Livingstone College Women's Volleyball

Coach Da'Nesha "Coach Dee" Miller enters her first season with the Livingstone College Women's Volleyball program as an Assistant Coach. A former NCAA Division II standout student-athlete and accomplished coach, Miller brings over six years of experience at the collegiate, high school, and club levels. She is dedicated to developing championship-minded student-athletes through skill development, leadership, and a culture of excellence. Prior to joining Livingstone, Miller served as Head Women's Volleyball Coach at Johnson C. Smith University and as an Assistant Coach at Fayetteville State University. In those roles, she contributed to recruiting, practice planning, compliance, player development, and overall program operations. Her coaching experience also includes successful stops at the high school and club levels, highlighted by helping guide Hilton Head Island High School to a South Carolina AAAA State Championship. As a student-athlete at Fayetteville State University, Miller established herself as one of the most accomplished players in program history. She was a two-time CIAA Tournament Most Valuable Player, Fayetteville State University Female Athlete of the Year, NCAA Woman of the Year nominee, team captain, and multiple-time CIAA Champion. Beyond competition, she served in leadership positions on the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee at the institutional, conference, and national levels. Outside of athletics, Miller works as a Revenue Cycle Analyst, applying data-driven decision-making, process improvement, and operational strategy within the healthcare industry. She earned both a Bachelor of Science in Organismal Biology and a Master of Business Administration from Fayetteville State University.

Marla Lindsay enters her second season as Assistant Track and Field/Cross Country Coach at Livingstone College, bringing a distinguished background in coaching, recruitment, and athlete development, along with national-level leadership in track and field organizations. She emphasizes athletic excellence, academic achievement, leadership, and personal growth, with a coaching philosophy centered on developing well-rounded student-athletes through accountability, resilience, and continuous improvement. Prior to Livingstone, Lindsay held multiple leadership roles at Edward Waters University, including Interim Head Coach for Cross Country and Track & Field, Recruiting Coordinator, Student-Athlete Development Coordinator, and SAAC Advisor. She played a key role in the program’s transition from NAIA to NCAA Division II, leading recruiting initiatives, student-athlete support systems, fundraising efforts, and community engagement. During her tenure, athletes earned SIAC Athlete of the Week honors, conference awards, and the program’s first NCAA Division II championship qualifier, along with personal-best performances and some of its strongest conference finishes. Lindsay also served as Assistant Cross Country and Track & Field Coach at Hollins University, where she contributed to recruiting, operations, compliance, budgeting, and athlete development. Her efforts helped produce top-15 conference finishes, USTFCCCA All-Region honors, and regional rankings. Earlier in her career, she spent four years at Guilford College as Interim Women’s Head Coach and Assistant Coach, overseeing recruiting, travel, training programs, and overall team operations for both men’s and women’s programs. Beyond collegiate athletics, Lindsay has advanced the sport throughout the Southeast as a Competition Manager, Track Development Liaison, and Clinic Coach. In collaboration with North Carolina USATF leadership, she has helped organize sanctioned competitions, coaching education programs, athlete development initiatives, and youth outreach efforts. Nationally, Lindsay serves as 2nd Vice President of the United States Women’s Track & Field Coaches Association (USWTCA), is an Executive Board Member of the USATF Women’s Commission, serves on the USATF Executive Committee, and is a mentor within the USTFCCCA Female Coaches Mentorship Program. She has participated in multiple USATF coaching education and national championship mentorship programs, including experiences at the U.S. Olympic Trials (Para) and USA Track & Field National Championships. Her leadership also includes service on national boards supporting athlete and coach development at the highest levels of the sport. A graduate of Western Carolina University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design, Lindsay was a three-time Southern Conference Champion and All-Southern Conference performer in track and field. She applies her design background to recruiting, branding, social media, and student-athlete engagement initiatives. Lindsay is also the former Owner and Head Coach of the Greensboro Gladiators Track Club and Founder of Quantum Velocity LLC. She remains committed to mentoring coaches, expanding opportunities for student-athletes, and strengthening the sport through leadership, education, and service. She resides in Greensboro, North Carolina with her husband, Lonnie Lindsay, and their children.

Jayson N. Gardner is entering his fourth year with Livingstone College as the Assistant Track & Field Distance coach. Truth Mattison became his first All CIAA Conference athlete in the 5000 meters. As a head coach with West Mecklenburg high from 1998-2005, he coached a 4A state champ in the shot put, All-State 300m hurdler, NCHSA 4A State champions in the girls 4 x100 and 4 x200 relay.  Jayson became the Assistant Track Coach of jumps for Providence Day School. In 2008 he coached a North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association (NCISAA) state champion in the triple jump. In 2009 the team won the NCISAA boys team state championship. From there Coach Gardner became the jumps coach for Wofford College for two years. To improve his coaching knowledge, he earned a USATF Level 1 certification. Coach Gardner has a BA in Social Studies Education from Kentucky State University and taught History with West Mecklenburg high for ten years. He earned a Master of Education with UNC Charlotte in 2003 and earned a Master of Arts with Winthrop University in 2022 and teaches African American Studies at Livingstone College. He is very proud of his twenty-five-year teaching career.  Jayson was born and raised in Topeka, Kansas attending Highland Park high school. He was an All-state triple and long jumper. In 1989 he won the Kansas high school 5A state championship in the triple jump. He had the second longest long jump mark in the state in 1990. In 1992, while attending Barton County CC, he became a National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Indoor All-American in the Triple Jump. Jayson while at Kentucky State University, in 1994 he was a participant in the NCAA Div 2 Indoor National Championships in the triple jump.  Jayson is married to Tracie an alumnus of the University of North Carolina. They have a middle school-age daughter.