STANFORD, Calif. -- Three-time Olympian Louise Bawden will join the Stanford beach volleyball coaching staff as an assistant coach, announced by head coach Andrew Fuller on Thursday.
"I am excited to have the opportunity to join the Stanford Community," said Bawden. "I have a lot of respect for the institution and what it represents in terms of both academics and athletics. I'm looking forward to working with these amazing student-athletes and helping develop their skills."
"Having known Lou from my time on the World Tour, I had a tremendous amount of respect for how she saw the game and her emphasis on development," added Fuller. "Within the first 10 minutes of our conversation about Stanford, it was clear she had a strong understanding of skill development and a passion for mentoring young women. Lou's playing experience is world class, but her ability to be a role model for our student-athletes is huge for our program."
Bawden, an Olympian in both indoor and beach volleyball for her native country of Australia, retired from professional competition in February.
Her playing career spanned over 20 years, in which she competed in 91 World tour events and 397 World Tour matches as part of her decade-plus career in beach volleyball. Bawden finished fifth in the 2016 Rio Olympics with her partner Taliqua Clancy, falling to eventual bronze medalist and former Cardinal Kerri Walsh Jennings and her partner April Ross.
Bawden's professional beach career is a decorated one, as the 2009 FIVB Rookie of the Year was also named the Australian Beach Volleyball Player of the Year six times.
"I have a long history with Andrew and I have a lot of respect for his coaching style and skill set," added Bawden. "I'm honored to work alongside him, and am looking forward to continue building the program here on The Farm."
"We're thankful to have Lou join our Stanford family, and we're excited for what she brings to our mission of helping our student-athletes develop and compete at the highest level," concluded Fuller.