Benedict College Women's Volleyball

Gwendolyn Rouse, a 1982 graduate of Benedict College, has been coaching the Benedict volleyball team since 1987. During her long and successful career, Rouse has been named Coach of the Year four times and has coached many players who have gone on to earn Player of the Year, All-Conference and All-District honors. Rouse was also a long-time successful softball coach for Benedict, coaching the Lady Tigers for 26 years. She guided Benedict to the 2004 SIAC Championship and captured two regular-season championships. She was named Softball Coach of the Year four times. During her coaching career, she also spent one year as coach of the Benedict womens basketball team. Since 2004, when Benedict joined NCAA as a Division II member, the Lady Tigers volleyball team has a 222-158-1 overall record for a 58.4 winning percentage. Prior to joining the NCAA, Benedict competed at the NAIA level in the EIAC and was one of the top volleyball programs in the conference under Rouse. In 12 years coaching the Lady Tigers softball team at the NCAA Division II level, she had a 241-235 record, a 50.6 winning percentage. The Lady Tigers went 18-15 in 2016 and finished third in the SIAC Tournament. V'Aira Harris was named SIAC Newcomer of the Year. Benedict also had a third-place finish in 2014. Benedict had the SIAC Player of the Year in 2012 in LaTayvia Mack. Mack was named the SIAC Offensive Player of the Year in 2011. Rouse coached the 2010 SIAC Offensive Player of the Year and Most Valuable Player in Melinda Bastian. In 2012, Benedict was the national volleyball statistical leader in aces per match. While in the EIAC the volleyball team won 11 consecutive regular season championships and 10 conference tournament championships. The softball team won six regular season championships and four conference tournament championships. Rouse prides herself on her high graduation rate among her former volleyball and softball players. Benedict was named the team academic champion by the SIAC in softball in 2012 and 2013, and in volleyball in 2013. A native of Miami, Fla., Rouse attended Miami Northwestern High School, where she was a standout athlete, competing in basketball, volleyball, softball and track. She also was a top student, graduating in the top 10 of her senior class. She accepted an athletic scholarship to Allen University. As a freshman softball player, she broke the Allen school record for home runs and was named Rookie of the Year in softball and basketball. She transferred after her freshman year to Benedict College and competed in basketball, volleyball, softball and track for the next three years. She received a B.S. in physical education from Benedict in 1982. She would later receive a Masters Degree in counseling from Webster University in 2008. She is married to Stanley Rouse and they have two children, Britney and Bianca. Britney played for Rouse at Benedict, while Bianca earned a volleyball scholarship to UNC Charlotte and volunteers as an assistant coach for her mother helping the Lady Tigers. She has two granddaughters, Nola and Nala, and a grandson Paris who are her pride and joy.

Coach Bianca Rouse, was born and raised in Columbia, SC and began coaching as the Assistant Volleyball Coach at Benedict College in 2013, alongside her mother who is the Head Volleyball Coach at Benedict College. Currently Coach Bianca and Coach Gwen Rouse coach The Womens and Mens Volleyball Teams at Benedict. Prior to her college volleyball career and coaching, when she was a senior in high school, she was named The 2A State Player of the Year in the State of South Carolina. She was also selected to play in the North/South All Star game, and earned numerous other athletic honors. She played college volleyball at The University of North Carolina at Charlotte during the 2009-2012 seasons. Rouse graduated with a Bachelors degree in Sociology with a minor in Womens and Gender Studies. During her athletic career at UNC Charlotte, she received a number of honors including MVP Tournament Honors, All Tournament Honors, she was the 17th player in schools history to reach 1000 kills, and she was also named to the NCCSIA 2011 All State 2nd Team. Over the years, Rouse has coached and trained many athletes, now including her 6 year old daughter. With her experience on and off the volleyball court, she is looking forward to sharing, teaching and giving back to young volleyball athletes who are ready to take their volleyball skills to another level and to simply be the best!