University of Dayton Athletics

Tim Horsmon returned as the head coach of the Flyer volleyball program on Dec. 18, 2013 and completed his 16th overall season at UD in 2024.

"Dayton is a very special place. From a volleyball perspective, it was a great situation when I was here before. I am returning to a family. There were so many great people that helped build our Dayton volleyball tradition. I will be coming back to something I cherish very much. The university and Dayton community will be a great place for our family." - Tim Horsmon

Horsmon has 406 wins over 16 seasons at Dayton and is the program's winningest coach. That includes the Flyers' first run to the NCAA Regional in 2024 after a 31-3 overall mark, an 18-0 Atlantic 10 record, and spending every week ranked in the AVCA Top 25 coaches' poll. The 18-0 conference record is the program's third undefeated conference season in the last four years. An eight-time A-10 Coach of the Year, including in 2024, Horsmon has led the program to 11 A-10 regular season titles and 11 A-10 Championship titles.

2024's historic season saw Lexie Almodovar earn AVCA third team All-American as well as Atlantic 10 Player of the Year. She is the seventh player in program history to be named All-American multiple times, and is the first third team All-American since 2020. Almodovar finished her career as the all-time leader for career kills with 2,033, and set the Flyer record for kills in an NCAA Tournament match when she had 34 in a five-set thriller at No. 16 Baylor. UD had two All-Midwest region first team members in addition to Almodovar, as Alyssa Miller and Liana Sarkissian received nods. 

The 2021 season saw a return to the NCAA Second Round for the Flyers, Jamie Peterson's third-consecutive AVCA All-America, AVCA Midwest Region Player of the Year and A-10 Player of the Year honors, Horsmon's second-consecutive and sixth overall A-10 Coach of the Year award as well as Livie Sandt's Setter of the Year accolade and Maura Collins' co-Libero of the Year award. With his 14th win of the season, Horsmon surpassed the program's former all-time winningest coach, R. Elaine Dreidame (310) and his 323 Dayton career wins ranks first in program history.

The COVID-19-shortened 2020 season was competed during the spring of 2021 and the Flyers tallied a 14-2 overall mark on their way to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Following Dayton's hard-fought 3-2 loss to sixth-seeded Washington, Jamie Peterson was named an AVCA Third Team All-American, only the third such accolade for a Flyer in program history. Peterson, setter Bridget Doherty and Horsmon each claimed year-end A-10 accolades while Peterson and Horsmon also earned AVCA Regional of-the-Year honors.

After a down-to-the-wire, 3-2 win over VCU on its home court in the 2019 A-10 Championship, the Flyers made the program's 13th overall appearance in the NCAA Tournament, squaring off against Louisville in first-round action. Senior Lauren Bruns was named A-10 Player of the Year, to the AVCA All-America Honorable Mention Team and to the Senior CLASS Award All-America Second Team for her work both on the court and in the classroom and community. Senior Margo Wolf was named A-10 Libero of the Year for the second time in her career while freshman Alli Papesh earned A-10 Rookie of the Year accolades while sophomore Brooke Westbeld joined Bruns on the AVCA All-America Honorable Mention roster.

Following the 2017 season, senior Amber Erhahon was named the Atlantic 10 Player of the Year and went on to garner AVCA All-America Honorable Mention accolades. Horsmon also celebrated senior Jane Emmenecker's fourth A-10 Setter of the Year award as she became the first person to accomplish that feat in conference history.

Horsmon led the 2016 squad to its second 30-win season in three years, the program's second-consecutive 14-0 Atlantic 10 season and the A-10 Regular Season and Tournament titles. UD made the program's 12th appearance in the 2016 NCAA Tournament and the team headed into national post-season play ranked 23rd in the AVCA Top 25 poll. The team's final RPI came in at 33. For the third-consecutive season, Horsmon was tabbed Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year and junior Jane Emmenecker claimed her third-consecutive Setter of the Year award in 2016. Sophomore Margo Wolf picked up Libero of the Year accolades and a total of seven players were honored on A-10 All Conference Teams.

In 2015, Horsmon put together a 25-match winning streak after opening the season 0-4 in 2015. The Flyers repeated as both the A-10 Regular Season and Tournament Champions in 2015 and Flyers earned four of the five major conference awards in senior Alaina Turner as Player of the Year, senior Janna Krafka as Libero of the Year, sophomore Jane Emmenecker as Setter of the Year and with Horsmon picking up his third-career Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year award. Dayton once again returned to the NCAA Tournament, and after dispatching Villanova in the First Round, UD squared off against Penn Statein round two.

