Sydney Barrett knows Hillsdale College and the Chargers volleyball program well.

A former All-American libero for the Chargers and a past assistant coach with the Hillsdale College volleyball team, Barrett is well-versed in the culture and winning tradition of the Chargers program.

That history at Hillsdale made Barrett a perfect fit to return home to the Chargers this spring, as the volleyball team's newest assistant coach under legendary head coach Chris Gravel.

"Being a student-athlete at Hillsdale College was one of the most impactful experiences of my life," Barrett said. "The values that define Hillsdale and its volleyball program continue to guide my life and leadership, making this opportunity to return truly meaningful."

Barrett will join the staff of Gravel, who she played under for four seasons from 2007-2010 and also served as an assistant coach under for four campaigns immediately following her graduation in 2011. She'll be an assistant coach alongside another former Charger great, Megan Molenkamp, who returns for her third season on the staff this fall, along with veteran assistants Rick Langston and Stephanie Gravel.

"Sydney is someone I have great respect for," Gravel said. "Both her coaching experience and her significant experience with, and ties to, our program make her a perfect fit to come in and have an immediate positive impact on our our team.

"I'm excited to have her back with the program on a year-round basis and really looking forward to working with her in this coming season."

As a player for Hillsdale, Barrett, nee Dow, helped lead the Chargers to back-to-back GLIAC titles and NCAA Tournament appearances in 2009 and 2010. As a senior in 2010, Barrett was named an AVCA All-American for her play, at the time just the fifth player to be named NCAA DII All-American in Hillsdale College history. She also was a three-time All-GLIAC player, earning first team honors in 2010, as well as a two-time AVCA All-Midwest Region honoree and a two-time GLIAC Libero of the Year. To this day, she still ranks fourth all-time in Hillsdale history with 1,802 career digs, and has three of the top ten seasons in total digs in program history as well.

Barrett began her coaching career even before graduating from Hillsdale, serving as a travel club coach of the Hillsdale Vollerz team during the college volleyball offseason from 2009-2012. She also served as a student coach with the Chargers for the 2011 season, playing a role in the team's first-ever NCAA DII Final Four appearance, and followed that by serving as an assistant coach for the Chargers for three seasons from 2013 to 2015.

From graduation onward, Barett has worked as a teacher, first at Mary Randall Preschool on the Hillsdale College campus, then at Williams Elementary in nearby Jonesville, and most recently as an ECSE teacher for the Hillsdale County Intermediate School District. Barrett also has had two successful stints as the head volleyball coach at her alma mater, Jonesville, from 2015-19 and from 2024-25, and has stayed closely connected to the Hillsdale College volleyball program during that time, assisting the program in running its summer camp circuit as a volunteer coach for the past decade.

"I love working with students and investing in their growth, both on and off the court," Barrett said. "It's a tremendous honor to return to the Charger family and once again be part of a school and program that have shaped my life in such meaningful ways.

"I am looking forward to pouring back into a program that has given me so much." 

Barrett graduated with honors from Hillsdale College with a Bachelor's of Science in December 2011, and a degree in Elementary Education. She resides in Jonesville with her husband, Brian, and their children.