Q&A with Assistant Volleyball Coach, Sabel Sabin
Tell us about your family.
Currently, my husband Ben and I moved from Switzerland to Alabama and do not have any pets yet, but I have a feeling a dog will be in our future .
Tell us about your college experience.
I went to Northwestern University where I played volleyball under the leadership of Coach Keylor Chan. Evanston was a beautiful city and competing in the Big Ten while being challenged academically was the perfect combination for me.
Tell us about your experiences playing professional volleyball.
I was lucky enough to play in three countries during my professional career where I made it to the finals in each and won championship titles in two of them. Throughout my career I have met many amazing people, traveled to over 15 countries to compete, and learned so many amazing things about the world and different cultures. God has truly blessed me with the ability to play the sport I love for as long as I did and allowing me to open my eyes to our beautiful world and the people in it.
Where's your favorite travel spot and why?
Switzerland. I love being in nature and Switzerland is full of mountains, rivers, lakes, and more to explore. The people are amazing and the Swiss cheese and chocolate selection is to die for.
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What is your favorite thing to do in the off-season?
I love to travel and see new places. There are so many unique things about this world and I love immersing myself in different cultures and getting to meet new people.
Tell us about what brought you to Samford.
The people and culture here at Samford. There were a couple of times I had previously been involved with Samford faculty- the first being trained at Northwestern by Keylor Chan where I valued his leadership and coaching style as a player, and the second working the volleyball camps over the last three summers at Samford. Every year, I was impressed with the friendliness and values the University and Athletics Department upheld.
What do you love MOST about coaching at Samford?
Constantly learning new things and different ways to help players improve and then seeing those developments get implemented into their style of play. Everyone is so unique in the way they grow and it is a fun challenge to find the best way to help each student-athlete improve.
What is one of your best memories as a coach so far?
Building relationships and getting to know each of the Bulldogs. We have an amazing group of student-athletes here at Samford.
How would you describe your coaching style?
I would describe my coaching style as passionate and focused. I enjoy helping the players develop to their fullest potential by discussing and visually watching the aspects of their game that need to grow.
How would your athletes describe you as a coach?
I would hope they see me as passionate, full of energy, and eager to help them work towards reaching their full potential both on and off the court.
What led you to coaching at the college Division I level? Is this something you always dreamed of doing?
Being able to give back to a sport that has given me so much has been an attraction that led me into coaching. I have been fortunate enough to have some strong female mentors and aspire to be that for future generations.
With this being your first year as a collegiate coach, tell us about the transition from playing professionally to coaching.
The transition from playing to coaching has been a fun challenge. Over the years, I have had several coaches with different styles whom I have been able to gather an assortment of knowledge from. I hope to use these tools to help better the student-athletes at Samford University to reach their fullest potential. All in all, it has been a great opportunity to be involved in a sport that has given me so much. Although I miss the competitive side of playing, I definitely do not miss how much my body hurt.
How has your relationship with Coach Chan changed throughout the years and especially recently with you joining his coaching staff?
It has been a wonderful opportunity to see the relationship between Coach Chan and I grow over the years. From being recruited in high school as a prospective student-athlete to now working for him at Samford, Coach Chan and his family have become great friends to my family. As an assistant coach to Coach Chan, I have been able to see more of the administrative side of coaching and the behind the curtains of how much he cares and puts into the development of his players. As a student-athlete of his at Northwestern, you always knew he had your best interest at heart, but now being able to see the amount of love and hard work he puts into his job is humbling. I am looking forward to being able to learn just as much from him as an assistant coach now as I did as a player for him in the past.
What is it like coaching alongside your husband, Ben, and was coaching together something you both had previously planned?
Coaching together was not something that we had previously planned, but it has truly been great. We both share a passion for volleyball, so it is nice to be able to nerd out and discuss the sport together.
How do you continue to build on the success of the program, which has won 3 SoCon tournament titles in the last 4 years?
Coach Chan has created a very successful program that I am excited to be a part of. I hope to continue building on the amazing foundation that the previous Samford coaches have established by bringing my passion, energy, and experience into their coaching style.
Final Message from Sabel:
"As a former student-athlete and current coach, I would like to thank you for your continued support and generosity. Through your donations, our student-athletes are able to continue their education and are provided with an elite college experience. You help make all the difference for our athletic programs and their success. Without you, it would not be the same. Thank you!"
  
  