Horsmon wasted no time righting the Dayton Flyers’ volleyball ship after returning to the program prior to the 2014 season. UD went 30-6 in 2014, making the program’s 10th NCAA Tournament appearance and advancing to the Second Round for the sixth time. UD also claimed both the Atlantic 10 Regular Season and Championship titles for the fifth time in the last six years. Post-season accolades were aplenty for UD in 2014, beginning with the Flyers earning four of the five major conference awards in Turner as Player of the Year, Krafka as Libero of the Year, Emmenecker as Setter of the Year and with Horsmon picking up his second career Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year award. Turner, along with senior Isolde Hannan, went on to earn AVCA All-American Honorable Mention as well.

In 2013, Horsmon’s Maryland squad placed two players on ACC All-Conference rosters and in 2012, he mentored his sixth AVCA All-American Honorable Mention selection. Seven of his players were named to the ACC All-Academic Team during his time at Maryland.

From 2003 through 2007, Horsmon led the University of Dayton to unprecedented success. In five seasons, his teams won four Atlantic 10 Conference Tournament Championships (2003, 2004, 2005, 2007) and earned four NCAA Tournament berths (2003, 2004, 2005, 2007) -- the first conference tournament championships and NCAA berths in program history.

During his first tenure at Dayton, Horsmon coached four consecutive A-10 Players of the Year (2003, 2004, 2005, 2006), back-to-back Atlantic 10 Setters of the Year (2005, 2006), two A-10 Rookies of the Year (2003, 2007), four A-10 Most Outstanding Players of the Conference Tournament (2003, 2004, 2005, 2007) and eight AVCA Honorable Mention All-Americans. His 2007 team finished with a 33-2 overall record, a second-round NCAA Tournament appearance and a ranking in the CSTV/AVCA Top 25 Coaches Poll, reaching as high as 12th during the season. Horsmon was named the 2007 American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Northeast Region Coach of the Year and the 2005 Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year.

From 1999 through 2002, Horsmon served as head coach of Robert Morris University in Pittsburgh. Almost immediately, he turned around a program coming off five consecutive losing campaigns. In four seasons, Horsmon guided the Colonials to three Northeast Conference regular-season championships (1999, 2001, 2002), four Northeast Conference Tournament championships (1999, 2000, 2001, 2002) and four straight NCAA Tournament appearances. His record in conference play was a dominant 42-2. Horsmon earned Northeast Conference Coach of the Year honors in 1999 and 2002.

In addition to his collegiate experience, Horsmon served as head coach of the adidas Penn Juniors 18-year-old Elite team and the Southern Maryland Juniors - both of which are club Junior Olympic teams. The adidas Penn Juniors were regionally ranked on the east coast and the Southern Maryland Juniors were ranked No. 1 in the Chesapeake Region in 1999.

Horsmon, a Maryland native, began his coaching career in 1996 as head coach at Calvert High School in Prince Frederick, Md. In three seasons, he amassed a 60-5 record and won the Class 3A Maryland State Championship and a regional title in 1998. That year, Horsmon was named Washington Post Coach of the Year.

Horsmon holds a bachelor of science degree from Frostburg State University (1991) and a teaching certificate from Salisbury State University (1993). He is a member of the American Volleyball Coaches Association and serves as a voter for the AVCA Top 25 poll.

Horsmon and his wife, Krista, reside in Beavercreek along with their children Parker and Mason Mikesch and Tanner and Laini Horsmon. Krista Horsmon, current mental training coach for several Dayton teams and Players Box Director at Southbrook Church, was an All-America setter at Michigan Tech where she was later head coach and she also served as an assistant coach at Maryland. Parker graduated from Ohio State in 2022 where he played all four years on the Buckeyes' men's volleyball team and is an assistant coach for the University of Louisville women's program. Mason graduated from the University of Dayton with a degree in business/finance in 2025.

 

Head Coaching Career
Robert Morris (1999-02)	97-50
Dayton (2003-07)	128-43
Maryland (2008-13)	79-114
Dayton (2014-pres.)	278-67
TOTALS (26 seasons)	582-274