NEW ORLEANS - Al'lisa Hale is the new women's volleyball coach at Xavier University of Louisiana, Athletics Director Dennis Cousin announced Wednesday.
     Hale, 28 and a native of Mobile, Ala., comes to Xavier from NCAA Division I member Alabama State, where she was assistant volleyball coach the past three seasons and the athletics department's CHAMPS/Life Skills Program coordinator.

AL'LISA HALE Xavier University's new women's volleyball coach

"Al'lisa has a tremendous amount of volleyball knowledge, both as a player and as a recruiting coach," Cousin said. "We think she'll do an excellent job at building this program from the ground up."      Xavier started a women's volleyball program in 2003 but suspended it after two seasons in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The Gold Nuggets, a member of the NAIA and Gulf Coast Athletic Conference, will resume competition in late August or early September.      "I like that it's a new program again. I can build it exactly the way I like," Hale said. "That's what makes it better. This is a great opportunity."      Hale is familiar with New Orleans after playing two seasons (2000 and 2001) at the University of New Orleans. She then transferred to Alabama A&M and helped the Bulldogs win Southwestern Athletic Conference championships in 2002 and 2003. She was first-team All-SWAC as a senior and made the second team as a junior.