Julie Darty, a former standout at Mercer and assistant coach at Villanova, has accepted the open assistant coaching spot at South Carolina, Gamecock head volleyball coach Scott Swanson announced today.

Former Auburn volleyball coach Kris Grunwald, who helped lead the Tigers to an SEC Western Division title in 1996, returns to the Auburn sideline as he has been named the Tigers’ assistant coach, head coach Rick Nold announced Friday.

Two Florida volleyball players will be among the record 208 athletes set to participate in open tryouts for the U.S. Women’s National Team and the U.S. Women’s National A2 Program. The tryouts take place Feb. 10-12, 2012, at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo.

LSU outside hitter Helen Boyle, middle blocker Desiree Elliott and libero Meghan Mannari have been invited to attend open tryouts this weekend for the United States Women’s National A2 Program held at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs.

Florida seniors Kelly Murphy (Wilmington, Ill.) and Kristy Jaeckel (Littleton, Colo.) added more accolades to their Gator legacies as they were both honored as 2011 NCAA Division I Women’s All-Americans in the February issue of Volleyball Magazine. Murphy and Jaeckel, now playing professionally together for the Guaynabo Mets out of Puerto Rico, were named first team and third team, respectively.