot to a single-season school record assists, and as the defensive coordinator for the Rebels in 2010 & 2011, Wells helped guide libero Morgan Springer to the first and third-place spots in the record book for single-season digs en route to being Ole Miss’ all-time dig leader. Springer additionally holds the top spot for career service aces in school history.
As the Ole Miss recruiting coordinator, Wells reeled in five Rebel student-athletes in Morgan, Aubrey Edie, Ty Laporte, Nakeyta Clair and Kristen Brashear who have worked their way on to Ole Miss’ top-10 lists in kills, digs, assists & blocks under Wells’ tutelage, four of those athletes still underclassmen.
Wells helped lead the Rebels to the 2010 NCAA Tournament, coached two SEC All-Freshman Team members, a USA A2 squad member and two-time All-American Regina Thomas during her time in Oxford.
At Winthrop
In her three seasons at Winthrop, Wells helped lead the Eagles to a conference championship and a 20-win season. She helped guide Winthrop to the Big South Championship in 2007 when the Eagles captured a share of the regular season title with an 11-1 mark in conference play. She also worked with Big South Player of the Year Shannon Sitzmann as the Eagles finished 20-11 on the season.
In 2009, the Eagles finished 19-11 overall and 11-5 in Big South play while producing yet another Big South Player of the Year selection in Kelley Taylor.
At Morehead State
Prior to joining the Winthrop staff, Wells spent two seasons (2005, 2006) as a graduate assistant at Morehead State for the 2005 and 2006 seasons. In her time at Morehead State, Wells helped the program improve from a 6-26 mark in 2005 to a 21-13 record in 2006.
At Southern Indiana
Before moving to Morehead State, Wells served as an assistant coach at the University of Southern Indiana for one season (2004) under then USI head coach Molly Alvey. During her season at USI, Wells helped coach the squad to a 15-1 record in 2004 and the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) regular season title. The squad also claimed the Tournament title and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Division II Tournament.
She also helped develop two All-Region selections and the program's second All-America selection in Laura Ellerbusch.
