Melo Adds Brandon Row to CSUB Coaching Staff

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. – Concluding a national search for a new assistant coach, the CSU Bakersfield indoor volleyball team has welcomed Brandon Row to the Roadrunner coaching staff. Row comes to CSUB after spending the last three seasons as a coach of the SEC's Georgia Bulldogs.

"I am extremely excited to welcome Brandon to the Roadrunner Volleyball Family," said Giovana Melo, Bakersfield's eighth-year Head Coach. "He brings a great amount of experience after coaching in a Power 5 conference and working under incredible coaches.

"I want to thank everybody at CSU Bakersfield who took the time to get me here and for making me feel welcome the moment I stepped onto campus," Row said. "I also want to thank all the mentors that have led me to this moment, including Tom Black, Dave Franklin, Katie Wilson, and Shannon Mincey. My goal was to find a program that values hard work, love, and most importantly belief. Once I arrived on campus, I immediately knew that this place was home and it was the right fit."

With experience that spans both NCAA and international volleyball competition, Row will be a big asset to the CSUB volleyball program. In three years as part of Tom Black's coaching staff in Athens, Ga., Row helped the Bulldogs battle through the tough SEC, earning a marquee win against No. 5 Florida in Fall of 2020.

While working with Georgia, Row was also a member of the Canadian National Team coaching staff for over a year. He was responsible for identifying National Team prospects while also working with the squad's setters and liberos during qualifier training.

Melo went on to describe what set Row apart from the other candidates in the national search: "From my first phone call with Brandon, I could tell his work ethic and drive to be great were going to set him apart. During his campus visit, he easily connected with each person he met and he blew us away with his passion and love for the game."

An alumnus of Carson Newman University in Jefferson City, Tenn., Row was a member of the Eagles' staff for five years, including two seasons as a Graduate Assistant Coach. CNU sits less than 30 miles from Row's hometown of Knoxville, Tenn.

Melo, Row, and the rest of the `Runners will continue preparing for the 2022 season ahead. Fresh off a postseason appearance in the NIVC and an 18-11 record, CSUB is already charging into the New Year with momentum and drive to fight for a Big West Conference title this Fall.

~GoRunners.com~

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